Research on shaken baby syndrome helps free California man in prison for 15 years pressdemocrat.com - get the latest breaking news, showbiz & celebrity photos, sport news & rumours, viral videos and top stories from pressdemocrat.com Daily Mail and Mail on Sunday newspapers.
Research on shaken baby syndrome helps free 15-year inmate
By OLGA R. RODRIGUEZApril 22, 2021 GMT
SAN FRANCISCO (AP) A California man imprisoned for 15 years in the death of his month-old son is free after prosecutors and a judge agreed that the scientific research underlying what was once called “shaken baby syndrome” has changed significantly in recent years.
Clifton Jones, 45, was released this month from Soledad State Prison after a judge agreed to resentence him to a lesser offense.
“The mistake that was made was finally put right,” Jones told The Associated Press.
Jones was arrested the day after his son, Clifton Jones, Jr., died on Dec. 13, 2005. One of the first things he did after gaining his freedom on April 15 was to visit his child’s grave.
SAN FRANCISCO A California man imprisoned for 15 years in the death of his month-old son is free after prosecutors and a judge agreed that the scientific research underlying what was once called shaken baby syndrome has changed significantly in recent years. Clifton Jones, 45, was released this month from Soledad State Prison after a judge agreed to resentence him to a lesser offence. The mistake that was made was finally put right, Jones told The Associated Press. Jones was arrested the day after his son, Clifton Jones, Jr., died on Dec. 13, 2005. One of the first things he did after gaining his freedom on April 15 was to visit his child s grave.
Jones’ defense had argued the child died after an accidental trip-and-fall in their home. Jones tripped over a shoe, and unable to break his stumble, he and his son fell into a wall, causing the baby to hit the back of his head, ultimately leading to his death, they had argued.
But following the testimony of two experts who said shaken baby syndrome likely caused the child’s death, Jones was sentenced to 25 years-to-life after a jury convicted him of involuntary manslaughter and child abuse in the death of his son.
In February, his attorney, Anjali Srinivasan, in partnership with the Northern California Innocence Project, filed a request for his release arguing that although the medical testimony may have been accurate at the time of trial, recent medical advancements point to the shaken baby syndrome testimony being false.
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