Wrongly Convicted Database

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Richard Danziger

Years Imprisoned:	13
Charge:	Sexual Assault (includes aggravated)
Sentence:	Life Imprisonment
Year Convicted:	1990
Year Cleared:	2001
Location of Trial:	Texas
Result:	Judicially Exonerated Released
Summary of Case:	Codefendant of Chris Ochoa. Wrongly convicted in 1990 of aggravated sexual assault after being implicated in the rape and murder of Nancy DePriest by his friend Chris Ochoa's false confession given under pressure of police threats that he would get the death penalty if he didn't confess. In 1996 the real killer, Achim Josef Marino, wrote letters to the Austin Police Department and the Austin American-Statesman confessing to the crime. Ochoa and Danziger were exonerated more than four years later after they were excluded by DNA tests unavailable at the time of their conviction. Those tests also implicated Marino. Exonerated by DNA tests. Awarded $9 million in compensation by the City of Austin, Texas in the summer of 2003. Ochoa paid Danziger $500,000 of the $5.3 million he received from Austin to settle his lawsuit.
Conviction Caused By:	False confession by co-defendant Christopher Ochoa under police threats and false prosecution informant
Innocence Proved By:	DNA
Defendant Aided By:
Compensation Awarded:	$9 million
Was Perpetrator Found?
Age When Imprisoned:
Age When Released:
Information Source 1:	Innocence Project database
Information Location 1:	http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/display_profile.php?id=83
Information Source 2:	My Only Hope, David Casstevens, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, March 7, 2004
Information Location 2:	http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/8128688.htm
Information Source 3:	Wrongly imprisoned man wins $5.3 million settlement, Tom Kertscher, Wrongly imprisoned man wins $5.3 million settlement, December 8, 2003.
Information Location 3:	http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec03/191269.asp
Information Source 4:
Information Location 4:
Information Source 5:
Information Location 5:
Ethnicity/Skin:	White
Book About Case:
Book Information:
Book About Case (2):
Book Information (2):
Movie About Case:
Comments About Case:	Co-defendant falsely confessed

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Richard Danziger

Years Imprisoned:

13

Charge:

Sexual Assault (includes aggravated)

Sentence:

Life Imprisonment

Year Convicted:

1990

Year Cleared:

2001

Location of Trial:

Texas

Result:

Judicially Exonerated Released

Summary of Case:

Conviction Caused By:

False confession by co-defendant Christopher Ochoa under police threats and false prosecution informant

Innocence Proved By:

DNA

Defendant Aided By:

Compensation Awarded:

$9 million

Was Perpetrator Found?

Age When Imprisoned:

Age When Released:

Information Source 1:

Innocence Project database

Information Location 1:

http://www.innocenceproject.org/case/display_profile.php?id=83

Information Source 2:

My Only Hope, David Casstevens, Ft. Worth Star-Telegram, March 7, 2004

Information Location 2:

http://www.dfw.com/mld/startelegram/8128688.htm

Information Source 3:

Wrongly imprisoned man wins $5.3 million settlement, Tom Kertscher, Wrongly imprisoned man wins $5.3 million settlement, December 8, 2003.

Information Location 3:

http://www.jsonline.com/news/state/dec03/191269.asp

Information Source 4:

Information Location 4:

Information Source 5:

Information Location 5:

Ethnicity/Skin:

White

Book About Case:

Book Information:

Book About Case (2):

Book Information (2):

Movie About Case:

Comments About Case:

Co-defendant falsely confessed

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