TMLG is pleased to announce that on April 7, 2017, the Honorable Judge John Cooney of Spokane County Superior Court entered an order in favor of clients Robert Larson, Tyler Gassman and Paul Statler, all of whom served more than four years in prison for crimes they did not commit. In 2009, the three men were convicted of first degree robbery and assault based on the testimony of an informant who implicated the men in exchange for leniency. Mr. Larson received a sentence of 20 years; Mr. Gassman received a sentence of 26 years; and Mr. Statler received a sentence of 42 years. Through the work of the Innocence Project Northwest, the convictions were vacated in 2012 and the men were freed.
Since 2013, TMLG has worked with Boyd M. Mayo (Law Office of Boyd M. Mayo, PLLC in Spokane), and Matthew Zuchetto (Matthew Zuchetto, Attorney at Law, in Spokane) to prove that Larson, Gassman, and Statler were actually innocent and thus are entitled to compensation for being wrongfully convicted and imprisoned. Eight years after their ordeal began, that day has finally come. In its recent decision, the Court found the men had no involvement in the crime for which they are charged and are thus entitled to $50,000 for each year spent wrongfully incarcerated and reentry services, including low-cost legal and financial advice, education, mentoring, job skills development, and mental health and substance abuse treatment.
This was the first case ever tried under Washington’s wrongful conviction compensation statute, chapter 4.100 RCW.
Read more about the case:
Shawn Vestal: In case of exonerated men, everyone sees mistakes but the sheriff
Washington Court of Appeals Issues Important Decision in Wrongful Convictions Compensation Case
Shoddy police investigation leading to wrongful convictions will cost the state more than $750,000
More about Compensation for the Wrongly Convicted