A 61-year-old Californian man who spent more than half his life in prison for a murder he did not commit has finally been exonerated after a judge vacated his conviction.
Joaquin Ciria has spent 32 years locked up after he was arrested in 1990, on a first-degree murder charge. After he was convicted he was given life in prison for the murder of Felix Bastarrica, who was shot in the head following an argument in a San Francisco alley.
According to reports, Ciria’s conviction was primarily a result of false witness testimony and police misconduct. The case against him has now been dismissed after a judge overturned his conviction. The getaway driver of the real killer also came forward and spoke his truth.
Innocent man exonerated after spending 32 years behind bars #sanfrancisco #california #wrongfulconviction #joaquinciria #ciriareleasedprison pic.twitter.com/zLl8LaQH0a
— KameraOne (@kamera_one) April 19, 2022
“You have a chance to take back your life”
“As a result of this wrongful conviction, the state stole 32 birthdays, 32 Christmases, 32 years in which he could not be with his son for all the special moments,” said Ciria’s lawyer Paige Kaneb. “Yet Joaquin has kept his big heart and easy smile, and is full of joy as he looks forward to starting his life again.”
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Joaquin Ciria was arrested in 1990 for a murder in San Francisco that he insists he didn’t commit.
32 years later, a Superior Court judge overturned the conviction and granted a new trial after a request from S.F. District Attorney Chesa Boudin. https://t.co/ROQx4iv3YS
— San Francisco Chronicle (@sfchronicle) April 18, 2022
An 18-month investigation into the crime found numerous discrepancies in the case and how it was handled.
“There was no DNA, no fingerprints, no murder weapon was ever recovered.”
Ciria had maintained his innocence over the decades and had two alibi witnesses who said he was home at the time of the murder but were never called by the defense. “Had a jury heard this case today there would not have been a conviction.”
“32 years ago, you were taken away from your wife and your baby, and that is because the system failed you catastrophically,” said Lara Bazelon, chair of the DA’s innocence commission. “Now at long last, you have a chance to take back your life.”
Ciria will be able to reunite with his son, who was just six weeks old at the time of his arrest. He is now 32.
“Wrongful convictions continue to plague our justice system at great cost to the families, victims, and accused persons whose lives are devastated when the wrong person is convicted of a crime,” San Francisco District Attorney Chesa Boudin said in a statement. “Prosecutors have a duty to promote justice and correct injustices. Mr. Ciria spent more than 30 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Although we cannot give him back the decades of his life lost we are thankful that the court has corrected this miscarriage of justice.”
A California man who spent 32 years behind bars for a murder he didn’t commit was exonerated.
Joaquin Ciria, 61, was sentenced to life in prison for a fatal shooting.
An investigation found police coerced a key witness, & the defense didn’t speak to 2 alibi witnesses for Ciria. pic.twitter.com/WAJsz6G7kr
— AJ+ (@ajplus) April 19, 2022