» Task force recommends changes to decrease wrongful convictions in Ohio: What they suggest
The National Registry of Exonerations tracks the reversals of bogus convictions and lists 92 that have happened in Ohio since 1990.
Local cases include:
Roger Dean Gillispie: First convicted of rape in 1991 but maintained his innocence and was released from prison in 2011 after having the conviction against him vacated. Was declared a wrongfully imprisoned individual late last year after suing the state.
Scott Chessman: Convicted of rape in 2003 and sentenced to three years in prison. He was also required to register annually for 10 years after his release. In 2009, Chessman was indicted for failing to notify officials about a new telephone number. He was convicted of a first-degree felony and was sentenced to three years in prison. On July 9, 2010, the Second District Court of Appeals vacated Chessman’s sentence stating that because “there is no penalty specified for such a failure, there can be no criminal offense.” He settled with the state for for $82,000.
Robert Aldridge and Jennifer Wilcox: The former Huber Heights residents were wrongfully convicted in 1985 of 23 child molestation charges and told it would be 60 years before they would be eligible for parole. Wilcox and Aldridge appealed their convictions and had them overturned in March 1996 — after spending 11 years in prison. The highly sensational case fell apart after it was determined that key information was withheld at trial, testimony was coerced and the state was aware of the possibility that its child witnesses were committing perjury. Three witnesses later recanted as adults.
Tyrone Zinkiewicz: Convicted in 1988 of taking nude photos of a juvenile, but was released after a new trial was ordered in 1992. He said the 17-year-old, who claimed to be an adult, made the allegations only after learning Zinkiewicz had recorded on his answering machine his admission to the rape of a Dayton man. A judge ruled Zinkiewicz’s lawyer should have been allowed to cross-examine the juvenile about the tape
Here’s a look at those people who have been exonerated in Ohio since 1990:
Name | County | Convicted | Exonerated | Contributing Factors |
---|---|---|---|---|
Joseph Allen | Lorain | 1994 | 2022 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Marvell Dixon | Franklin | 1998 | 2022 | Perjury or False Accusation |
Nancy Smith | Lorain | 1994 | 2022 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Isaiah Andrews | Cuyahoga | 1975 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Maurice Bradford | Cuyahoga | 2016 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence |
Charles Brown | Lorain | 2018 | 2021 | |
Kim Hoover-Moore | Franklin | 2003 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence |
Ralph Smith | Fairfield | 2000 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
William Campbell | Hamilton | 2009 | 2020 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense |
Patrick Baker, Sr. | Sandusky | 2015 | 2019 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Charles Jackson | Cuyahoga | 1991 | 2019 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Shayla Johnson | Cuyahoga | 2012 | 2018 | |
Christopher Miller | Cuyahoga | 2002 | 2018 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Ru-El Sailor | Cuyahoga | 2003 | 2018 | Mistaken Witness ID |
Rosalynd Collier-Hammond | Cuyahoga | 1999 | 2017 | Perjury or False Accusation |
Roger Dean Gillispie | Montgomery | 1991 | 2017 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct |
Derius Irby | Cuyahoga | 2016 | 2017 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation |
Evin King | Cuyahoga | 1995 | 2017 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence |
Deontae Wilson | Cuyahoga | 2017 | 2017 | Mistaken Witness ID |
Laurese Glover | Cuyahoga | 1996 | 2016 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct |
Eugene Johnson | Cuyahoga | 1996 | 2016 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct |
Derrick Wheatt | Cuyahoga | 1996 | 2016 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct |
Terry Swalley | Ashtabula | 2010 | 2015 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Glenn Tinney | Richland | 1992 | 2015 | False Confession, Official Misconduct |
Edward Williams | Summit | 1997 | 2015 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Kwame Ajamu | Cuyahoga | 1975 | 2014 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Wiley Bridgeman | Cuyahoga | 1975 | 2014 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Scott Chessman | Montgomery | 2009 | 2014 | |
Joel Covender | Lorain | 1996 | 2014 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation |
Albert Graves | Lorain | 2008 | 2014 | Official Misconduct |
Ricky Jackson | Cuyahoga | 1975 | 2014 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Dewey Jones | Summit | 1995 | 2014 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Anthony Lemons | Cuyahoga | 1995 | 2014 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Joe D'Ambrosio | Cuyahoga | 1989 | 2012 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
David Ayers | Cuyahoga | 2000 | 2011 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Virginia LeFever | Licking | 1990 | 2011 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Thomas Siller | Cuyahoga | 1998 | 2011 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Walter Zimmer | Cuyahoga | 1998 | 2011 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Darrell Houston | Cuyahoga | 1992 | 2010 | Perjury or False Accusation |
Raymond Towler | Cuyahoga | 1981 | 2010 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence |
Joseph R. Fears, Jr. | Franklin | 1984 | 2009 | Mistaken Witness ID |
James Vaughan III | Cuyahoga | 2008 | 2009 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Inadequate Legal Defense |
Robert McClendon | Franklin | 1991 | 2008 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence |
Carlos Roche | Cuyahoga | 2007 | 2008 | Inadequate Legal Defense |
Jack Dempsey | Cuyahoga | 1996 | 2007 | Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense |
Robert Gondor | Portage | 1990 | 2007 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense |
Brock Henly | Franklin | 2003 | 2007 | Inadequate Legal Defense |
Randy Resh | Portage | 1990 | 2007 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Inadequate Legal Defense |
Ronald Larkins | Cuyahoga | 1986 | 2006 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Anthony McClain | Hamilton | 1995 | 2006 | Official Misconduct |
Dante Allen | Hamilton | 2005 | 2005 | Mistaken Witness ID |
Donte Booker | Cuyahoga | 1987 | 2005 | Mistaken Witness ID |
Clarence Elkins | Summit | 1999 | 2005 | Mistaken Witness ID |
Dartangnan Hill | Franklin | 2001 | 2005 | Mistaken Witness ID, Inadequate Legal Defense |
Derrick Jamison | Hamilton | 1985 | 2005 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
William Walker | Stark | 2002 | 2005 | Mistaken Witness ID, Inadequate Legal Defense |
Nathaniel Lewis | Summit | 1997 | 2004 | Perjury or False Accusation |
Kenneth Moore | Pike | 1995 | 2004 | Official Misconduct |
Dale Beckett | Lucas | 1997 | 2003 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Timothy Howard | Franklin | 1977 | 2003 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Gary Lamar James | Franklin | 1977 | 2003 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Michael Belcher | Franklin | 1999 | 2001 | Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense |
Danny Brown | Lucas | 1982 | 2001 | Mistaken Witness ID |
Anthony Michael Green | Cuyahoga | 1988 | 2001 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Tyeona Hunter | Hamilton | 1994 | 2001 | Perjury or False Accusation |
L. Lynn Pettit | Vinton | 1999 | 2001 | Inadequate Legal Defense |
Jimmy Williams | Summit | 1991 | 2001 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct |
Anthony Harris | Tuscarawas | 1999 | 2000 | False Confession, Official Misconduct |
Timothy Neininger | Tuscarawas | 1993 | 2000 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Franklin Wilmoth | Portage | 1994 | 2000 | Perjury or False Accusation |
Johnny Reeves | Hamilton | 1989 | 1999 | Perjury or False Accusation |
George Seiber | Cuyahoga | 1987 | 1999 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Robert Aldridge | Montgomery | 1985 | 1997 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Carl Doss | Cuyahoga | 1995 | 1997 | |
Dale Palmer, Sr. | Medina | 1994 | 1997 | Perjury or False Accusation |
Teresa Thomas | Athens | 1993 | 1997 | Official Misconduct |
Jennifer Wilcox | Montgomery | 1985 | 1997 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Kent Appleman | Muskingum | 1992 | 1996 | Perjury or False Accusation |
Walter D. Smith | Franklin | 1986 | 1996 | Mistaken Witness ID |
Andrew Surritt, Jr. | Fayette | 1992 | 1996 | |
Juan Celestino | Sandusky | 1991 | 1995 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Kim Hairston | Franklin | 1993 | 1995 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Anthony Lewis | Hamilton | 1986 | 1995 | Inadequate Legal Defense |
Sean Ennis | Franklin | 1990 | 1994 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct |
Larry Holdsworth | Portage | 1988 | 1994 | Perjury or False Accusation, Inadequate Legal Defense |
Brian Piszczek | Cuyahoga | 1991 | 1994 | Mistaken Witness ID |
James Ward | Franklin | 1991 | 1993 | |
Morgan Miller | Lucas | 1984 | 1992 | Mistaken Witness ID |
Tyrone Zinkiewicz | Montgomery | 1988 | 1992 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct |
Tyrone Ellington | Mahoning | 1989 | 1991 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct |
Randall Lynn Ayers | Hamilton | 1982 | 1990 | Mistaken Witness ID |
Dale Johnston | Hocking | 1984 | 1990 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct |