BROOKLYN, N.Y. (PIX11) — A man who spent nearly 30 years pleading his innocence in connection to a homicide was exonerated by a Brooklyn judge on Thursday.
Steven Ruffin told others not to give up if they feel they, too, have been wrongly convicted.
The Legal Aid Society and the Brooklyn District Attorney's office have been reviewing 100 cases.
Ruffin cried at one point and explained that his mother passed away before she could see the moment when the judge said his 1996 indictment was being dismissed and sealed.
Ruffin served 14 years behind bars after being arrested at the age of 17 years old for the shooting death of a man who had allegedly mugged his sister.
No physical evidence tied Ruffin to the crime. He was convicted based solely on the testimony of a single eyewitness and a forced confession that NYPD detective Louis Scarcella took, lawyers said.
Scarcella has been involved in 17 previous cases that have resulted in exonerations. After the court proceedings, Ruffin said his exoneration was "surreal and great" and coming at an already amazing time in his life.
"I have two job opportunities for promotion at my current job, so my life is just trending upward right now. This is like the icing on the cake, but to me, this never defined me; this never really spoke of the person I was or the man I was going to become," Ruffin said.
Ruffin was paroled in 2010; he's now married and has been living in Atlanta and working for the city.
The Brooklyn DA's office supported Ruffin being exonerated, saying there is now additional evidence implicating the actual shooter.
The Brooklyn DA said they're reviewing whether that other person will be charged for the 1996 shooting death of James Delingey.
For his part, Scarcella has stood by his police work
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