Octavius Williams, the 27-year-old Clevelander accused and convicted of attempted murder in 2011, will finally get a chance to officially clear his name.
Eighth District Appellate Court Judges Eileen Gallagher, Lisa Forbes and Kathleen Ann Keough on Thursday issued a ruling that Williams’ previous denial for a new trial by a Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Court judge would be “reversed, vacated and remanded.”
Williams was granted a judicial release but not fully exonerated despite the recommendation of the county’s Conviction Integrity Unit, which investigated his case. He appealed to the Eighth District for a new trial.
The bulk of reasoning behind the judges’ decision seems to stem from Williams’ brother Ricky’s owning up to the crime himself, through a series of written and oral statements to police in the mid-2000s.
It’s exactly what the trio of district judges weighed on during oral arguments at Case Western in October.
“The confessions are consistent with evidence presented at trial,” an opinion filed Thursday in the Cuyahoga County Court of Common Pleas read. “These confessions amount to newly discovered evidence, and the court erred by denying the defendant’s motion for a new trial.”