Jabbar Collins was freed yesterday after 15 years in prison. A day earlier, a judge had overturned his 1995 murder conviction after evidence that the Brooklyn DA's office never turned over crucial information to the defense. Information like how one of three witnesses was allegedly threatened by the lead prosecutor to testify against Collins and how another witness testified after getting a deal from the DA's office in another case. Collins said outside his mother's Queens home with his family, "I can't even describe how good I feel right now. I'm dream-walking. ... I'm just happy to be home."
In 1994, Brooklyn landlord Abraham Pollack was killed while collecting rent. An anonymous tip was made, saying Collins was involved and, while proclaiming his innocence, he was convicted the next year. According to the Wall Street Journal, "For 10 years Mr. Collins, who submersed himself in the law, gathered documents and made attempts to contact the witnesses whose testimony landed him behind bars for 33½ years to life. By 2005, Mr. Collins had documents and affidavits in which witnesses claimed they made deals that Mr. Collins said resulted in 'extraordinarily favorable' sentences for past crimes in exchange for their testimony," which conflicted with lead prosecutor Michael Vecchione's claim during the trial.
The NY Times explains, "The chain of events that led to vacating the case against Mr. Collins began last month when, after years defending the handling of the case, the district attorney’s office acknowledged that a key witness had briefly recanted his testimony in the presence of a prosecutor before trial, a fact never disclosed to the defense. The office, which said it had just discovered the information, offered to release Mr. Collins if he pleaded guilty to a reduced charge of manslaughter, but Mr. Collins declined, saying he was willing to risk retrial to clear his name."
The Brooklyn DA's office then decided not to retry Collins for Pollack's murder, and Judge Dora Irizarry was upset that the lack of a trial meant the Brooklyn DA's office could avoid revealing the apparent miscarriage of justice, "It is indeed beyond disappointing, it is really sad that the district attorney’s office persists in standing firm and saying that it did nothing wrong here," and called the office's actions "shameful."
Collins's lawyer said he discuss suing the Brooklyn DA's office with his client and slammed DA Charles Hynes, "He has condoned and ratified what was done in his name in this case." Collins, 37, who acknowledge the "16 years of misery," was happy to see his children, including a daughter who was just one when he was imprisoned, "My three beautiful kids. They came up to my knees when I left them."
