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Last week, the District Court vacated the conviction of Korey Wise Innocence Project client, James “Cass” Garner, and ordered his immediate release. Remarkably, the same judge who presided over Mr. Garner’s original trial issued the order.

After 15 long years, James Garner is now free — released from Sterling Correctional Facility just after 5:00 p.m. last Wednesday. He is no longer imprisoned for a crime he did not commit.

Mr. Garner was wrongfully convicted in connection with a 2009 non-fatal shooting at a local bar — the same night he was there celebrating his birthday. He has always maintained his innocence. This life-changing outcome was made possible through the relentless work of KWIP attorneys Kathleen Lord and Jeanne Segil. Their case focused on discrediting the unreliable eyewitness identifications that had played a central role in Mr. Garner’s conviction.

In the initial months after the shooting, none of the three victims (all brothers) identified Mr. Garner in photo lineups. But nearly three years later at trial, all three pointed to him in court — a setting that was highly suggestive, especially with Mr. Garner being the only man seated at the defense table alongside two female attorneys. To strengthen their case, Kathleen and Jeanne brought in nationally recognized experts on human memory and eyewitness identification, both of whom concluded that the trial identifications were unreliable.

We’re overjoyed for Mr. Garner and his family. You can watch a about Mr. Garner’s release and see a of his first moments of freedom on KWIP’s Instagram page. There’s also a great .

“This is why we do this work,” Jeanne Segil said. “Today validates that what we do makes a difference for people.”