Monday, May 31, 2021

Eric Riddick; Philadelphia: (Ballistics): Major (Welcome) Development: Released from prison after serving years after prosecutor says he did not receive a fair trial..."Assistant District Attorney Patricia Cummings, head of the office’s Conviction Integrity Unit, said Thursday that favorable evidence was never shared with Riddick’s then-defense attorney. Evidence that showed Riddick could not have shot Catlett. However, Cummings said there was “credible evidence” that Riddick played a role in the murder. Common Pleas Court Judge Lucretia Clemons agreed and vacated Riddick’s sentence. Under a deal with the DA’s Office, Riddick pleaded no contest to third-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime, and was re-sentenced to 11-22 years in prison — time he had already served. More than two hours after the hearing, after all the required paperwork was completed, Riddick left the courthouse a free man and embraced his beaming supporters. “It doesn’t matter what they put on paper, it doesn’t matter the wording that they use, my son is innocent,” said Christine Riddick, Eric’s mother."


PASSAGE OF THE DAY: "Riddick started fighting for his freedom in the mid-1990s, maintaining his innocence throughout. This latest effort focused on a .22-caliber rifle found in a nearby alleyway three days after Catlett’s murder, and the “unreliable” statements of the sole witness that testified at Riddick’s trial. That witness, Shawn Stevenson, told a jury that he saw Riddick fire several shots at Catlett while Riddick was on a fire escape. Stevenson later recanted that testimony, saying investigators pressured him to finger Riddick as the shooter. Additionally, two types of bullets were found in Catlett’s body, making it likely that two people killed him — not just one. The .22-caliber rifle, discovered by police thanks to a tipster, was believed to belong to Riddick. But investigators found the firearm was fully loaded, and that it was prone to jamming, further undermining Stevenson’s testimony, said Emeka Igwe, Riddick’s attorney.

 Cummings told Clemons that ballistics tests showed it was not the murder weapon, and that she did not think Riddick shot and killed Catlett. “The Commonwealth absolutely accepts responsibility for what we believe was the wrongful conviction of Mr. Eric Riddick in 1992,” she said."


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PASSAGE TWO OF THE DAY: "(Defence lawyer) Igwe disputed prosecutors’ claim that his client was an accomplice in the murder, a sentiment Riddick echoed before pleading no contest to third-degree murder. Riddick said Catlett was his “best friend.”


During a news conference outside of City Hall, Igwe told reporters he wants Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to grant Riddick a “full and unconditional” pardon.

“Because Eric is innocent,” said Igwe.


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STORY: "Philly man released from prison after serving nearly 30 years," by Reporter Aaron Moselle, published by WHYY (PBS NPR) on May 28, 2001.

GIST: "Eric Riddick smiled and pumped his fists in front of the throng of reporters waiting for him outside of Philadelphia’s criminal justice center.


The jubilant moment was nearly 30 years in the making.


For the first time in his adult life, he was a free man.


“This is amazing,” said Riddick following an hourlong hearing on Thursday.


Riddick had been serving a life sentence.


He was released from state prison after the Philadelphia District Attorney’s Office found the 51-year-old did not receive a fair trial in June 1992, when a jury convicted Reddick of first-degree murder for fatally shooting William Catlett outside of a convenience store in West Philadelphia.


Assistant District Attorney Patricia Cummings, head of the office’s Conviction Integrity Unit, said Thursday that favorable evidence was never shared with Riddick’s then-defense attorney. Evidence that showed Riddick could not have shot Catlett. However, Cummings said there was “credible evidence” that Riddick played a role in the murder.


Common Pleas Court Judge Lucretia Clemons agreed and vacated Riddick’s sentence.


Under a deal with the DA’s Office, Riddick pleaded no contest to third-degree murder and possession of an instrument of crime, and was re-sentenced to 11-22 years in prison — time he had already served.


More than two hours after the hearing, after all the required paperwork was completed, Riddick left the courthouse a free man and embraced his beaming supporters.

“It doesn’t matter what they put on paper, it doesn’t matter the wording that they use, my son is innocent,” said Christine Riddick, Eric’s mother.


Riddick started fighting for his freedom in the mid-1990s, maintaining his innocence throughout.


This latest effort focused on a .22-caliber rifle found in a nearby alleyway three days after Catlett’s murder, and the “unreliable” statements of the sole witness that testified at Riddick’s trial.


That witness, Shawn Stevenson, told a jury that he saw Riddick fire several shots at Catlett while Riddick was on a fire escape.

Stevenson later recanted that testimony, saying investigators pressured him to finger Riddick as the shooter. Additionally, two types of bullets were found in Catlett’s body, making it likely that two people killed him — not just one.


The .22-caliber rifle, discovered by police thanks to a tipster, was believed to belong to Riddick. But investigators found the firearm was fully loaded, and that it was prone to jamming, further undermining Stevenson’s testimony, said Emeka Igwe, Riddick’s attorney.


Cummings told Clemons that ballistics tests showed it was not the murder weapon, and that she did not think Riddick shot and killed Catlett.


“The Commonwealth absolutely accepts responsibility for what we believe was the wrongful conviction of Mr. Eric Riddick in 1992,” she said.


Igwe disputed prosecutors’ claim that his client was an accomplice in the murder, a sentiment Riddick echoed before pleading no contest to third-degree murder. Riddick said Catlett was his “best friend.”


During a news conference outside of City Hall, Igwe told reporters he wants Pennsylvania Gov. Tom Wolf to grant Riddick a “full and unconditional” pardon.

“Because Eric is innocent,” said Igwe.


Riddick said he’s looking forward to spending tim with his family, some of whom haven’t seen him since he was incarcerated.


He said he also wants to help free other wrongfully convicted men.

“Just fighting the good fight,” said Riddick. “There’s lives in the balance that need help.""


The entire story can be read at:



PUBLISHER'S NOTE: I am monitoring this case/issue. Keep your eye on the Charles Smith Blog for reports on developments. The Toronto Star, my previous employer for more than twenty incredible years, has put considerable effort into exposing the harm caused by Dr. Charles Smith and his protectors - and into pushing for reform of Ontario's forensic pediatric pathology system. The Star has a "topic"  section which focuses on recent stories related to Dr. Charles Smith. It can be found at: http://www.thestar.com/topic/charlessmith. Information on "The Charles Smith Blog Award"- and its nomination process - can be found at: http://smithforensic.blogspot.com/2011/05/charles-smith-blog-award-nominations.html Please send any comments or information on other cases and issues of interest to the readers of this blog to: hlevy15@gmail.com.  Harold Levy: Publisher: The Charles Smith Blog;
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FINAL WORD:  (Applicable to all of our wrongful conviction cases):  "Whenever there is a wrongful conviction, it exposes errors in our criminal legal system, and we hope that this case — and lessons from it — can prevent future injustices."
Lawyer Radha Natarajan:
Executive Director: New England Innocence Project;
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FINAL, FINAL WORD: "Since its inception, the Innocence Project has pushed the criminal legal system to confront and correct the laws and policies that cause and contribute to wrongful convictions.   They never shied away from the hard cases — the ones involving eyewitness identifications, confessions, and bite marks. Instead, in the course of presenting scientific evidence of innocence, they’ve exposed the unreliability of evidence that was, for centuries, deemed untouchable." So true!
Christina Swarns: Executive Director: The Innocence Project;