Durham Superior Court Judge Orlando Hudson dismissed all charges against Erick Daniels, who has served seven years in prison for a robbery that he did not commit. In 2001, a jury convicted Daniels of robbing and burglarizing the home of Ruth Brown, a police department employee; a judge sentenced Daniels to 10 to 14 years in prison. Daniels, who was 14 at the time of the robbery and 15 at trial, has always maintained his innocence. A 2007 investigation by Mosi Secret in the Independent, “Stolen youth,” supported Daniels’ claims.

(Link to “Stolen Youth” slideshow, AAN press release. Look for an in-depth report in this week’s issue of the Independent.)