Gerardo  Cabanillas

A Californian man, Gerardo Cabanillas, spent nearly 30 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. In 1996, a man was falsely accused of rape, Cabanillas confessed his involvement in the crime by perjuring himself due to pressure from a detective. Police officers told the victim of the attack about Cabanillas’ confession and they identified him, but expressed doubts in court, saying they were also pressured by police officers during the identification.

According to the Innocence Project organization, DNA testing of the raped woman showed that two other men were responsible for the attack. Last week, the judge overturned the conviction, finding Gerardo Cabanillas factually innocent, and ordered his release from custody.The man now intends to seek justice in court.