Date: 10-10-2014

Case Style: The People v. Susan Marie Mellen

Case Number:

Judge: Mark Arnold

Court: Superior Court, Los Angeles County, California

Plaintiff's Attorney: Los Angeles District Attorney's Office

Defendant's Attorney: Deirdre O'Connor

Description: Los Angeles, CA - The People of the State of California charged Susan Marie Mellen, ge 59, with first-degree murder in conjunction with the death of Richard Daley in 1997. Her conviction was based on the testimony of a woman who claimed that Mellen confessed to killing Daley.

Her conviction and sentence was challenged by Innocence Matters which asserted that Mellen had ineffective assistance of counsel and the the witness who testified against her was a "habitual liar". The defense also produced evidence that Daley was killed by another person who was also convicted of killing Daley and by a witness to the crime who testified that Mellen as not present at the scene of the crime and passed a polygraph test.

Outcome: Defendant's first-degree murder conviction and life without the possibility of parole was set aside by Judge Arnold based on evidence presented by Innocence Matters.

Plaintiff's Experts:

Defendant's Experts:

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