After serving 40 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, a California judge declared the innocence of Maurice Hastings, who was convicted of robbery, murder and sexual assault in 1983.
Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan declared Hastings innocent of the crimes with which he was charged.
Commenting on the judge’s decision, Hastings said: “I am grateful to the judge and the apologies that were made to me. I am ready to move on with my life. I am a happy man now,” according to CNN.
Hastings, 69, was released after DNA from the site of the 1983 attack identified another suspect.
The authorities found the real criminal after they seized tools of sexual assault that occurred in June 2022, identical to that of the evidence found in the 1983 incident.
The DNA categorically ruled out Hastings, pointing instead to Kenneth Bucknett, who died in prison while serving a sentence for kidnapping and rape.
At the hearing, during which Hastings was declared innocent, Deputy Attorney General Martha Carrillo said: “I apologize, Hastings, for the injustice you have suffered, and for not providing you with criminal justice. This case represents a lesson that we must learn well from.”
