Canada ยท Ontario
Steven Truscott: wrongly convicted, exonerated
Convicted of Murder of a 12 year old classmate in 1959, when he was 14.
Convicted1959
SentenceDeath by hanging, later commuted
Years in prison10
Exonerated28 August 2007
How the conviction was overturnedCourt of appeal quashed the conviction on a reference and entered an acquittal, finding the verdict could not safely stand, Court of Appeal for Ontario, Reference re R. v. Truscott, 2007 ONCA 5751,2
What went wrong
- Evidence the Crown did not disclose at trial
- Fresh evidence showing the verdict could not safely stand
From conviction to exoneration
- Convicted of murder at age 14 and sentenced to death by hanging, a sentence later commuted.1,2
- The Court of Appeal for Ontario overturned the conviction and entered an acquittal, without a declaration of factual innocence.1,2
- Ontario announced 6.5 million dollars in compensation after he had served 10 years in prison and almost 40 years on parole.2,3
Compensation
6.5 million Canadian dollars from the Ontario government, announced by Attorney General Chris Bentley on the advice of former judge Sydney Robins
Today
Acquitted in August 2007 and compensated by Ontario.
Sources
- TheCourt.ca, Osgoode Hall Law School, York University, The Acquittal of Steven Truscott (28 August 2007)
- SooToday, Ontario compensates Steven Truscott (7 July 2008)
- Global News, Truscott grateful to receive $6.5M (2 September 2008)