Opinion: Exonerated after 12 years, but still paying a price
By Lisa Roberts on April 28, 2021
In 2002, I experienced what no Oregonian should have to: I was wrongfully convicted of manslaughter and sentenced to 15 years in prison. I spent nearly 12 years in prison before I was exonerated and released. The loss of freedom is horrible for everyone who experiences it, but it is even worse when you know you are there for a crime you did not commit.
I was freed by new DNA evidence and a court ruling that my initial conviction was based on misleading forensic science and an inadequate legal defense. The day I walked out of prison is one I will never forget. I emerged from Coffee Creek Correctional Facility to see friends and supporters waiting for me. It was one of the greatest days of my life, but it was only the start of trying to put back together the broken pieces of what my wrongful conviction had left me.
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