After serving 16 years behind bars, a Minnesota man was released from prison after a judge vacated his murder conviction for a crime prosecutors say he didn’t commit.
Edgar Barrientos-Quintana was sentenced to life in prison without parole in 2009 after he was found guilty of killing 18-year-old Jesse Mickelson in a drive-by shooting in Minneapolis.
In August, a conviction review unit under Attorney General Keith Ellison’s office released a damning report that found various faults in the case against Barrientos-Quintana.
State court Judge John McBride vacated Barrientos-Quintana’s conviction and ordered his release last week. The Hennepin County Attorney’s Office, more than a decade after charging him, dismissed all the charges on Tuesday.
“Nothing can give Mr. Barrientos-Quintana those 16 years back, and for that, we are so sorry,” Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty said during a news conference Tuesday. “When the criminal system does not function ethically, it causes significant harm.”
The judge, in the court order vacating the conviction, concluded Barrientos-Quintana did not receive a fair trial because prosecutors didn’t disclose all exculpatory evidence and his own attorneys didn’t effectively represent him.
Barrientos-Quintana expressed gratitude to his legal team and family and said he never lost hope of getting out.
“You know it was going to happen, just system’s too slow,” Barrientos-Quintana said at the news conference. “Happy to be out here man. Best week, it’s the best weekend. And more to come.
Story Source: news8000
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