Brown Law last week won a high-stakes post-conviction proceeding in Anne Arundel County when a Circuit Court Judge found that prosecutors had withheld critical evidence from the defendant. As a result, our client’s life sentence was vacated and a new trial ordered.
This marks the sixth time the Firm has reversed a life sentence.
The Judge granted the post-conviction petition on three separate grounds: one Brady violation and two claims of ineffective assistance of counsel.
The Brady violation was based on the failure of the State to turn over exculpatory evidence. The State had argued to the jury that the defendant had destroyed a computer to hide evidence of a crime. But in fact, the Court found, the police had been in possession of the computer the whole time. The prosecutors never turned over to the defense a report showing that the police had the computer, and that there was no inculpatory evidence on it.
The opinion in State v. Martin can be read HERE.
