New Jersey

NJ Judge Overturns Conviction of Ex-Death Row Inmate

A New Jersey judge has overturned the conviction of a former death row inmate in the bludgeoning of a woman in 1985.

NJ.com says state Superior Court Judge Stuart Peim ruled last month that Nathaniel Harvey deserves a new trial because he didn't get "adequate assistance" from public defenders during his trial.

The now-65-year-old Harvey was sentenced to death in 1994. But since then, his attorneys have been fighting to prove that DNA evidence presented by the state was faulty and that another man was guilty of murdering 37-year-old Irene Schnaps.

After New Jersey abolished capital punishment in 2007, Harvey's sentence was reduced to life without parole.

Even with the ruling, it appears unlikely Harvey will leave prison. He is currently serving a 70-year sentence on an unrelated charge.

Copyright AP - Associated Press
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