Appeals court: NY man held 2 decades on murder conviction should get new trial or be released
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}A federal appeals court says a New York man who has spent 22 years behind bars for a murder conviction should get a new trial or be released from prison.
Hector Rivas was convicted in the 1987 killing of Syracuse nurse Valerie Hill.
The 2nd U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals said Wednesday that a defense lawyer at his 1993 trial failed to adequately challenge evidence. The court says the trial defense amounted to "no defense at all."
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The appeals court said previously that Rivas had presented a "credible" and "compelling" claim of innocence.
The panel called Rivas' challenge to his conviction an "exceedingly rare and exceptional case."
An assistant state attorney general did not immediately return a message seeking comment.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Rivas' appeals lawyer, Richard Langone, called the ruling "wonderful."