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Law School Helps Imprisoned Oakland County Man Fight 1989 Murder Conviction

LANSING (WWJ) - A group of students at Western Michigan University's Cooley Law School could help a man imprisoned for nearly 30 years get a new lease on life.

The case centers on the 1989 murder conviction of Gilbert Lee Poole Jr. Blood found on and near the victim, Robert Meija, has never been tested for DNA, even though the prosecution acknowledged that the blood type did not match that of Meija or Poole.

In 2003, the law school's Innocence Project began its search for biological evidence that could prove Poole's innocence. After learning that most items of evidence had been destroyed, the project located the remaining evidence at the Pontiac Police Department.

In 2012, Project Director and Attorney Marla Mitchell-Cichon filed a request for DNA testing in the Oakland County Circuit Court, but the court denied testing. This week the Michigan Supreme Court ruled that the Court of Appeals must consider Poole's request for testing.

The Oakland County Circuit Court first denied DNA testing in 2012 based on its interpretation of Michigan's DNA testing law. The Court of Appeals applied the law of case doctrine and denied the appeal.

"This is a big win for our client who has fought 26 years to overturn his conviction. This is the first favorable court decision in his case. It is a tremendous win for our project. Countless students have dedicated hundreds of hours to this case," Mitchell-Cichon said in a statement. "Mr. Poole is simply asking for the opportunity to have material evidence tested that may call into question his 1989 conviction. It's in the State's interest to make sure the right person is held accountable."

Innocence Project intern Angela Easterday, now a Michigan licensed attorney, briefed and argued the case in the Court of Appeals. Recent WMU-Cooley graduate Stephanie Hale wrote the motion for reconsideration and the leave to appeal to the Michigan Supreme Court.

"It takes a village to free an innocent man," said Mitchell-Cichon.

Besides Easterday and Hale, several students and attorneys have assisted in Poole's case, including Staff Attorney Cassandra Babel, Adjunct Professor Marie Wolfe, Professor Emeritus Mary D'Isa and Adjunct Professor Bill Fleener.

The WMU-Cooley Innocence Project is part of the Innocence Network, which has been credited with the release of over 329 wrongfully accused prisoners mainly through the use of DNA testing. Cooley's Innocence Project has exonerated three individuals: Kenneth Wyniemko, Nathaniel Hatchett and Donya Davis.

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