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Judge says death row inmate Melissa Lucio is "actually innocent," recommends 2008 conviction be overturned

www.cbsnews.com Judge says death row inmate Melissa Lucio is "actually innocent," recommends 2008 conviction be overturned

Melissa Lucio has been on death row in Texas since she was convicted in the death of her 2-year-old daughter in 2008.

Judge says death row inmate Melissa Lucio is "actually innocent," recommends 2008 conviction be overturned

Summary

Judge Arturo C. Nelson, who oversaw Melissa Lucio’s 2008 murder trial, now believes she is “actually innocent” in the 2007 death of her 2-year-old daughter Mariah.

Lucio’s execution was stayed in 2022 after evidence emerged suggesting Mariah’s death resulted from an accidental fall, not abuse.

Nelson ruled that prosecutors illegally suppressed evidence supporting Lucio’s innocence, violating her constitutional rights, and recommended overturning her conviction and death sentence.

The case is now before the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals, which will decide whether to adopt Nelson’s recommendation.

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  • It's Texas, they've just been waiting to do it on the right week so they have something to distract from their worse politics

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