After 36 years of solitary confinement, Albert Woodfox, one of the Angola Three, has had his wrongful murder conviction overturned by a federal judge.
U.S. District Judge James Brady overturned the conviction after determining that Woodfox’s initial lawyer failed to properly challenge the credibility of witnesses who later admitted they were coerced into providing false testimony. Brady has ordered prosecutors to either dismiss the charges or retry Woodfox within 30 days.
The “Angola Three” are Woodfox, Robert King Wilkerson and Herman Wallace, political prisoners framed for the 1972 killing of prison guard Brent Miller at Angola Louisiana State Penitentiary. In reality, they were targeted for their activism and affiliation with the Black Panther Party.
As a consequence of the latest ruling, it is possible that Woodfox might soon be released on bail. Wilkerson was exonerated in 2001 and subsequently freed, while Wallace remains in solitary confinement.
