Keith Sylvester, a Black man from Atlanta, spent more than a year in jail for the murder of his mother and stepfather – despite video and cellphone evidence proving his innocence that was deliberately withheld by the detective investigating the murders.
Now, Sylvester is poised to receive a $1.5 million settlement following a decision by an appellate court to reverse the conviction, according to WSB-TV.
However, it does not appear as if the cop investigating the case, Atlanta Police Detective James Barnett, was ever disciplined for withholding evidence that would have proved Sylvester never murdered his parents nor set fire to their house after strangling them.
Nor does it appear that he will be charged with perjury, which would be the appropriate charge in a case like this.
“The argument goes, a jury could find that Detective Barnett either intentionally lied to the state judge or was so reckless with the truth that he misled the state judge into thinking there was probable cause,” according to the appellate court ruling that reversed his conviction.