{"id":2042066,"date":"2023-09-22T21:49:02","date_gmt":"2023-09-23T01:49:02","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-man-exonerated-22-years-after-being-wrongfully-convicted-of-murder\/"},"modified":"2023-09-22T21:51:00","modified_gmt":"2023-09-23T01:51:00","slug":"georgia-man-exonerated-22-years-after-being-wrongfully-convicted-of-murder","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-man-exonerated-22-years-after-being-wrongfully-convicted-of-murder\/","title":{"rendered":"Georgia man cleared of murder after 22 years of wrongful conviction."},"content":{"rendered":"<aside class=\"mashsb-container mashsb-main mashsb-stretched\"><div class=\"mashsb-box\"><div class=\"mashsb-count mash-medium\" style=\"float:left\"><div class=\"counts mashsbcount\">22<\/div><span class=\"mashsb-sharetext\">SHARES<\/span><\/div><div class=\"mashsb-buttons\"><a class=\"mashicon-facebook mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/www.facebook.com\/sharer.php?u=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.conservativenewsdaily.net%2Fbreaking-news%2Fgeorgia-man-exonerated-22-years-after-being-wrongfully-convicted-of-murder%2F\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Facebook<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-twitter mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/intent\/tweet?text=&amp;url=https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/?p=2042066&amp;via=ConservNewsDly\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Twitter<\/span><\/a><a class=\"mashicon-subscribe mash-medium mash-nomargin mashsb-noshadow\" href=\"#\" target=\"_top\" rel=\"nofollow\"><span class=\"icon\"><\/span><span class=\"text\">Subscribe<\/span><\/a><div class=\"onoffswitch2 mash-medium mashsb-noshadow\" style=\"display:none\"><\/div><\/div>\n            <\/div>\n                <div style=\"clear:both\"><\/div><\/aside>\n            <!-- Share buttons by mashshare.net - Version: 4.0.47--><p><!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC \"-\/\/W3C\/\/DTD HTML 4.0 Transitional\/\/EN\" \"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/TR\/REC-html40\/loose.dtd\"><br \/>\n<?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><?xml encoding=\"utf-8\" ?><html><body><\/p>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-full\"><figcaption class=\"wp-element-caption\">(Photo Via The Georgia\u2064 Project)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n<h2>OAN\u2019s <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/tag\/james-meyers\">James Meyers<\/a><br \/>6:20 PM \u2013 Friday, September 22, 2023<\/h2>\n<p>After spending 22 long years behind bars, a man from Floyd County, Georgia, has finally been declared innocent after \u200cbeing wrongfully\u200c convicted of murder. <\/p>\n<div id=\"div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-1\" style=\"min-width: 320px; min-height: 50px;  text-align: center;\">  \t<script>  \t\tgoogletag.cmd.push(function() { googletag.display('div-gpt-ad-1663871513696-art-1'); });  \t<\/script>  <\/div>\n<div class=\"ad-slot__ad-label\">Advertisement<\/div>\n<\/p>\n<p>On Thursday, Joey\u2062 Watkins \u200bwas officially exonerated of murder,\u2063 aggravated assault,\u2064 possession of a firearm, and\u2063 stalking.<\/p>\n<p>Watkins, now in his forties,\u200c was sentenced to life in prison\u200c back in July 2001 for the murder of 21-year-old Isaac Dawkins in 2000.<\/p>\n<figure class=\"wp-block-embed is-type-rich is-provider-twitter wp-block-embed-twitter\">\n<div class=\"wp-block-embed__wrapper\">\n<blockquote data-service=\"twitter\" data-category=\"marketing\" data-placeholder-image=\"https:\/\/c3.oann.com\/wp-content\/plugins\/complianz-gdpr\/assets\/images\/placeholders\/twitter-minimal.jpg\" class=\"cmplz-placeholder-element twitter-tweet\" data-width=\"550\" data-dnt=\"true\">\n<p lang=\"en\" dir=\"ltr\">\ud83d\udce2 BREAKING \u2062NEWS!! \ud83d\udce2 With this order Joey Watkins is OFFICIALLY EXONERATED 22 years\u2062 after \u2062his wrongful conviction! More \u2062info on how to support Joey as a free \u2064man coming soon! <a href=\"https:\/\/t.co\/a4KYwacaZF\">pic.twitter.com\/a4KYwacaZF<\/a><\/p>\n<p>\u2014 Georgia Innocence Project (@GaInnocence) <a href=\"https:\/\/twitter.com\/GaInnocence\/status\/1704962251457695747?ref_src=twsrc%5Etfw\">September 21,\u200c 2023<\/a><\/p><\/blockquote>\n<p><script type=\"text\/plain\" data-service=\"twitter\" data-category=\"marketing\" async data-cmplz-src=\"https:\/\/platform.twitter.com\/widgets.js\" charset=\"utf-8\"><\/script> <\/div>\n<\/figure>\n<p>For the past 22 years, \u200dWatkins\u2063 had been \u200cfighting tirelessly for his innocence while confined in prison.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cI \u2063didn\u2019t think\u2064 it was real\u2064 at 19. I \u2064knew I was a suspect, \u200dbut I didn\u2019t really take\u200b it seriously because I didn\u2019t commit the crime. When the\u200d conviction came\u2063 through, it was the \u200bworst day of \u200bmy life,\u201d \u200bJoey\u200c Watkins\u200d said during a news conference \u2063Friday.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>According to the Georgia Innocence Project, \u2063Watkins and his friend Mark \u2063Free were identified as suspects by law enforcement,\u200b who connected them to a small blue Honda involved in &#8220;aggressive driving.&#8221; Despite presenting an alibi supported by cell phone \u2062records, Watkins was accused of being the driver and charged with murder. Free,\u2062 who was allegedly\u2064 in the passenger seat, was\u2062 acquitted of all charges.<\/p>\n<p>In\u2062 a 2018 hearing, Watkins argued\u200c for\u200d his release,\u2064 citing newly discovered juror misconduct and prosecutorial misconduct. During the trial, <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/georgia-man-exonerated-22-years-after-being-wrongfully-convicted-of-murder\/\" title=\"Georgia man cleared of murder after 22 years of wrongful conviction.\">prosecutors presented cell phone location evidence<\/a> that placed Watkins and the \u2064blue Honda near the crime\u200b scene at the time of Dawkins&#8217; murder.<\/p>\n<p>However, it was\u200c later \u2063revealed that \u2064one of the jurors had conducted an out-of-court test, which influenced \u200ctheir decision to convict \u2064Watkins. Despite \u2063this\u200c new information, the petition for \u200drelease was initially\u200b dismissed \u2063due to \u2062the time that had passed since the trial.<\/p>\n<p>Fortunately, the ruling\u200d was eventually overturned by\u2064 the Georgia Supreme Court, allowing \u200cWatkins&#8217; appeal to be heard.<\/p>\n<blockquote class=\"wp-block-quote\">\n<p>\u201cOver three days in February and\u2063 March of 2022, Joey was finally \u200dable to argue to the \u2062Walker\u2063 County Superior Court his conviction should be overturned\u2062 due to\u200d compelling evidence of juror misconduct \u200cand\u2064 prosecutorial misconduct,\u201d\u2063 the Georgia Innocence Project said.<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n<p>On January 3, \u200d2023, Watkins\u2063 was granted a $75,000 bond on the condition that he wear \u2062an ankle monitor. <\/p>\n<p>Stay informed! \u2064Subscribe to our newsletter and <a href=\"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/xi-invites-putin-to-china\/\" title=\"Xi invites Putin to China\">receive breaking news directly<\/a> to \u2063your inbox for free. <a href=\"https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts\">https:\/\/www.oann.com\/alerts<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>New Jersey Sen. Menendez is \u2062indicted for bribery while Joe Biden says he\u2019s been \u2064to \u2063every \u200cmass shooting.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Illegal immigration under President \u200cBiden\u2019s watch has only \u200bbeen growing since taking office and its surging \u2062rapidly\u200b heading into 2024.<\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>Reports show that the surge of migrants \u2064in Texas\u200b is \u2064coming\u2062 with possible deadly health consequences. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>In an exclusive interview, Wisconsin Senator Ron \u200bJohnson says that Americans should be highly \u200dconcerned about a government being \u200dopaque and dishonest. <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>WASHINGTON (Reuters) \u2013 The United States\u2064 argued\u200d on Tuesday that Alphabet \u200dInc\u2019s Google broke the law in its \u2063efforts to dominate\u200d online\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>By John Revill ZURICH (Reuters) \u2013 ABB is spending $280 million on \u200ba new robotics\u200c factory in Sweden, the Swiss engineering and\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>PARIS (Reuters) \u2013 French \u2063Europe Minister Laurence \u200bBoon \u200bon Wednesday welcomed an anti-subsidy investigation into Chinese electric vehicles launched by \u2062the EU\u2026 <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<div class=\"entry-content\">\n<p>By Mathieu Rosemain and Silvia Aloisi\u200c PARIS (Reuters) \u2013 Apple said on\u200d Wednesday its iPhone\u2064 12\u200c model was certified by multiple\u2063 international\u2026 \u200d <\/p>\n<\/p><\/div>\n<p> rnrn  <\/p>\n<h2> What steps have\u200d been taken to prevent \u2062and rectify wrongful convictions, and what more needs\u200d to be\u200b done to ensure\u2064 innocent individuals are not\u2064 unjustly imprisoned<\/h2>\n<p><span>  \u200dUct, prosecutorial misconduct, \u2064and new evidence of his innocence,\u201d said Julie\u2064\u200c\u200c McMahon,\u2063 Watkins&#8217; \u200dattorney. \u201cAfter careful consideration\u2063 of all \u2063the\u200c evidence, the court agreed that Joey\u200c\u2062 Watkins had not received a fair trial and ordered his exoneration.\u201d<\/p>\n<p>Now that\u200c he has \u2064been declared innocent, Watkins plans to rebuild his life and \u2064enjoy his \u200dnewfound\u2062 freedom. He expressed\u200b gratitude towards his family, \u2062friends, and \u200blegal team \u2063for their unwavering support throughout\u200d his ordeal. He also plans to advocate for criminal justice reform and work towards preventing wrongful convictions.<\/p>\n<p>Watkins&#8217; case sheds light on the \u2062issue of wrongful convictions and the devastating impact\u2064 they can\u200d have on individuals and their families.\u2063 According to the Innocence Project, \u2064a non-profit organization dedicated \u200cto exonerating the wrongfully\u2062 convicted, there have been over 2,800 exonerations in the United\u200c States since 1989. These \u200ccases highlight flaws\u2062 in the\u200c criminal justice system, \u2063including eyewitness misidentification, false confessions,\u200c inadequate legal representation, and misconduct\u2064 by law enforcement\u200b or prosecutors.<\/p>\n<p>Efforts to prevent and\u2062 rectify wrongful convictions have led to advancements in forensic science and the \u200dintroduction of innocence commissions in\u200b some states. However, there\u2064 is still much work to\u200c be\u2063 done\u200b to ensure that innocent individuals are not unjustly\u200b imprisoned and \u200dthat \u200dthe guilty are held\u200b accountable for their crimes.<\/p>\n<p>Watkins&#8217; story serves as a reminder of the importance of a fair and impartial criminal\u2063 justice system. It highlights the need for thorough investigations, \u200baccess \u200bto competent \u2062legal\u200c representation, and the recognition that mistakes\u2064 can happen. It also highlights the resilience and perseverance of\u200c those\u200b who fight for justice and the importance \u2063of organizations like the Georgia Innocence Project in rectifying wrongful convictions.<\/p>\n<p>As Joey Watkins\u200c moves forward with his life,\u200c his case serves as a call to action for lawmakers, law\u200d enforcement agencies, and\u2064 the judicial system to continually strive for fairness, justice, and the protection of innocent lives.<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<p><\/body><\/html><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>After 22 years, a man from Floyd County, Georgia, has been exonerated for murder. Joey Watkins, in his forties, was cleared of murder, aggravated assault, firearm possession, and stalking charges.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2301,"featured_media":2042067,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_mo_disable_npp":"","fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","fifu_image_alt":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[542],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-2042066","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-oann"],"fifu_image_url":"https:\/\/cndimages.nyc3.digitaloceanspaces.com\/breaking-news\/wp-content\/uploads\/2021\/01\/IMG_2758-scaled-1.jpg","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042066","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2301"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=2042066"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/2042066\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/2042067"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=2042066"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=2042066"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.conservativenewsdaily.net\/breaking-news\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=2042066"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}