Actor exonerated after 24 years in prison for wrongful murder

“Sing Sing” actor Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez is finally returning home after serving nearly 24 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit.

He was exonerated Monday morning of his wrongful conviction in Manhattan Supreme Court by Justice Abraham Clott, according to Variety.

Velazquez stars alongside Colman Domingo in the highly rated drama film, which chronicles the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program at Sing Sing Correctional Center.

“Sing Sing” producers Greg Kwedar, Monique Waton and Clint Bentley welcomed the decision in a joint statement:

“We were able to see for ourselves the quality of his character, the depth of his soul and the scope of his kindness. Surely, everyone who watches our film feels it too. Now, in the halls of justice, JJ will obtain what has been awaited for so long… exoneration from his wrongful conviction. This is yet another step in his mighty journey. A moment that he will undoubtedly use for the good of others and to defend those who are still behind the walls. Because that’s just who he is.

In 1998, Velazquez was wrongly convicted of the murder of a retired New York police officer. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, even though he did not match the suspect’s description and had an alibi corroborated by phone records.

Velazquez worked with Dateline NBC to further investigate his innocence and the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office’s mishandling of the case for nearly a decade.

A 2012 television broadcast led to a review by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit. They decided to uphold the conviction. On August 17, 2021, Andrew Cuomo, then-Governor of New York, granted executive clemency.

On September 9, 2021, Velazquez was released from Sing Sing Prison after nearly 24 years of detention. In October 2022, President Joe Biden apologized to Velazquez “on behalf of all of society” for his wrongful conviction.

Velazquez is also an activist for criminal law reform and a founding member of Voices From Within. The initiative addresses “the epidemic of crime and incarceration directly through the voices of incarcerated people.”

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Murjani Rawls can be contacted at [email protected] and followed on Twitter at@MurjaniRawls.