It made headlines in May of 2006 when 22-year-old Mica Lee Williams was convicted for the shooting of Haitian security guard Andre Douze during a robbery attempt at Vin Hong Supermarket in February of 2005.
It made news because Williams was convicted and sentenced to 7 years in prison based on a written testimony from Douze. He left the country shortly after the shooting and was unable to testify. Today in the Court of Appeals it was that decision to include Douze's statement, by trial judge Michelle Arana which secured freedom for Williams.
His attorney Anthony Sylvestre argued that the inclusion of Douze's statement in the trial was unconstitutional. And more than that, Sylvestre argued that Williams' right to a fair trial was violated.
He also told the judges that the prosecution failed to prove that the identification parade was fair and he pointed to discrepancies in the ID parade. It was those reasons and more why the Court of Appeal allowed Williams' appeal, quashed his conviction, set aside his sentence, and acquitted him.
