Judge rules Wayne Healy verdict biased, overturns conviction
A federal judge, Michael Ponsor (pictured), has ruled that Wayne Healy, a gay man who was convicted of the murder of his former brother-in-law Richard Chalue in 1980, should either be released from prison or given a new trial. Ponsor said prosecutors emphasized a (quote) "homosexual element to the murder," but suppressed evidence that there had been no sexual encounter. Healy was sentenced to life in prison without parole. Ponsor ruled that suppressing that information handicapped the defense "in an obviously devastating manner" and that doing so was "particularly grave." Ponsor's order said Healy is to be released on $400,000 bail, secured by his relatives' real estate, noting that Healy presents a very low risk of flight.
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