Lacino Hamilton hugs WMU-Cooley Innocence Project Director Marla Mitchell-Cichon following his release from prison on Sept. 30.
– Photo provided by WMU-Cooley
DETROIT (AP) — A man in prison for murder since 1996 was exonerated Wednesday after authorities agreed that his conviction was spoiled by the faulty testimony of an informant and the results of DNA testing.
“I’m a little overwhelmed right now,” Lacino Hamilton said after Wayne County Judge Tracy Green set aside his conviction. “I am extremely grateful and look forward to being a productive citizen in our community.”
Hamilton, 45, was convicted of second-degree murder in the 1994 death of a Detroit woman. He was sentenced to at least 52 years in prison, which meant no opportunity for parole until 2046.
But two attorneys, Mary Chartier and Takura Nyamfukudza, took up his case, along with the Western Michigan University-Cooley Law School
Innocence Project. A special unit in the prosecutor's office that looks at possible wrongful convictions also investigated.
DNA found under the victim's fingernails excluded Hamilton. The DNA evidence was never disclosed before the 1995 trial and wasn't tested at the time.
“In addition to that, and perhaps even more alarming, is the woefully improper use of informants in this case by the Detroit police department,” Wayne
County prosecutor Kym Worthy said. "The use of informants can be a very valuable tool in fighting crime and seeking justice, but in this case it was used and abused horribly.”
In 2018, the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office and the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project received a $451,238 grant from the Department of Justice. The purpose of the grant is to screen claims of innocence and conduct DNA testing of material evidence in appropriate cases.
“WMU-Cooley’s Innocence Project has almost 20 years-experience in post-conviction DNA testing,” stated Project Director Marla Mitchell-Cichon. “The grant funding, which covers the cost of testing, allows us to be a resource to innocent prisoners and their lawyers. We are honored to assist in freeing Mr. Hamilton.”
The WMU-Cooley Innocence Project has a similar grant partnership with the Michigan Attorney General Office, Conviction Integrity Unit, assisting its office with the evaluation of innocence claims.
Established in 2001, the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project focuses on obtaining post-conviction DNA testing of material evidence, and provides legal assistance to persons who are imprisoned for crimes they did not commit.
The WMU-Cooley Innocence Project is the only post-conviction DNA innocence organization in the state.
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Since its inception, the office has screened over 5,800 cases and is responsible for the exoneration of four men: Kenneth Wyniemko (2003), Nathaniel Hatchett (2008), and Wayne County residents Donya Davis (2014) and LeDura Watkins (2017).
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