Clarence Braunskill - Mistaken ID

Braunskill, Clarence; drug possession/sale; NRE: mistaken witness identification

from NRE synopsis (by Stephanie Denzel):

"In 1989, police in Suffolk County...conducted an undercover sting operation and tape recorded a drug deal in which an undercover agent bought drugs.

"The police believed that the voice on the tape was that of 38-year-old Clarence Braunskill, a man with a prior conviction for drug distribution who matched the description of the man selling the drugs.

"In January 1990, Braunskill went on trial...Based on the testimony of the undercover officers, a jury convicted Braunskill..."

"Braunskill's brother pursued his own investigation after the conviction and ultimately identified another man as the one who had sold the drugs. Braunskill's brother contacted the Suffolk [DA's] office, which commenced a re-investigation of the case. A subsequent voice analysis excluded Braunskill as the person who was speaking on the tape.

"The real perperator, who looked and sounded similar to Braunskill, eventually confessed after the statute of limitations for prosecuting him had passed. Prosecutors moved to vacate Braunskill's conviction. The motion was granted and he was released in April 1997.

"Braunskill filed a claim with the New York Court of Claims, which was settled for $850,000."

[All emphases added unless otherwise noted.]