Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg's office announced on Monday that Jabar Walker, also known as Jabar Moore, and Wayne Gardine had both been wrongfully convicted in separate murder cases during the 1990s.

The decision to overturn Walker's conviction came after the discovery of "newly discovered evidence" that pointed to his wrongful conviction. The statement from Bragg's office highlighted that Walker did not receive competent legal representation during his trial. The case against Walker was built on unreliable and recanted testimony, and he faced a sentence that could have kept him incarcerated for life.

Expressing his satisfaction with the outcome, Bragg stated, "I am thrilled he can now finally return home and thank the Innocence Project for its steadfast advocacy throughout this matter." The Innocence Project, known for its work in supporting individuals wrongfully convicted, played a critical role in Walker's exoneration.

Similarly, in Gardine's case, Bragg's office agreed with a court filing from the Legal Aid Society's Wrongful Conviction Unit, which emphasized the lack of physical or forensic evidence connecting Gardine to the 1994 fatal shooting for which he was convicted. The sole evidence against him was testimony from a teenager with a history of inconsistency and who was on probation for drug-related charges at the time of the incident.

Expressing his gratitude, Gardine thanked the Legal Aid Society for their dedication and Bragg and his team for the prompt investigation into his case. Gardine's conviction had resulted in him serving 18 1/2 years to life in prison for the murder of Robert David Mickens.

Addressing the issue of unjust convictions, Bragg asserted, "Unjust convictions are the height of injustice," expressing his hope that this exoneration is the first step in allowing Gardine to rebuild his life and reconnect with his loved ones.

The wrongful convictions of Walker and Gardine are part of a larger pattern of exonerations this year. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, a project hosted by the University of California Irvine, the University of Michigan Law School, and Michigan State University College of Law, more than a dozen people have been exonerated in 2022 alone due to wrongful convictions resulting from misidentifications, false confessions, and withheld evidence.

Since 1989, the National Registry of Exonerations has recorded at least 3,287 exonerations, accounting for a staggering 29,100 years lost to wrongful convictions in prisons across the United States.

While Walker has finally been released from prison, Gardine remains in the custody of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) due to his transfer following his parole. The Legal Aid Society has called for Gardine's release from ICE custody and the termination of pending deportation proceedings.

These recent developments shed light on the pressing need for robust legal reforms to reduce the occurrence of unjust convictions and ensure a fair and just criminal justice system for all.