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State of Wyoming v. Andrew Johnson
Date: 12-31-1989
Case Number:
Judge: Not available
Court: District Court, Laramie County, Wyoming
Plaintiff's Attorney: Laramie County District Attorney's Office
Defendant's Attorney: Not Available
Description:
Cheyenne, Wyoming
"Andrew Johnson was wrongly convicted in 1989 of sexual assault and burglary in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Johnson's prosecution was based on his identification by the victim. After his conviction by a jury Johnson was sentenced to life in prison. Post-conviction DNA testing of semen recovered from the woman excluded Johnson, and was matched to her then-fiance. Johnson filed a post-conviction petition for a new trial based on the new exculpatory DNA evidence. In 2013 Johnson's petition was granted and his convictions were set-aside. The Laramie County District Attorney declined to retry Johnson and the DA's motion to dismiss the charges was granted, and Johnson was released. In April 2017 Johnson filed a federal civil rights lawsuit that named the City of Cheyenne and officers involved in his case as defendants. Johnson's lawsuit alleged that the officers withheld favorable evidence from his lawyers -- namely about 20 crime scene photographs -- and failed to properly investigate the case. In July 2017 U.S. District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl dismissed Andrew Johnson's suit, based on numerous legal reasons. The most important reason was Johnson included many claims in his lawsuit he had been brought up in previous lawsuits that had been dismissed by prior judges, and issues that had already been rejected by a judge cannot generally cannot be relitigated: in other words, Johnson couldn't file multiple two lawsuits with the same claims. On December 8, 2017 Johnson appealed Skavdahl's order to the U.S 10th Circuit Court of Appeals."
Erroneous eyewitness identification by the victim.
Defendant was black.
"Andrew Johnson was wrongly convicted in 1989 of sexual assault and burglary in Cheyenne, Wyoming. Johnson's prosecution was based on his identification by the victim. After his conviction by a jury Johnson was sentenced to life in prison. Post-conviction DNA testing of semen recovered from the woman excluded Johnson, and was matched to her then-fiance. Johnson filed a post-conviction petition for a new trial based on the new exculpatory DNA evidence. In 2013 Johnson's petition was granted and his convictions were set-aside. The Laramie County District Attorney declined to retry Johnson and the DA's motion to dismiss the charges was granted, and Johnson was released. In April 2017 Johnson filed a federal civil rights lawsuit that named the City of Cheyenne and officers involved in his case as defendants. Johnson's lawsuit alleged that the officers withheld favorable evidence from his lawyers -- namely about 20 crime scene photographs -- and failed to properly investigate the case. In July 2017 U.S. District Court Judge Scott Skavdahl dismissed Andrew Johnson's suit, based on numerous legal reasons. The most important reason was Johnson included many claims in his lawsuit he had been brought up in previous lawsuits that had been dismissed by prior judges, and issues that had already been rejected by a judge cannot generally cannot be relitigated: in other words, Johnson couldn't file multiple two lawsuits with the same claims. On December 8, 2017 Johnson appealed Skavdahl's order to the U.S 10th Circuit Court of Appeals."
Erroneous eyewitness identification by the victim.
Defendant was black.
Outcome:
Defendant was convicted and was sentenced to life in prison.
Plaintiff's Experts:
Defendant's Experts:
Comments:
Johnson filed a post-conviction petition for a new trial based on the new exculpatory DNA evidence. In 2013 Johnson's petition was granted and his convictions were set-aside. The Laramie County District Attorney declined to retry Johnson and the DA's motion to dismiss the charges was granted, and Johnson was released.
About This Case
What was the outcome of State of Wyoming v. Andrew Johnson?
The outcome was: Defendant was convicted and was sentenced to life in prison.
Which court heard State of Wyoming v. Andrew Johnson?
This case was heard in District Court, Laramie County, Wyoming, WY. The presiding judge was Not available.
Who were the attorneys in State of Wyoming v. Andrew Johnson?
Plaintiff's attorney: Laramie County District Attorney's Office. Defendant's attorney: Not Available.
When was State of Wyoming v. Andrew Johnson decided?
This case was decided on December 31, 1989.