District Attorney’s Office Determines Actual Innocence in Overturned Murder Convictions of Two Men
Dallas, Texas – Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot and the Office’s Conviction Integrity Unit moved to dismiss the cases of Stanley Mozee and Dennis Allen on the basis of actual innocence, whose murder convictions were formerly reversed by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals in January, 2018. The motions were presented to State District Court Judge Raquel “Rocky” Jones on Friday, May 10, 2019 at 9:00 a.m. in the 203rd Judicial District Court.
Mozee and Allen were convicted in 2000 for the murder of Reverend Jesse Borns Jr. The Conviction Integrity Unit began its investigation in this case in 2009, when the Innocence Project and the Innocence Project of Texas requested a review of the case. After a joint re-investigation, the Conviction Integrity Unit agreed to post-conviction relief in 2014 on the basis that the trial prosecutor suppressed exculpatory evidence. The re-investigation continued for several years, during which further evidence was submitted to the Court of Criminal Appeals for consideration. Ultimately, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals reversed the convictions of both men, ruling that the lead trial prosecutor suppressed multiple items of exculpatory evidence at trial and failed to correct false or misleading testimony from witnesses.
The Conviction Integrity Unit, through multiple administrations, has collectively spent ten years and countless hours ensuring that justice is served for Mozee and Allen. These cases undoubtedly establish that our Conviction Integrity Unit has been dedicated to rectifying wrongful convictions to ensure that the criminal justice system is fair and just for all. “After a thorough review of all the evidence, re-interviewing witnesses and exhausting all available forensic investigative possibilities in this case, we have determined that actual innocence relief is warranted for both Mozee and Allen,” said Conviction Integrity Unit Chief Cynthia Garza.
While Mozee and Allen were freed from prison more than five years ago, today’s dismissal on the basis of actual innocence, allows them to receive compensation for the time they spent behind bars. “If there was ever a case that warranted my office to take appropriate action to try to right these wrongs, the wrongful conviction of Mozee and Allen is it,” said Dallas County Criminal District Attorney John Creuzot. “Justice is slow sometimes, but today is a great day,” Creuzot added.
Innocence Project Senior Attorney Nina Morrison agrees with the District Attorney’s decision saying, “Today, the Innocence Project is thrilled to have an official declaration of what these two men have always known: that they are innocent. We are extremely grateful to the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office for its commitment to pursuing justice and the truth in this case.”
Gary Udashen, president of the Board of the Innocence Project of Texas said, “This case stands as a model for prosecutors and courts who are committed to promoting policies that will mitigate prosecutorial misconduct and offer a clearer path to freeing the innocent.”
The District Attorney’s Office would like to thank and acknowledge the Innocence Project and the Innocence Project of Texas for their collaboration in this case and for their unwavering efforts to seek justice in the wrongful conviction of Mozee and Allen.
