Judge tosses murder conviction linked to Brooklyn ex-detective
A 1991 murder conviction was vacated on Friday after prosecutors told a New York City judge that the state’s key witness had lied about who did it, a case linked to a retired detective at the center of dozens of wrongful conviction claims.
The decision at a hearing in Brooklyn cleared Derrick Hamilton, who had served 21 years in prison before being paroled in 2011.
“One day in prison is too much for an innocent man,” Hamilton told reporters outside court. “It’s exhilarating. It’s a grateful day.”