Any Final Appeals ever overturned?

[sugarbaby]

After re-watching the fredrick/cedric episode and then thinking about the Darlie Router case...were any of the featured final appeals ever overturned?? It seems that once someone is convicted of a crime, it has become next to impossible to get that person's sentence overturned.

[kadrmas15]

Umm, wasn't Rolando Cruz profiled? If he was, Rolando Cruz eventually won a second trial and was acquitted at his 2nd trial in 1995. Cruz was first convicted of the murder of Janine Nacarico in 1985 and along with his co defendant Alex Hernandez was sentenced to death. The trial of a third co defendant, Steven Buckley ended in a hung jury and the charges were dropped on him and he was never retried. In 1989 the Illinois Supreme Court granted Cruz and Hernandez new trial's because the court ruled they should not have been tried together but seperately. At their re-trials in 1990 and 1991, Cruz and Hernandez were both convicted again. Cruz was once again sentenced to death. Hernandez's jury could not agree on the penalty so the death penalty was off the table and Hernandez was sentenced to 80 years in prison.

Dan Montecalvo who was convicted of his wife's murder, murder in the first degree was sentenced to 27 years to life for the murder and is still in prison in California where he has remained for nearly 20 years. He is now in frail health and is still fighting his case.

Thomas Drake, convicted of attempted murder and armed robbery in the beating of his wife, remains in prison in Florida. He was sentenced to life in prison for the robbery charge and Drake has now been in prison for 26 years. He continues to fight his case.

Darlie Routier continues to fight her case too. Her appeals are at the federal level now. She remains on Texas's death row. She has been in prison now for 12 years.

Tommy Zeigler was convicted of two counts of first degree murder and two counts of second degree murder. He continues to fight his case although his appeals have basically run out. He was sentenced to death in 1976 and remains on Florida's death row. He has been on death row for 33 years and is one of the longest serving death row inmates in the United States.

Glen Consagra, pleaded no contest to two counts of 2nd degree murder, he said to save himself from the possibility of execution. He was sentenced to two consecutive life sentences although at that time you became eligible for parole after 5 years. Consagra pled out in 1978, he spent the next 14 years in prison before being paroled in 1992 in which he was released from prison. He died in 1996.

I am probably forgetting a few cases but those are the ones I remember off of the top of my head. I believe Paul Farrell out of West Virginia was also released from prison back in 2004. He was originally sentenced to life in prison but he had his sentence commuted to a lesser term by the outgoing West Virginia Governor in 2001. His sentence expired in 2004 and he was released from prison,

[justins5256]

A lot of the inmates featured in "Final Appeal" segments on UM or the "Final Appeal" spinoff show have been released from prison. Either by parole, or because the conviction was overturned. Some are still incarcerated, however.

Off the top of my head...

Glen Consagra - paroled.

Michael Scott Martin - paroled.

Larry Race - paroled.

Paul Ferrell - paroled.

Patty Stallings - her conviction was overturned and she was released.

Rick McCue - granted a second trial and was acquitted.

Luis Diaz - exonerated by new DNA testing. Conviction overturned and he was released.

Steve Shores - exonerated. Given a plea deal that allowed him to enter an Alford plea in exchange for his release from prison.

Tony Miller - exonerated. Conviction overturned.

John Purvis - exonerated and conviction overturned.

Rolando Cruz - exonerated and conviction overturned.

Johhny Lee Wilson - received a pardon from the state governor.

Paul Freshour - served his time and released.

Dr. John Branion - died of a brain tumor while in the prison hospital. He did receive a medical pardon just prior to his death.

Michael Lloyd Self - died in prison.

Tommy Ziegler - still on death row.

Darlie Routier - still on death row.

Stuart Heaton - still incarcerated. No parole.

Fredrick Young - still incarcerated. Not sure if parole is an option.

Jeffrey MacDonald - still incarcerated. Been denied parole because he won't admit guilt.

Dan Montecalvo (see my avatar) - still incarcerated. May be paroled soon due to 3 billion in budget cuts in the California prison system. He has been denied parole numerous times because he won't admit he is guilty.

Thomas Drake - still incarcerated. No parole option.

[TheCars1986]

Routier is guilty as hell IMO; whereas it's ashame that Steve Shores had to strike a deal admitting he was guilty but also admitting he didn't commit a crime. That goes to show you something was quite fishy if he were granted an Alford Plea after serving 15 years in prison. I always thought he was innocent and just one of the unluckiest people on the planet Earth being at the wrong place at the wrong time. (And also not speaking out against the gang members who allegedly did kill the security guard at his trial was a pretty dumb move I thought...if I were in the same situation I would be blowing that whistle loud and clear.)