Colin Woodley - Mistaken ID

Woodley, Colin; drug possession/sale; NRE: mistaken witness identification

[578:851]; 2nd Dept. 12/23/91; affirmed

"[W]e are satisfied that the verdict of guilt was not againt the weight of the evidence."

from NRE synopsis (by Stephanie Denzel):

"During a drug sweep in 1988 in Suffolk County...an undercover officer recorded a drug sale. One office identified Collin Woodley, who had prior drug convictions, as the man who participated in the sale.

"The officer identified Woodley from his voice on the tape and during a photo identification several months later. The officer also identified him as participating in an earlier sale.

"The officer testified against Woodley at trial, and a jury convicted Woodley...[He] was sentenced to 10-20 years.

"In 1998, an acquaintance of Woodley's confessed to the sales, identifying the voice on the tape as his. Woodley's conviction was vacated, and the indictment dismissed by a Suffolk County judge in March 1998.

"Woodley subsequently filed a claim for compensation with the New York Court of Claims, but the claim was dismissed."

[All emphases added unless otherwise noted.]