A New York judge has overturned the conviction of a man who spent more than two decades behind bars for a murder he did not commit, leading him to become an advocate for criminal justice reform.
Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez was wrongfully convicted for the 1998 murder of Albert Ward, a retired police detective, in New York City. Prosecutors revealed that newly discovered DNA evidence implicated another individual as the actual killer.
During a hearing on September 30, Judge Abraham Clott approved a motion from Manhattan District Attorney Alvin Bragg to vacate Velazquez’s conviction and dismiss the initial indictment.
Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez stands relieved as his wrongful conviction is overturned after over two decades behind bars
After serving 23 years in prison, Velazquez had his sentence commuted in 2021 by former Governor Andrew Cuomo.
While incarcerated at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, Velazquez garnered support from remarkable figures such as Martin Sheen and Alfre Woodard and even received a presidential apology from Joe Biden.
Following his release, Velazquez appeared as himself in the film Sing Sing, which portrays the real-life Rehabilitation Through the Arts theater program at the prison.
At Monday’s hearing, attendees included Sing Sing star Clarence Maclin, director Greg Kwedar, and Brent Buell, a playwright and theater instructor depicted by Paul Raci in the film. Velazquez fought back tears during the proceedings.
Colman Domingo, Velazquez’s co-star in the A24 film, expressed his emotions to PEOPLE, stating, “This moves me to tears. It is his commitment to his own justice that justice was finally served. It came late, but it came, and JJ can lovingly, joyfully, purposefully live again.”
Domingo continued, highlighting Velazquez’s remarkable character: “JJ is such an extraordinary human who passionately advocates for others. With our film Sing Sing, I hoped to humanize these incarcerated men and women, sharing their stories to inspire change in how people perceive them. Many like JJ are still fighting for their liberation from wrongful convictions.”
On January 27, 1998, two armed robbers targeted a gambling parlor in Harlem. During the incident, Ward, the retired detective, attempted to intervene and was shot by a suspect who identified himself as “Tee.”
After the Manhattan D.A.’s Post-Conviction Justice Unit reopened the investigation into the murder in 2022, the medical examiner’s office determined that Velazquez’s DNA was absent from a betting slip associated with “Tee.”
“JJ Velazquez has lived in the shadow of his conviction for more than 25 years, and I hope that today marks a new chapter for him,” Bragg remarked. “I am thankful to our Post-Conviction Justice Unit for their dedication to objectively uncovering the facts and evidence in this case.”
