Conviction of Los Angeles Man Serving Life Sentence for Mother's Death Overturned

LOS ANGELES – A federal judge has overturned the conviction of a Los Angeles man serving life sentence in prison for his mother's death in 1983.

In her ruling Friday, U.S. District Judge Virginia A. Phillips concluded that 44-year-old Bruce Lisker was convicted on false evidence and that his attorney failed to adequately represent him at trial. She says Lisker should be retried or set free.

In a phone interview from prison, Lisker says he is elated, but the feeling is bittersweet because he has served more than 24 years in prison.

Two reports by a magistrate judge found in March that faulty evidence was used to convict Lisker in 1985. A hearing on Monday will determine whether Lisker should be released on bail while prosecutors determine whether to appeal or retry him.