CONVICTED AT 15 FOR A CRIME HE
SAYS HE NEVER COMMITTED AND NOW
AFTER ALMOST TWO DECADES BEHIND
BARS A JUDGE HAS DECIDED TO SET
HIM FREE.
A JURY CONVICTED HIM OF A GANG
SHOOTING WHEN USED AS A TEAM.
THE LOYOLA LAW PROJECT FOR THE
INNOCENT HAS BEEN WORKING FOR
YEARS TO GET BARNES OUT OF
PRISON.
JEFFREY NGUYEN IS MORE ON WHEN
HE WILL BE SET FREE.
IT WAS THE NEWS THIS MOTHER
WAITED 19 YEARS TO HEAR.
A JUDGE ORDERED HER SON RELEASED
FROM SAN QUENTIN PRISON FOR A
CRIME HE SAYS HE NEVER
COMMITTED.
HE WAS CONVICTED OF SHOOTING
WHEN HE WAS 15 YEARS OLD.
BUT PETERSON IS AN ATTORNEY FOR
THE LMU LOYOLA LAW SCHOOL
PROJECT FOR THE INNOCENT WHICH
BOUGHT FOR SIX YEARS TO RELEASE
HIM.
HIS CONVICTION HAS CHANGED
FOLLOWING TODAY'S RULING.
IT WAS RECALLED AND THE JUDGE
WAS ABLE TO EXERCISE DISCRETION.
BARDS WAS TRIED AS AN ADULT IN
2001 S. STATEMENTS FROM A
TEENAGE WITNESS WHO HAS SINCE
RECANTED HIS TESTIMONY AND ONE
JUROR HAD A CHANGE OF HEART
AFTER THE PANEL RETURNED A
GUILTY VERDICT.
SINCE THEN A LOT HAS CHANGED IN
CALIFORNIA WHERE 15-YEAR-OLD
TODAY CANNOT BE TRIED IN ADULT
COURT.
BARNES WAS 19 YEARS INTO HIS
SENTENCE AS SAYING CLINTON WHEN
CORONAVIRUS SWEPT TO
CALIFORNIA'S MOST NOTORIOUS
PRISON.
2400 INMATES GOT SICK AND HE
CONTRACTED COVID-19 BUT IS SINCE
RECOVERED.
HIS ATTORNEYS SAY EVEN THE L.A.
COUNTY DISTRICT ATTORNEY'S
OFFICE SUPPORTED THE MOVE TO
HAVE THIS CASE RE-EXAMINED.
SAME IF THIS AN EXAMPLE OF OUR
PRESENT ATTITUDES ABOUT CRIMINAL
JUSTICE AND APPLYING THEM TO HIS
PAST.
BARNES IS EXPECTED TO BE
RELEASED SOMETIME NEXT WEEK WHEN
HIS ATTORNEYS PLAN TO PURSUE HIS
