Man freed after serving 14 years for crime he did not commit

INDIANAPOLIS — A man has been set free after spending more than 14 years behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit.

Anthony Bedolla, a Mexican national, was exonerated after he was convicted of a murder and drug offense that occurred in a parking lot outside of an Indianapolis nightclub. In February 2010, following a bench trial, Bedolla was sentenced to 45 years in prison.

After more than 14 years, the Marion County Superior Court overturned his convictions after new evidence cleared him of the crimes just last week.

“Through our joint collaborative efforts, we have addressed, confronted, and corrected a tragic miscarriage of justice,” said Professor Jimmy Gurulé , founder and director of Notre Dame Law School’s Exoneration Justice Clinic.

“In wrongful conviction cases, not only is an innocent person convicted and deprived of his freedom for a crime that he did not commit, but the real killer remains at large and is not held accountable. So, really, it’s a double tragedy and injustice to society.”

For nearly two years, the Exoneration Justice Clinic at Notre Dame Law School investigated this case in collaboration with the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office and the Conviction Integrity Unit.

In a press release from the University of Notre Dame, The Notre Dame Law School said:

Gurulé stated that the Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department engaged in gross police misconduct by withholding substantial exculpatory evidence of an alternative suspect, the real killer. The department also withheld exculpatory evidence that would have seriously undermined the credibility of the critical prosecution witness in the case. The lead detective also testified falsely at trial and during a deposition, which led to Mr. Bedolla’s wrongful conviction.

“This was a violation of Bedolla’s constitutional rights,” said Gurulé. “Our client was deprived of the fundamental right to a fair trial because the police knowingly withheld material exculpatory evidence.”

University of Notre Dame, The Notre Dame Law School

On Tuesday, Aug. 20, the Marion County Superior Court granted a written motion filed by the State to dismiss the pending criminal charges against Bedolla with prejudice, officially exonerating Bedolla. He was released from prison on Thursday.

“Indiana failed Mr. Bedolla over and over and stole 14 irretrievable years. We owe it to Anthony — and to all who are wrongfully convicted — to do better,” said Adam Miller, a third-year law student at Notre Dame. “This moment took years. Today, we celebrate that he is free, vindicated, and reunited with his family.”

A partner with Loevy Loevy civil rights law firm, Elliot Slosar, said, “Instead of the typical adversarial process, our teams jointly conducted an intense investigation designed to unravel the truth. That investigation ultimately allowed us to correct the ultimate injustice: Anthony’s wrongful conviction. We will forever be grateful for the tireless efforts of the Marion County Prosecutor’s Office. Without their assistance, Anthony would still be wrongfully imprisoned in a system that often values finality over truth.”

According to the ECJ, Mexican nationals are particularly vulnerable to being wrongfully convicted.

Learn more about Notre Dame Law School’s Exoneration Justice Clinic here .

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