Aseem: 28 Years For A Crime He Didn’t Commit

Aseem is one of our students who was recently released from prison. He served 28 years for a crime he was found to be innocent of. Here is his picture as he walks out of San Quentin. Cost of Wrongful Incarceration: $1,260,000.

September 9th, 1986 was a day that forever changed the course of this young man's life. It was the date that Aseem was convicted for the tragic murder of one young man and the attempted murder of two others. Despite having an alibi, Aseem fate to three decades in prison was determined by circumstances of eyewitness mis-identification, gang loyalty, and a dubious star witness. It wasn’t until nearly 20 years later that the true murderer admitted to the crimes, clearing Aseem and his brother, that the wheels of justice finally started to move forward. Because of this new certified admission of guilt by the true killer, the State Parole Board finally granted him parole.

No longer a young man, Aseem is ecstatic to humbly resume his place as a member of society. Anxious to finish his college degree and find employment in the clerical or computer industries, he has all the attributes needed to successfully transition back into society, despite previous inequities. With his entire life in front of him, Aseem is looking forward, not behind, with an inspirational sense of optimism. His story of what is broken with our criminal justice system is also an example of what is whole with regards to the human spirit. "One of the leading causes of wrongful conviction is misidentification,” says Justin Brooks, Director of the California Innocence Project. "I am so pleased that he finally has his freedom after 28 years of wrongful incarceration."