In Rochester, New York, a man sentenced to 22 years to life in prison for murder was released on legal technicalities in February.
Terrence Lewis was convicted of second-degree murder in 2018 after shooting Johnny Washington with a drive-by in 2015, but Washington was shot multiple times and ultimately died, according to the Democrat & Chronicle The paper reported. report.
Lewis was charged with the murder of Johnny Washington in November 2017 and was serving a federal prison sentence in Pennsylvania on drug charges before being transferred to New York for arraignment in Monroe County Court. After his arraignment, he was returned to Pennsylvania before his trial in New York, the newspaper said.
The move was ruled by a state Supreme Court judge to dismiss the murder charge as a violation of the anti-reciprocation clause of the 1970 Interstate Detention Compact.IAD) law, reported by the Democrat & Chronicle. The law reportedly states that prisoners must be tried on charges before being returned to their original place of incarceration, or the charges will be dropped.
According to the newspaper, Lewis was later transferred to New York and ultimately convicted of second-degree murder, but the judge ruled that the court had to dismiss Lewis' murder charge because it violated the IAD Act. The ruling was that it would not. (Related: State judges slammed for releasing hundreds of people accused of violent crimes)
“The harsh reality is that 12 jurors from our community, after hearing all the evidence presented before them, found the defendant guilty of the murder of Johnny C. Washington. Nevertheless, the administrative prison's decision was based on the prison's population and conditions, Steven T. Miller, an acting state Supreme Court justice, wrote in his decision. However, based on the strict requirements of the IAD's anti-shuttle regulations, it clearly gives the defendant the right to dismiss a second-degree murder case with prejudice.” , according to court documents obtained by the Democrat & Chronicle.
🚨New: New York murderer freed from life sentence after judge rules he was held in the wrong prison
A man convicted of a 2015 Rochester murder has been released after his conviction was overturned.
Terrence Lewis was convicted in 2018 of second-degree murder in a drive-by incident. pic.twitter.com/8VMsqTIJUv
— Unlimited L (@unlimited_ls) February 14, 2024
Officials said Lewis' conviction was vacated and he was released from Five Points Correctional Facility where he was being held earlier this month. statement From the Monroe County Sheriff's Office.
“To the family and friends of Mr. Johnny Washington, there are no words to ease the pain that you rightly feel as a result of this decision that violates the principles of justice. County Sheriff Todd K. Baxter said in a statement.
