The DA announces the exoneration of Mr. Gerardo Cabanillas after more than 28 years in prison for crimes he did not commit.Photo:Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty
Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty
In April 1996, Gerardo Cabanillas was wrongfully convicted of kidnapping, robbery and sexual assault, Gascón’s office said in astatementon Tuesday.
“Today, we acknowledge a grave injustice that has resulted in the unjust, more-than-28-year incarceration of Mr. Cabanillas.” Gascón said at a Tuesdaynews conferencewhile standing next to Cabanillas and his wife, Laura Cabanillas.
Laura Cabanillas, left, her husband Gerardo Cabanillas, middle, listen as Mike Semanchik, right, Executive Director - of The Innocence Center speak during a press conference in the Hall of Justice Media Room on Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023, in Los Angeles, CA.Francine Orr / Los Angeles Times via Getty
Gascón noted it was “imperative that we reflect upon this case as a stark reminder that our criminal legal system is not infallible,” adding, “we must collectively commit to doing better, to continuously improving our procedures, and to ensuring that every person who enters our legal system is afforded a fair and just process.”
Two men had robbed a man and woman at gunpoint and sexually assaulted the woman in January 1995, Gascón said. Cabanillas, 18 at the time, was arrested days later because he resembled one of the suspects.
Alissa Bjerkhoel, Interim Director of the California Innocence Project at California Western School of Law, said Tuesday at the news conference “false confessions are one of the leading causes of wrongful convictions in the United States.”
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“Police are permitted to lie to suspects, including promises of leniency if the person confesses,” she said, adding, “That is exactly what happened here and, if it was not for the DNA evidence, Gerardo would have spent the rest of his life in prison.”
Through Bjerkhoel, he submitted a claim to the Conviction Integrity Unit asking for his case to be reviewed for factual evidence, per the statement. The district attorney’s office then examined the trial evidence as well as new evidence, which cast doubt on the conviction.
On Thursday, the Conviction Integrity Unit requested Judge William C. Ryan to overturn the conviction, declare him factually innocent, and release him from prison.
Gascón said at the news conference, “Today, we recognize the justice he deserves.”
source: people.com
