Munger, Tolles & Olson Attorneys Win Release of Wrongfully Convicted Man After 15 Years In Prison

After serving more than 15 years in prison for crimes he did not commit, Nassir Cauthon has been released based on newly discovered evidence of his factual innocence.

In December 2020, an Ohio trial court judge granted the Munger, Tolles & Olson team’s motion for a new trial based on newly discovered evidence of innocence – the recantations of essentially all the state’s trial witnesses – and then granted the motion to release Mr. Cauthon on bond. The Munger Tolles team initially represented Mr. Cauthon in the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit, but brought a new state-court proceeding after an additional witness came forward to recant her trial testimony. The Ohio trial court judge found that this witness’s affidavit alone warranted a new trial, and also agreed that he should consider all the recantations, which only further strengthened Mr. Cauthon’s case.

On April 28, 2021, the State of Ohio filed a nolle prosequi, abandoning all the charges in the case.

The Munger, Tolles & Olson team included partners Robyn Bacon and Elaine Goldenberg and associate Brendan Gants.