A wrongfully convicted man who spent greater than 30 years behind bars will obtain $19.1 million as a part of a settlement with the town of Baldwin Park, officers mentioned.
Daniel Saldana, 56, was convicted in connection to a 1989 drive-by taking pictures exterior a Baldwin Park highschool soccer sport that left two college students injured. However for years Saldana maintained he was harmless, insisting he wasn’t on the taking pictures.
Saldana was was free of jail in 2023 after a decide declared him factually harmless and, on Friday, the Baldwin Park Metropolis Council agreed to pay $19.1 million to settle a wrongful conviction federal lawsuit.
Attorneys for Saldana argued within the lawsuit it was the “egregious misconduct” of a Baldwin Park detective that led to the wrongful conviction in 1990.
Saldana couldn’t be reached for remark, however his attorneys launched a press release blaming the wrongful conviction on a Baldwin Park detective.
“Mr. Saldana’s wrongful conviction resulted from the egregious misconduct of a Baldwin Park detective who systematically fabricated proof and pressured witnesses all through a basically flawed investigation,” mentioned Amelia Inexperienced, considered one of Saldana’s attorneys.
The case in opposition to Saldana started to unravel when one of many codefendants, Raul Vidal, advised the state parole board in 2017 that Saldana was not current on the taking pictures.
A deputy district lawyer had been current at Vidal’s parole listening to, however the testimony didn’t spark a overview of the case on the time. It was not till 2023 that the state’s parole board turned over transcripts of the listening to to the Los Angeles County District Legal professional’s Conviction Integrity Unit.
The district lawyer’s workplace then moved to have Saldana’s conviction overturned, and a decide discovered him factually harmless in Could 2023.
In February 2024, Saldana and his attorneys filed a go well with in opposition to the town and former Baldwin Park Police Detective Michael Donovan, alleging the previous detective coerced witnesses and falsified reviews to get Saldana convicted.
Donovan allegedly pressured a teen witness to testify that Saldana was the second shooter within the incident, though the teenager initially testified there had been just one shooter, in line with the lawsuit.
In a press release, the town of Baldwin Park confirmed the settlement and mentioned the incident didn’t contain any present metropolis workers.
“The town sincerely hopes Mr. Saldana can now transfer ahead in his new life,” the assertion learn.
