New York -- Martin Sheen shone a spotlight Monday on a prisoner's efforts to get his 1999 murder conviction thrown out, saying the case "cries out for justice."
Meeting inmate Jon-Adrian Velazquez at a suburban prison Monday "confirmed my belief that he is an innocent man," the actor said at a news conference later in the day outside a Manhattan courthouse. "I came away inspired. He is a young man on fire with the truth."
Sheen's appearance trained some star power on a case that involves a longstanding issue getting new attention from the U.S. Supreme Court: the reliability of eyewitness identifications of suspects.
Convicted of fatally shooting retired police officer Albert Ward in an underground betting parlor in 1998, Velazquez is serving 25 years to life in prison. But he and lawyers Robert C. Gottlieb and Celia A. Gordon are trying to persuade Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus. R. Vance Jr.
Meeting inmate Jon-Adrian Velazquez at a suburban prison Monday "confirmed my belief that he is an innocent man," the actor said at a news conference later in the day outside a Manhattan courthouse. "I came away inspired. He is a young man on fire with the truth."
Sheen's appearance trained some star power on a case that involves a longstanding issue getting new attention from the U.S. Supreme Court: the reliability of eyewitness identifications of suspects.
Convicted of fatally shooting retired police officer Albert Ward in an underground betting parlor in 1998, Velazquez is serving 25 years to life in prison. But he and lawyers Robert C. Gottlieb and Celia A. Gordon are trying to persuade Manhattan District Attorney Cyrus. R. Vance Jr.
- 12/6/2011
- by AP
- Huffington Post
IMDb.com, Inc. takes no responsibility for the content or accuracy of the above news articles, Tweets, or blog posts. This content is published for the entertainment of our users only. The news articles, Tweets, and blog posts do not represent IMDb's opinions nor can we guarantee that the reporting therein is completely factual. Please visit the source responsible for the item in question to report any concerns you may have regarding content or accuracy.