Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón exonerated two men who were serving extensive prison terms for murders that prosecutors now say they did not commit.
Gascón formally apologized to Giovanni Hernandez and Miguel Solorio during a press conference in downtown Los Angeles on Wednesday.
Solorio was exonerated after spending 25 years behind bars for a 1998 murder in Whittier. Giovanni Hernández, exonerated after 17 years in prison for a 2006 Culver City murder that he did not commit. He was imprisoned when he was 14 years old.
Solorio and Hernández always declared themselves innocent in their respective cases, but they were still sentenced.
Solorio was imprisoned for life without parole, but the organization “Northern California Innocence Project” reopened the case to show that authorities had lied and withheld evidence.
Solorio’s family never lost hope that the truth would set him free.
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“My family, my God and I have always believed in myself that I have to fight, I have to fight so that my voice is heard and here I am,” said Solorio.
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Hernández was sentenced to 50 years and he never wavered. His case was revived by Loyola Law School's Fair Sentencing Clinic.
Gascón admitted that the legal system had failed.
“After in-depth investigations that resulted in new exculpatory evidence and witness statements, we determined that Mr. Giovanni Hernández and Mr. Miguel Solorio were wrongly convicted of murders and today are being declared innocent,” said Gascón.
Hernandez says he prefers not to talk about his case yet, but his faith in God gave him the strength to survive.
Solorio always had the support of his wife.
"The strength came from God. “He gave me the strength to move forward and never lose faith in a man who is innocent,” said Miguel's' wife, Silvia Solorio.
The time spent behind bars cannot be replaced, but both are happy that someone believed in them enough to achieve their freedom.
“Both men are free to start new lives, and authorities say they are investigating both cases to determine exactly who the real killers were.”
