A man has been exonerated after spending more than half his life behind bars for a crime he didn’t commit.
Joaquin Ciria, 61, was sentenced for the murder of his friend in San Francisco, a crime he has always maintained he didn’t commit. Ciria was finally exonerated Monday, exactly 32 years to the date of his arrest.
Ciria was convicted of murder in 1991 for the shooting death of Felix Bastarrica. There was no physical evidence linking Ciria to the crime. However, officials focused on him based on rumors and a statement given by the getaway driver, George Varela.
Bastarrica had actually been killed by a mutual acquaintance of Varela and Ciria.
In exchange for complete immunity, Varela testified he drove Ciria to and from the crime scene. Ciria had two alibi witnesses to vouch for his whereabouts but they were never heard at trial.
The Northern California Innocence Project brought his case to the DA’s Innocence Commission for review. Then after four months of investigation, the decision was made to exonerate Ciria.
The new evidence Ciria’s legal team provided showed he was convicted on the bases of false testimony.
Ciria’s case was the first reviewed by the Innocence Commission since its formation in 2020.
Ciria was transported from Folsom Prison last week and is currently in the San Francisco County jail. He is expected to be released within the week.
Under California state law, Ciria is entitled to financial compensation for his wrongful imprisonment. The rate of compensation is $140 per day for the 32 years he spent in prison, which amounts to a little over $1.6 million.
