For anyone who watched Making a Murderer, you could definitely tell that Brendan Dassey most definitely wasn’t guilty of the crime he was being accused. Whether it was the lack of evidence or the police officers pressuring him into saying something, none of it seemed right.
Well, today in a Milwaukee court, a federal judge overturned Dassey’s initial conviction:
RULING: Federal court finds Brendan Dassey’s confession was involuntary under 5th/14th Amendments. #MakingAMurderer pic.twitter.com/yv0496UUDF
— Chris Geidner (@chrisgeidner) August 12, 2016
Here’s the critical section from the Judge’s decision:
“…the state courts unreasonably found that the investigators never made Dassey any promises during the March 1, 2006 interrogation. The investigators repeatedly claimed to already know what happened on October 31 and assured Dassey that he had nothing to worry about. These repeated false promises, when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey’s age, intellectual deficits, and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey’s confession involuntary under the Fifth and Fourteenth Amendments….
IT IS THEREFORE ORDERED that Brendan Dassey’s petition for a writ of habeas corpus is GRANTED. The respondent shall release Dassey from custody unless, within 90 days of the date of this decision, the State initiates proceedings to retry him. See Jensen v. Schwochert, 2013 U.S. Dist. LEXIS 177420, 55 (E.D. Wis. Dec. 18, 2013). The Clerk shall enter judgment accordingly.”
What do you think of this? Tell us below!