LOS ANGELES (AP) A Los Angeles man wrongfully convicted in the 1985 slaying of a 35-year-old woman was released from prison after prosecutors decided against retrying him.
A judge agreed Wednesday to county prosecutors' request to dismiss the case against Harold Hall, 37, who was sentenced seven years ago to life in prison without the possibility of parole but granted a retrial last year.
``Various reasons, including the passage of time and the unavailability of a potential witness, forced us to make this request,'' the district attorney's office said in a statement.
Hall, who maintained his innocence for years, expressed relief and said his perseverance finally paid off.
``I've learned that you've got to have patience, and you've got to be determined,'' he said. ``It's just been a long, long ride. It's been an experience, one that I would not wish on anyone.''
Hall had confessed to the murder of Nola Duncan and her brother David Rainey, 26, who were found separately stabbed to death in Los Angeles. During the lengthy confession, he also admitted to a multiple gang shooting in which five people died in 1984.
Authorities dismissed charges against Hall in the shooting after he testified for the prosecution, but he was convicted in 1992 of the Duncan and Rainey murders. However, jurors voted against the death penalty after Hall took the stand to declare his innocence.
An appeals court in 1994 reversed his conviction in Rainey's death for lack of evidence, while the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals granted him a retrial last year in Duncan's slaying after ruling that authorities used a dubious confession and questionable jailhouse informant.
After ordering Hall's release, Superior Court Judge William Pounders later said he was not surprised prosecutors chose not to file another case.
``After such a long period of time, the evidence is old,'' Pounders said. ``It is no longer fresh and persuasive.''
Hall said he is considering filing a civil suit against the Los Angeles Police Department and the city.
Hall, who lived with his mother in South Los Angeles before the case, said he worked hard in custody to overturn his convictions, conducting research, filing legal motions and seeking to raise awareness about his case.
Now, he hopes to lead a normal life, he said.
``What they took from me, I can't get back,'' Hall said. ``The thing is to move forward, to enjoy what I have now.''
Information from: Los Angeles Times, http://www.latimes.com
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