After Decades In Solitary For Murder, Hate Group Member's Conviction Overturned

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In 1972, Woodfox, who was already serving a 50 year sentence for armed robbery, was found guilty, along with two other men, of murdering a prison guard at the Louisiana State Penn at Angola. The "Angola Three" were transferred to solitary confinement and served decades in isolation.

One of the convicted murderers, Robert King, had his conviction overturned in 2001 after 29 years in solitary. The other two, Herman Wallace and Woodfox, were both released from solitary in March of this year and returned to a Maximum security dorm.

This morning, U.S. District Judge James Brady issued the following ruling to approve a June recommendation by a Federal Magistrate as released by the Associated Press and CNN News:

...that Woodfox's conviction be overturned because one of his former lawyers failed to object to a prosecutor's testimony about a witness' credibility. Brady also found that Woodfox's trial lawyer failed to object to testimony from a witness who had died after the trial.

Also according to the reports, Nick Trenticosta, the New Orleans-based defense lawyer who handled the appeal, said "The man was convicted on false evidence, and he's been held in solitary for almost 40 years. Let's release him."

Unconfirmed reports claim that Woodfox is not yet aware of the Judges ruling, but that he will most likely read about it in the paper.

The three men had originally arrived at the prison around 1971, after being convicted of different crimes, and allegedly formed the prison chapter of the Black Panther hate group known as the Angola Three.

They were said to have been creating a movement within the prison walls for better living conditions, working as attorneys to other prisoners by assisting in filing legal documents when they were convicted of the murder of Prison Guard, Brent Miller in April of 1972.

Woodfox served 36 years of his original 50 year sentence in isolation, one that brought much worldwide controversy to the heart of the media and activists alike. At 61-years-old, he may now be a free man.