Man Convicted of Brooklyn Murder Exonerated After 52 Years

http://www.nbcnews.com/news/us-news/man-convicted-brooklyn-murder-exonerated-after-52-years-n566076

by Dan Slepian and Corky Siemaszko
May 2, 2016

Come November, 81-year-old Paul Gatling will get to do something that many Americans take for granted —he'll get to vote for a presidential candidate.

Brooklyn District Attorney Ken Thompson vacated Gatling's 1964 murder conviction on Monday and restored his rights, including his right to vote.

"I want my name cleared," Gatling told NBC News before Thompson made it official. "Most of all, I just want to vote before I die."

•••••

Thompson said full justice for Gatling was a long time coming.

"Paul Gatling repeatedly proclaimed his innocence even as he faced the death penalty back in the 60s," the DA said in a statement. "He was pressured to plead guilty and, sadly, did not receive a fair trial. Today, 52 years later, he will be given back his good name and receive justice here in Brooklyn, where he once called home."

•••••

tags: exonerated