Current:Home > InvestJudge tosses lawsuit filed by man who served nearly 40 years for rape he may not have committed -WealthRoots Academy
Judge tosses lawsuit filed by man who served nearly 40 years for rape he may not have committed
View
Date:2025-04-12 00:27:09
DOVER, Del. (AP) — A federal judge has ruled against a man who sued Delaware officials for wrongful imprisonment after spending nearly 40 years in prison for a rape he may not have committed.
In a decision issued Monday, Judge Stephanos Bibas found that Elmer Daniels failed to prove his argument that, among other things, police “made up” evidence in the case against him or that the city of Wilmington had failed to train or supervise its police officers.
“Courts cannot right all wrongs,” Bibas wrote, saying that while Daniels had spent decades in prison for a crime he may not have committed, he had shown no genuine factual dispute that would warrant a trial.
Bibas granted a summary judgment to the city of Wilmington, former detective Philip Saggione III and several “John Doe” police officers targeted in the lawsuit.
Daniels, 62, was sentenced to life in prison after being convicted in 1980 of raping a 15-year-old girl he allegedly encountered while she was having sex with another boy near a railroad bridge. At trial, both teenagers identified Daniels as the attacker. The prosecution further relied on testimony by Michael Malone, an FBI forensics expert who specialized in hair and fiber analysis.
Almost 20 years later, Malone’s credibility was called into question after a 1997 Justice Department inspector general’s report found that he had testified falsely in a criminal case. The report led to the formation of a task force that reviewed several cases involving more than a dozen FBI lab examiners.
In 2018, the FBI sent a letter to the Delaware attorney general concluding that Malone’s hair analysis in Daniels’ case had “exceeded the limits of science.” The attorney general’s office then moved to dismiss the indictment against Daniels. While the attorney general’s office could not declare Daniels innocent, it argued that his case should be dismissed based on the “interests of justice” and the amount of time he had spent in prison. He was released from prison in 2018.
Daniels sued state and federal officials in 2020, but later dropped his claims against the United States and Malone.
veryGood! (29253)
Related
- Arkansas State Police probe death of woman found after officer
- Ben Stiller and Christine Taylor’s Daughter Ella Is All Grown Up During Appearance at Gala in NYC
- 'Out of harm's way': Dozens of Florida Waffle Houses close ahead of Hurricane Milton
- October Prime Day 2024: Score Up to 76% Off Top Earbuds & Headphones from Apple, Beats, Sony, Bose & More
- Behind on your annual reading goal? Books under 200 pages to read before 2024 ends
- Dylan Guenther scores first goal in Utah Hockey Club history
- Their mom survived the hurricane, but the aftermath took her life
- Beyoncé Channels Marilyn Monroe in Bombshell Look at Glamour's Women of the Year Ceremony
- Average rate on 30
- RHOSLC's Whitney Rose Shares Update on Daughter Bobbie, 14, Amid ICU Hospitalization
Ranking
- DoorDash steps up driver ID checks after traffic safety complaints
- Disney World and Universal closures halt Orlando tourism as Milton approaches
- How Waffle House helps Southerners — and FEMA — judge a storm’s severity
- Erin Foster Reveals the Real-Life Easter Egg Included in Nobody Wants This
- IRS recovers $4.7 billion in back taxes and braces for cuts with Trump and GOP in power
- I worked out with Jake Gyllenhaal, Matt Damon’s trainer. The results shocked me.
- October Prime Day 2024: Score Up to 76% Off Top Earbuds & Headphones from Apple, Beats, Sony, Bose & More
- This California ballot measure promises money for health care. Its critics warn it could backfire
Recommendation
Justice Department, Louisville reach deal after probe prompted by Breonna Taylor killing
Traveling? These Are The Best Amazon Prime Day Deals on Life-Saving Travel Accessories, Starting at $7
A Georgia county official dies after giving testimony about a hazardous chemical plant fire
North Carolina lawmakers pass $273M Helene relief bill with voting changes to more counties
Woman dies after Singapore family of 3 gets into accident in Taiwan
14 days to reach 'The Summit': Why the new competition series is not another 'Survivor'
October Prime Day 2024 Home Decor Deals Worth Shopping—$11 Holiday Plants & 75% Off Fall and Winter Finds
AI Ω: Revolutionizing the Financial Industry and Heralding the Era of Smart Finance