A California man who spent 38 years in prison for murder is now free after DNA evidence pointed to a different person
The conviction of Maurice Hastings, 69, and a life sentence were vacated during an Oct. 20 court hearing at the request of prosecutors and his lawyers from the Los Angeles Innocence Project at California State University, Los Angeles.
In this photo provided by Cal State LA, Maurice Hastings smiles at a hearing at Los Angeles Superior Court where a judge dismissed his conviction for murder after new DNA evidence exonerated him, Oct. 20, 2022, in Los Angeles."We no longer have any confidence in the veracity of the case against Mr. Hastings," said District Attorney George Gascón, who noted that Hastings had consistently proclaimed innocence over the years.
Hastings sought DNA testing in 2000 but at that time the DA's office denied the request. Hastings submitted a claim of innocence to the DA's Conviction Integrity Unit last year and DNA testing last June found that the semen was not his.