ROCHESTER, N.Y. (WROC) — A Rochester man found guilty of murder for a 2015 drive-by shooting was released from custody and had his conviction vacated after a judge determined his pre-trial transfer from the Monroe County Jail to a federal prison in Pennsylvania violated the Interstate Agreement on Detainers Act.
Terrence Lewis was convicted in 2018 for the death of Johnny Washington, who was fatally shot on May 26, 2015 on Sixth Street in Rochester. Lewis was in federal custody in Pennsylvania on unrelated charges when he was named as the suspect in the shooting.
According to court paperwork, Lewis learned about the pending local charges on November 3, 2017. Four days later, he “exercised his rights” under the IAD Act. That paperwork was signed by a judge and prosecutor in Monroe County on December 21, 2017.
The IAD applies to sentenced prisoners who are transferred from one state to another, or between federal and state custody. Under the IAD, a trial must begin within 180 days of the prosecution receiving the defendant’s request.