“Charles Collins and Brian Boles served significant time in jail and suffered the devastating consequences of their unjust convictions for decades,” said District Attorney Bragg. “We cannot undo the harm to their lives, but it is never too late to do what is right. I also want to acknowledge the pain still felt by the family of Mr. Reid, whose life was lost in this terrible act of violence. Unjust convictions not only hurt impacted individuals, but also undermine faith in the criminal justice system, which makes all of us less safe. I want to commend our Post-Conviction Justice Unit for an incredibly rigorous and thorough investigation that included new DNA testing in partnership with OCME, which was not possible at the time of the original investigation. I hope that Mr. Collins and Mr. Boles can take some measure of comfort now that their convictions are officially vacated.”

“JJ Velazquez has lived in the shadow of his conviction for more than 25 years, and I hope that today brings with it a new chapter for him,” said District Attorney Bragg. “I am grateful to our Post-Conviction Justice Unit for its commitment to impartially uncovering the facts and evidence in this case.  Since the creation of the Unit in 2022 we have vacated 10 convictions through reinvestigations and 500 more related to law enforcement members convicted of misconduct. These convictions have deep consequences for individuals and their loved ones, compromise public safety, and undermine trust in the criminal justice system, which is why this work is of the utmost importance to me. We will continue to review these types of cases with the thoroughness and fairness they require.” 

“Eric Smokes and David Warren lost decades of their life to an unjust conviction. I am inspired by the unyielding advocacy of Mr. Smokes and Mr. Warren and hope that today’s decision can finally bring them a measure of comfort and justice. I thank our Post-Conviction Justice Unit for its thorough reinvestigation, and to the Court for its careful consideration of this matter,” said District Attorney Bragg. “It is never too late to reconsider the integrity of old convictions, because everyone in New York deserves equal justice under the law.” 

Manhattan District Attorney Alvin L. Bragg, Jr., today announced his Office moved to vacate the conviction of Wayne Gardine, 49, for a 1996 murder conviction in the shooting of 22-year-old Robert Mickens; and Jabar Walker, 49, for a 1998 double-murder conviction in the shooting of 32-year-old William Santana and 30-year-old Ismael De La Cruz.