The Legal Aid Society secured the dismissal of the murder charge against Derrick Ulett, bringing an end to a 17-year prosecution.

Mr. Ulett was convicted of murder in connection with a 2008 shooting and sentenced to life in prison. Six years of renewed investigation and litigation revealed prosecutors had withheld key evidence and ultimately led to a reversal by the New York Court of Appeals.

At the initial trial, the prosecution concealed surveillance footage of the shooting, and not only failed to disclose this critical evidence, but affirmatively told the jury that no such video existed, suggesting that defense counsel was asking jurors to speculate about evidence that was not real.

“I never stopped believing the truth would come out,” said Mr. Ulett. “I lost 11 years of my life, but today I can finally begin to move forward. I’m grateful to my family and to my legal team for never giving up on me.”

“The dismissal of this case is the direct result of years of relentless advocacy and investigation that exposed a prosecution built on withheld evidence and unreliable proof,” said Erin Darcy, Supervising Attorney with the Homicide Defense Task Force at Legal Aid. “No one should lose more than a decade of their life because the government failed to meet its most basic obligations. While nothing can restore the years Derrick lost, we hope today’s outcome provides him with the closure he needs to move forward.”