District Attorney Nathan Hochman has annulled the convictions of Charlotte Pleytez and Lombardo Palacios in the 2007 murder of a man in East Hollywood and ordered their immediate release, only days after a judge reversed their convictions.
“Our justice system must be both fair and accurate, and this case highlights the critical importance of never resting until justice is done, reviewing even past cases with the utmost care to ensure that the right and just result is reached,” Hochman said in a press release. “I want to extend my deepest apologies to Ms. Pleytez and Mr. Palacios for the years of hardship they endured due to these wrongful convictions.”
Before Hochman, the exoneration process was initiated by George Gasc, the district attorney at the time.
Palacios, who was 15 at the time of his sentence, was the focus of “coercive investigations” by local law officials, according to Gasc in October. Before being misled and persuaded that there was video proof proving he was the murderer, he argued his innocence for about two hours, according to Gascn.
Furthermore, Gasc claimed that because “he was never actually there,” Palacios was unable to provide an accurate account of the events or the kind of weapon used in the murder. Those videos that investigators mentioned were never shown to the jury that heard his case.
According to Gascn, Pleytez also insisted on her innocence throughout police questioning.
The convictions were dismissed by Superior Court Judge William C. Ryan, who initially did not rule on the prosecution’s October plea for exoneration. Instead, after the prosecutor who handled the first trial gave further details, he called lawyers back in court on November 1.
The head of the D’s Conviction Integrity Unit, Tom Trainor, stated that he was “very confident” in the D.A.’s Office’s October analysis of the case, but he also pointed out that Deputy District Attorney Dayan Mathai, the trial prosecutor, had “raised some concerns” and that he should be “given the opportunity to be heard.”
Mahai’s “last-minute approach” was criticized by Pleytez’s lawyer, Matthew Lombard, who claimed that there was “more than enough” to approve the petition and revoke the convictions of his client, who is now 37, and Palacios, who is now 32.
Hector Luis Flores was shot at approximately 10:20 p.m. on March 28, 2007, during a fight in the parking lot of a shopping complex in the 5200 block of Sunset Boulevard, which led to their convictions. After being taken to a local hospital, Flores passed away.
Eyewitness identifications and other “circumstantial evidence” led to Pleytez and Palacios’ 2007 arrests, Hochman said at a press conference on Monday. They were each sentenced to 50 years to life in prison after being found guilty of first-degree murder in 2009. On appeal, those convictions and punishments were upheld.
He went on to describe the behind-the-scenes actions his office took to rescue the wrongfully condemned people. They were asked to collaborate with a legal team consisting of California Innocence Advocates, Pleytez’s lawyer, Nicolas Tomas, and attorney Ellen Eggers.
When the initial request was sent to the D.A.’s Conviction Review Unit in November 2022, Tomas represented both Palacios and Pleytez.
“We are reluctant to say justice has been done, because the injustices our clients have suffered for nearly two decades are unfathomable, but this is definitely a case for celebration,” Lombard stated in a statement.
Tomas also released a statement that read, “Charlotte, Lombardo, their families, and the entire legal team are profoundly thankful to the Conviction Review Unit for having provided a platform to present this case and for working collaboratively to uncover the truths which ultimately set our clients free.”
To overturn the convictions and declare Pleytez and Palacios factually innocent, the CRU and the two parties’ lawyers jointly filed a petition. On Friday, Ryan granted their release and revoked their convictions. According to Hochman’s office, they will look for a determination of factual innocence later.
In support of the habeas petition, the D.A.’s office also sent a supplemental letter to the court, “clarifying its position on the underlying investigation and prosecution and the reasons for the requested relief.”
“The DA’s Office asserts that, following a detailed review and analysis of the investigation and prosecution of the 2009 convictions, there is no evidence to suggest that any of the investigating officers, responding officers, or prosecutors involved in the case acted inappropriately, unethically, or illegally in performing their duties in the investigation and prosecution of this case given the applicable case law and state of the evidence at that time,” Hochman stated. “The request for relief in this case was based entirely on new evidence uncovered by the joint CRU and defense investigation.”
Note: Every piece of content is rigorously reviewed by our team of experienced writers and editors to ensure its accuracy. Our writers use credible sources and adhere to strict fact-checking protocols to verify all claims and data before publication. If an error is identified, we promptly correct it and strive for transparency in all updates, feel free to reach out to us via email. We appreciate your trust and support!