Conviction Overturned for Queens Man After 33 Years Behind Bars
In a shocking reversal of fortunes, a Queens man has had his double murder conviction tossed after serving over three decades in prison. The decision was made by State Judge Michelle Johnson, who ruled that prosecutors had improperly withheld key evidence from Allen Porter's 1995 trial.
Porter, 53, was arrested in 1992 and convicted of the murders of Charles Bland and Sherrie Walker at a Woodside Houses housing development. His original sentence was 45 years to life, but he has always maintained his innocence.
A remarkable friendship between Porter and investigator Jabbar Collins began while both were incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility around 1998. Collins was exonerated of his own murder conviction in 2010 and became a key witness in Porter's case.
The judge's ruling cited "substantial and alarming" amounts of withheld evidence, including a witness statement that identified another suspect as the gunman, as well as the names of five witnesses who were never shared with the defense. The prosecution had also suppressed other key testimony, including a recanted eyewitness account from Jacqueline Aviles, who claimed she had been coerced by detectives.
The reversal is the latest in a series of high-profile cases to expose flaws in the office of former Queens DA Richard Brown, whose tenure was marked by allegations of withholding exculpatory evidence and other improper actions. Over the past decade, taxpayers have paid out tens of millions in lawsuit settlements as a result of these controversies.
According to Porter's lawyers, his conviction was built on "coercion, concealment, and constitutional violations." Collins, who is now president of a private investigations company, described Porter's case as a "crystal clear Brady violation," highlighting the prosecution's failure to turn over exculpatory material.
Porter will be released on $400,000 bond while the Queens DA's office decides whether to hold a new trial. His mother, Lula Ward-Brewer, was overjoyed at her son's release, saying it was a "beautiful day" and that she was relieved and grateful to have him home with her after 34 years of waiting.
The decision marks a significant victory for Porter and Collins, who promised to fight tirelessly on his behalf after he won his own wrongful conviction in Brooklyn.
In a shocking reversal of fortunes, a Queens man has had his double murder conviction tossed after serving over three decades in prison. The decision was made by State Judge Michelle Johnson, who ruled that prosecutors had improperly withheld key evidence from Allen Porter's 1995 trial.
Porter, 53, was arrested in 1992 and convicted of the murders of Charles Bland and Sherrie Walker at a Woodside Houses housing development. His original sentence was 45 years to life, but he has always maintained his innocence.
A remarkable friendship between Porter and investigator Jabbar Collins began while both were incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility around 1998. Collins was exonerated of his own murder conviction in 2010 and became a key witness in Porter's case.
The judge's ruling cited "substantial and alarming" amounts of withheld evidence, including a witness statement that identified another suspect as the gunman, as well as the names of five witnesses who were never shared with the defense. The prosecution had also suppressed other key testimony, including a recanted eyewitness account from Jacqueline Aviles, who claimed she had been coerced by detectives.
The reversal is the latest in a series of high-profile cases to expose flaws in the office of former Queens DA Richard Brown, whose tenure was marked by allegations of withholding exculpatory evidence and other improper actions. Over the past decade, taxpayers have paid out tens of millions in lawsuit settlements as a result of these controversies.
According to Porter's lawyers, his conviction was built on "coercion, concealment, and constitutional violations." Collins, who is now president of a private investigations company, described Porter's case as a "crystal clear Brady violation," highlighting the prosecution's failure to turn over exculpatory material.
Porter will be released on $400,000 bond while the Queens DA's office decides whether to hold a new trial. His mother, Lula Ward-Brewer, was overjoyed at her son's release, saying it was a "beautiful day" and that she was relieved and grateful to have him home with her after 34 years of waiting.
The decision marks a significant victory for Porter and Collins, who promised to fight tirelessly on his behalf after he won his own wrongful conviction in Brooklyn.
I'm so glad this happened! 33 years is way too long for someone to be behind bars without being proven guilty. It's like they say, "innocent until proven guilty" and it looks like the justice system finally caught up with itself 
. The fact that the prosecution withheld evidence and coerced witnesses just to get a conviction is disgusting 
. I mean, what's more damaging than ruining someone's life? I'm glad Allen Porter is finally going home with his mom 
, it's a beautiful day indeed 
. This whole thing makes me wanna shout from the rooftops 
!
i cant even imagine how scarry it must be to be incarcerated for so long only to have your conviction overturned cuz of prosecutorial misconduct 
its wild that a friendship between porter and collins while they were in prison became the key witness who helped get porter outta there 
how much evidence did the prosecution really hold back? 
and now taxpayers are gonna have to pay out more millions cuz of these controversies 
i'm so glad porters mom is finally gonna get to hug her son after all those years 
this is like, a perfect example of how flawed our justice system can be sometimes 
i'm so happy for Allen Porter and Jabbar Collins though they're basically angels on earth 
can't believe it's been 34 yrs since Porter was locked up and now he gets to come home with his mom 
this is like, the ultimate feel good story 
we need more people like Collins who stick by their friends no matter what 
... after 33 whole years in prison?! That's just crazy talk! I mean, think about all the money taxpayers wasted on settlements and whatnot... I guess it's better late than never, right? But seriously, can you believe prosecutors just withheld evidence like that?! It's wild. And another thing, if Collins was so close to Porter in prison, why didn't they suspect him of being involved in the murders back then?! Guess we'll never know. Anyway, I'm just glad this guy is finally coming home 
... about time!
and it's also so inspiring to see Jabbar Collins' friendship with Porter turn into a key witness in his case 
. And Collins, he's like a real-life hero for sticking it out with Porter even after getting exonerated himself. I'm so glad his mom is finally going to get some closure too 
. The system's gotta be more transparent and make sure that people aren't being wrongly convicted like that anymore. It's just not right 
.
The fact that Collins became a key witness in Porter's case is amazing... it just goes to show that even when we're down, we can still find a way to rise up and fight for what's right.
.
The whole thing just smells fishy to me. I'm glad justice is being served and Allen Porter gets to come home, but how many others got wronged in these types of cases? 
this is like something outta a movie! 33 yrs behind bars is way too long 4 anyone to be locked up 2 b innocent its crazy 2 think about how much evidence was withheld from allen porter's trial 
i mean the prosecution messed up so big time withholding evidence and coercing witnesses how could u 
, can't believe the DA office is getting away with this kinda thing, more like some kinda "justice" 
