Clarence Harrison
Encyclopedia
Clarence Harrison was wrongly convicted in 1987 for the kidnapping, rape and robbery of a 25 year-old-woman in Decatur, Georgia
. He is the first person exonerated through the work of the Georgia Innocence Project
.
In the pre-dawn hours of October 25, 1986, a woman was attacked as she walked in the rain to a bus stop. The assailant hit her, dragged her to an embankment and raped her three times before she was able to get away and notify the police. During the incident, the assailant also stole her watch. Harrison became a suspect based upon a prior conviction for robbery and a tip that someone at his house was trying to sell a watch, although the victim's watch was never found. Both the rape victim and the person providing the tip picked Harrison from a photo lineup. It was largely on this identification that Harrison was convicted on March 18, 1987, and sentenced to life in prison.
In February 2003, Harrison sent a hand-written letter to the newly opened Georgia Innocence Project. "Dear sirs, my name is Clarence Harrison. I am presently being held falsely accused of crimes I could not have committed," he wrote. "I am seeking to vindicate myself by the only means I know how." Interns from Georgia State University College of Law
and Emory University School of Law
saw the letter as worthy of further investigation. After finding slides from the rape kit previously thought to have been destroyed, modern DNA testing proved that Harrison was not the rapist.
On August 31, 2004, DeKalb Superior Court Judge Cynthia J. Becker
granted the DeKalb County District Attorney's motion for a new trial and request that Harrison be released immediately. All charges were dismissed.
Three weeks after his release, Harrison married a woman who befriended him while he was in prison. Since his release, Harrison has worked to keep a positive attitude and help deter young people from crime.
The Georgia General Assembly
compensated Harrison with a one million dollar sum payable as an annuity over twenty years.
Decatur, Georgia
Decatur is a city in, and county seat of, DeKalb County, Georgia, United States. With a population of 19,335 in the 2010 census, the city is sometimes assumed to be larger since multiple zip codes in unincorporated DeKalb County bear the Decatur name...
. He is the first person exonerated through the work of the Georgia Innocence Project
Georgia Innocence Project
The Georgia Innocence Project is a non-profit corporation based in Decatur, Georgia, United States. Its mission "is to free the wrongly prosecuted through DNA testing, to advance practices that minimize the chances that others suffer the same fate, to educate the public that wrongful convictions...
.
In the pre-dawn hours of October 25, 1986, a woman was attacked as she walked in the rain to a bus stop. The assailant hit her, dragged her to an embankment and raped her three times before she was able to get away and notify the police. During the incident, the assailant also stole her watch. Harrison became a suspect based upon a prior conviction for robbery and a tip that someone at his house was trying to sell a watch, although the victim's watch was never found. Both the rape victim and the person providing the tip picked Harrison from a photo lineup. It was largely on this identification that Harrison was convicted on March 18, 1987, and sentenced to life in prison.
In February 2003, Harrison sent a hand-written letter to the newly opened Georgia Innocence Project. "Dear sirs, my name is Clarence Harrison. I am presently being held falsely accused of crimes I could not have committed," he wrote. "I am seeking to vindicate myself by the only means I know how." Interns from Georgia State University College of Law
Georgia State University College of Law
The Georgia State University College of Law is an urban law school located in downtown Atlanta, Georgia. Founded in 1982, is it accredited by the American Bar Association and is a member of the Association of American Law Schools....
and Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law
Emory University School of Law is a first-tier US law school that is part of Emory University in Atlanta, Georgia. It is ranked #30 among ABA-approved law schools by the 2012 U.S. News & World Report...
saw the letter as worthy of further investigation. After finding slides from the rape kit previously thought to have been destroyed, modern DNA testing proved that Harrison was not the rapist.
On August 31, 2004, DeKalb Superior Court Judge Cynthia J. Becker
Cynthia J. Becker
Cynthia J. Becker is a Superior Court Judge in Division 6 of the Stone Mountain Judicial Circuit located in DeKalb County, Georgia. She has presided over several high-profile cases, including the criminal trial of former Sheriff Sidney Dorsey and the release of exonerated Clarence Harrison.-Notes:...
granted the DeKalb County District Attorney's motion for a new trial and request that Harrison be released immediately. All charges were dismissed.
Three weeks after his release, Harrison married a woman who befriended him while he was in prison. Since his release, Harrison has worked to keep a positive attitude and help deter young people from crime.
The Georgia General Assembly
Georgia General Assembly
The Georgia General Assembly is the state legislature of the U.S. state of Georgia. It is bicameral, being composed of the Georgia House of Representatives and the Georgia Senate....
compensated Harrison with a one million dollar sum payable as an annuity over twenty years.