Minnesota Judge Overturns Murder Conviction, Minneapolis Man Walks Free After 19 Years in Prison
Marvin Haynes, who was convicted of a murder in 2005 when he was 16 years old, has been released from prison after a Minnesota judge ruled that the eyewitness evidence used to convict him was unreliable. The Hennepin County Attorney's Office agreed that the evidence violated Haynes' constitutional rights. The judge dismissed all charges with prejudice, meaning they cannot be filed again. The case highlights the problems with eyewitness identification, with nearly 28% of cases involving overturned convictions having issues with eyewitness evidence. The Minnesota Legislature has since tightened procedures for lineups to protect against witness misidentifications.