If you are wondering if wrongful arrests are common in Los Angeles, keep in mind that California tied Texas and one other state for third in exonerations in 2021. The table below is pulled from the National Registry of Exonerations which can be found and searched at: University of Michigan’s Exoneration Registry Page.
Illinois and New York take the number 1 and 2 spots respectfully for exonerations in 2021 with California in third place. The data shows that false and unlawful arrests are more common than you think. With arrests declining across the country (according to some statistics) and crimes increasing in Los Angeles (according to other statistics) – a look at the registry of national exonerations paints a clear picture when wondering how common false arrests are. Our lead attorney, Greg Kirakosian, recently won an incredible false arrest case for our client Lyle Spruill and is more than familiar with the realities that exist behind arrests in general in our dear and beloved city of Los Angeles.
The table below is best seen on a desktop. You can also download a PDF (it still has the links to the people exonerated but with removed data for better reading) here:
| Last Name | First Name | State | County | Convicted | Exonerated | DNA | * | Contributing Factors Display | Posting Date |
| Willis | Patrick | California | Alameda | 2013 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Inadequate Legal Defense | 6/18/2021 | ||
| Williams | Barry | California | Los Angeles | 1986 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 4/22/2021 | ||
| Dumbrique | Edward | California | Los Angeles | 1998 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 4/6/2021 | ||
| Klene | John | California | Los Angeles | 1998 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 4/6/2021 | ||
| O’Hearn | Patrick | California | Marin | 2018 | 2021 | Inadequate Legal Defense | 11/8/2021 | ||
| Long | Kimberly | California | Riverside | 2005 | 2021 | DNA | * | Inadequate Legal Defense | 5/18/2021 |
| Vanderhorst | Zachary | California | San Francisco | 1974 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 11/8/2021 | ||
| Bautista | Juan | California | San Joaquin | 2011 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation | 7/13/2021 | ||
| Ixta, Jr. | Ignacio | California | Ventura | 2010 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 5/6/2021 | ||
| Morant | Stefon | Connecticut | New Haven | 1994 | 2021 | False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 11/15/2021 | ||
| Gibson | David | Fed-DE | 2018 | 2021 | 7/16/2021 | ||||
| Harra, Jr. | Robert | Fed-DE | 2018 | 2021 | 7/16/2021 | ||||
| North | William | Fed-DE | 2018 | 2021 | 7/16/2021 | ||||
| Rakowski | Kevyn | Fed-DE | 2018 | 2021 | 7/16/2021 | ||||
| Nolan | Ralph | Fed-NY | (Southern) | 2015 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 5/27/2021 | ||
| Hazelwood | Mark | Fed-TN | (Eastern) | 2018 | 2021 | Inadequate Legal Defense | 8/18/2021 | ||
| Raya | Amany | Fed-VA | (Western) | 2020 | 2021 | Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 5/25/2021 | ||
| Duty | Dustin | Florida | Duval | 2013 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 11/8/2021 | ||
| Hopps | Tony | Florida | Hillsborough | 1990 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Inadequate Legal Defense | 9/8/2021 | ||
| Perry | Dennis | Georgia | Camden | 2003 | 2021 | DNA | Mistaken Witness ID, False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 8/9/2021 | |
| Inman | Devonia | Georgia | Cook | 2001 | 2021 | DNA | * | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 1/3/2022 |
| Stinchcomb | Mario | Georgia | Fulton | 2004 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation | 5/6/2021 | ||
| Woolfolk | Michael | Georgia | Fulton | 2004 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation | 5/22/2021 | ||
| Debelbot | Albert | Georgia | Muscogee | 2009 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 5/25/2021 | ||
| Debelbot | Ashley | Georgia | Muscogee | 2009 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 5/25/2021 | ||
| Jacobsen | Ronald | Georgia | Newton | 1990 | 2021 | DNA | * | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 9/14/2021 |
| Talley | Terry | Georgia | Troup | 1981 | 2021 | DNA | * | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 4/4/2021 |
| Madeus | Francis | Guam | 2015 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 5/3/2021 | |||
| Allen | James | Illinois | Cook | 1987 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 9/27/2021 | ||
| Tyler | Sean | Illinois | Cook | 1995 | 2021 | False Confession, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 10/12/2021 | ||
| Henderson | Reginald | Illinois | Cook | 1996 | 2021 | False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 10/12/2021 | ||
| Morfin | Nicholas | Illinois | Cook | 1997 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 2/8/2021 | ||
| Antusas | Wayne | Illinois | Cook | 1998 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 2/19/2021 | ||
| Giles | Marc | Illinois | Cook | 2003 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/2/2021 | ||
| Roberts | Clifford | Illinois | Cook | 2003 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/2/2021 | ||
| Adams | Demetris | Illinois | Cook | 2004 | 2020 | ||||
| Patrick | Bryant | Illinois | Cook | 2005 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/2/2021 | ||
| Robinson | Willie | Illinois | Cook | 2005 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 12/6/2021 | ||
| Harris | Maurice | Illinois | Cook | 2006 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 12/6/2021 | ||
| Morris | Jermaine | Illinois | Cook | 2006 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/2/2021 | ||
| Bonners | Catrina | Illinois | Cook | 2007 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/2/2021 | ||
| Harris | Eveless | Illinois | Cook | 2007 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/2/2021 | ||
| Herron | Tyrone | Illinois | Cook | 2007 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/2/2021 | ||
| Howard | Darnell | Illinois | Cook | 2007 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 12/6/2021 | ||
| Newman | Lloyd | Illinois | Cook | 2007 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/2/2021 | ||
| Almond | George | Illinois | Cook | 2008 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 12/6/2021 | ||
| Harris | Darnell | Illinois | Cook | 2008 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 12/6/2021 | ||
| Johnson | Trinere | Illinois | Cook | 2008 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/2/2021 | ||
| Rocquemore | Sharron | Illinois | Cook | 2017 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 9/20/2021 | ||
| Williams | Robert | Illinois | Kankakee | 2017 | 2021 | 12/10/2021 | |||
| Smith | Kenneth | Illinois | McHenry | 2003 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation | 8/19/2021 | ||
| Spates | Jamie | Illinois | Winnebago | 2018 | 2021 | Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 9/8/2021 | ||
| Royer | Andrew | Indiana | Elkhart | 2005 | 2021 | False Confession, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 8/2/2021 | ||
| Westmoreland | Donte | Kansas | Riley | 2017 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 5/4/2021 | ||
| Bueso | David | Louisiana | East Baton Rouge | 2019 | 2021 | 8/2/2021 | |||
| Hudson | Jermaine | Louisiana | Orleans | 2000 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation | 4/13/2021 | ||
| Rhodes | Troy | Louisiana | Orleans | 2003 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 11/15/2021 | ||
| Gordon | Kendall | Louisiana | Orleans | 2010 | 2021 | DNA | * | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 12/22/2021 |
| Smith | Kaliegh | Louisiana | Orleans | 2010 | 2021 | DNA | * | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 6/25/2021 |
| Briley | Yutico | Louisiana | Orleans | 2013 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 4/5/2021 | ||
| Ballard | Jarvis | Louisiana | St. Bernard | 1999 | 2021 | DNA | * | Mistaken Witness ID, False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 8/21/2021 |
| Castro Santos | Darvin | Louisiana | St. Bernard | 2012 | 2021 | DNA | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 8/21/2021 | |
| Jones III | Clarence | Maryland | Baltimore | 1999 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence | 9/8/2021 | ||
| Morris | David | Maryland | Baltimore City | 2005 | 2021 | DNA | * | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct | 11/15/2021 |
| Hernandez | Angel | Massachusetts | Hampden | 2010 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 6/21/2021 | ||
| Mazza | Anthony | Massachusetts | Suffolk | 1973 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 6/13/2021 | ||
| Foxworth | Robert | Massachusetts | Suffolk | 1992 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/1/2021 | ||
| Lucien | James | Massachusetts | Suffolk | 1995 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 12/22/2021 | ||
| McCall | Corey | Michigan | Berrien | 2005 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Inadequate Legal Defense | 7/9/2021 | ||
| Miller | Tonia | Michigan | Calhoun | 2003 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence | 9/20/2021 | ||
| Brown | Shawn | Michigan | Calhoun | 2010 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Inadequate Legal Defense | 5/3/2021 | ||
| Poole, Jr. | Gilbert | Michigan | Oakland | 1989 | 2021 | DNA | * | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 6/18/2021 |
| Deering | Juwan | Michigan | Oakland | 2006 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 10/15/2021 | ||
| Ceasor | Terry | Michigan | St. Clair | 2005 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Inadequate Legal Defense | 10/15/2021 | ||
| Smith, Jr. | Larry | Michigan | Wayne | 1994 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, False Confession, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/4/2021 | ||
| Nixon | Kenneth | Michigan | Wayne | 2005 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation | 3/19/2021 | ||
| Romeo | Joe | Michigan | Wayne | 2005 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 8/2/2021 | ||
| Brown | Sherwood | Mississippi | DeSoto | 1995 | 2021 | DNA | * | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation | 10/4/2021 |
| Howard, Jr. | Eddie Lee | Mississippi | Lowndes | 1994 | 2021 | DNA | * | False Confession, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Inadequate Legal Defense | 2/25/2021 |
| Strickland | Kevin | Missouri | Jackson | 1979 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 12/6/2021 | ||
| LaPena | Frank | Nevada | Clark | 1977 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation | 8/30/2021 | ||
| Hill | Taron | New Jersey | Camden | 2006 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Inadequate Legal Defense | 7/26/2021 | ||
| Boyd | Darryl | New York | Erie | 1977 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 10/13/2021 | ||
| Walker | John | New York | Erie | 1977 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 10/13/2021 | ||
| Rodriguez | Wildon | New York | Kings | 1999 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 3/1/2021 | ||
| Ala | Kadafi | New York | Kings | 2001 | 2021 | False Confession, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 7/16/2021 | ||
| Davis | James | New York | Kings | 2006 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 9/9/2021 | ||
| Aziz | Muhammad | New York | New York | 1966 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct | 12/6/2021 | ||
| Islam | Khalil | New York | New York | 1966 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct | 12/6/2021 | ||
| Broadwater | Anthony | New York | Onondaga | 1982 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 12/8/2021 | ||
| Roman | Carlton | New York | Queens | 1990 | 2021 | False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 8/23/2021 | ||
| Breland | Chad | New York | Queens | 1997 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 10/25/2021 | ||
| Bell | George | New York | Queens | 1999 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 6/13/2021 | ||
| Johnson | Gary | New York | Queens | 1999 | 2021 | False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 6/13/2021 | ||
| Bolt | Rohan | New York | Queens | 2000 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 6/13/2021 | ||
| Wills | Ruben | New York | Queens | 2017 | 2021 | 5/25/2021 | |||
| Williams | Grant | New York | Richmond | 1997 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 8/18/2021 | ||
| Serrano | Jason | New York | Richmond | 2018 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 12/2/2021 | ||
| Shaw | Willie | North Carolina | Mecklenburg | 2016 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Inadequate Legal Defense | 2/16/2021 | ||
| Andrews | Isaiah | Ohio | Cuyahoga | 1975 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 11/15/2021 | ||
| Bradford | Maurice | Ohio | Cuyahoga | 2016 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence | 12/10/2021 | ||
| Smith | Ralph | Ohio | Fairfield | 2000 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 10/14/2021 | ||
| Hoover-Moore | Kim | Ohio | Franklin | 2003 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence | 11/5/2021 | ||
| Atchison | Corey | Oklahoma | Tulsa | 1991 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 9/8/2021 | ||
| Wirkkala | Luke | Oregon | Deschutes | 2014 | 2021 | DNA | * | 4/28/2021 | |
| Begay | Wilson | Oregon | Wasco | 2018 | 2021 | 9/20/2021 | |||
| Crosland | Curtis | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 1988 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 7/8/2021 | ||
| Coulston | Troy | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 1992 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 12/17/2021 | ||
| Williams | Christopher | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 1992 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 2/24/2021 | ||
| Loach | Jerome | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 2011 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Inadequate Legal Defense | 9/1/2021 | ||
| Onyiah | Obina | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 2013 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, False Confession, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 5/22/2021 | ||
| Garcia | Arkel | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 2015 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, False Confession, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 7/16/2021 | ||
| Harris | Jahmir | Pennsylvania | Philadelphia | 2015 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Official Misconduct | 4/7/2021 | ||
| Garrett | Paul Shane | Tennessee | Davidson | 2003 | 2021 | DNA | * | False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 9/8/2021 |
| Braseel | Adam | Tennessee | Grundy | 2007 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 12/13/2021 | ||
| Timofeyev | Mikhail | Texas | Bexar | 2010 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation | 4/4/2021 | ||
| Cape | John | Texas | Bexar | 2018 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation | 8/23/2021 | ||
| Garcia | Louis | Texas | Bexar | 2018 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation | 8/23/2021 | ||
| Hobson | Forrest | Texas | Bowie | 2019 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence | 5/6/2021 | ||
| Mallet | Steven | Texas | Harris | 2009 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 6/16/2021 | ||
| Grant | Lydell | Texas | Harris | 2012 | 2021 | DNA | * | Mistaken Witness ID, False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Official Misconduct | 6/16/2021 |
| Gay | Donald | Texas | Harris | 2019 | 2021 | Inadequate Legal Defense | 6/25/2021 | ||
| Austin | Kirkdrick | Texas | Waller | 2018 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 4/4/2021 | ||
| Stevenson | Christopher | Texas | Waller | 2019 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct, Inadequate Legal Defense | 4/4/2021 | ||
| Lewis | Catherine | Virginia | Appomattox | 2019 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 4/6/2021 | ||
| Lewis | Gloria | Virginia | Appomattox | 2019 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 4/6/2021 | ||
| Stevens | Emerson | Virginia | Lancaster | 1986 | 2021 | False or Misleading Forensic Evidence, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 9/20/2021 | ||
| Rozdilski | Austin | Virginia | Lynchburg City | 2019 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation | 5/22/2021 | ||
| Carter | Joseph | Virginia | Norfolk City | 1990 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Perjury or False Accusation, Inadequate Legal Defense | 8/24/2021 | ||
| Morman, Jr. | Bobbie | Virginia | Norfolk City | 1993 | 2021 | Mistaken Witness ID, Inadequate Legal Defense | 8/16/2021 | ||
| Barnett | Nathaniel | West Virginia | Cabell | 2008 | 2021 | DNA | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 10/25/2021 | |
| Barnett | Phillip | West Virginia | Cabell | 2008 | 2021 | DNA | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 10/25/2021 | |
| Black | Justin | West Virginia | Cabell | 2008 | 2021 | DNA | False Confession, Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 10/25/2021 | |
| Sanchez | Santos | Wisconsin | Milwaukee | 1996 | 2021 | Perjury or False Accusation, Official Misconduct | 5/22/2021 |