Instructions for Using the Registry

The table below shows all individual exonerations. By default, the table is set to show exonerations from 1989 through the present. Check "Pre-1989" in the Exoneration Era filter to view Pre-1989 exonerations. Use the filters on the left to search for exonerations with particular criteria. Hover over the symbols for explanations of filters or columns. Use the Keyword Search box to filter for cases that contain those keywords in the narrative summary.

If multiple keywords are entered, the search will show cases in which the narrative contains ALL of those words. So adding more search terms will narrow the search. Terms with fewer than three characters (e.g., "IQ") are ignored in searches. Searches can be further narrowed by using "quotation marks" to search for exact phrases. Keywords both inside and outside quotation marks can be combined. And, truncated words can be entered: the term "discrim" will return all variants on that root. No "wildcards," such as "*" are necessary for truncation.

Since the table is filtered to 1989 through the present by default, a search for the name of someone who was exonerated before 1989 will not produce results until the Date of Exoneration is adjusted, or the Pre-1989 filter is selected.

Once filters have been set, select the column headings you wish to display, and sort the table by whatever column heading you choose by clicking on the column heading. For more detailed instructions, see Understanding the Registry, under "About" at the top right of the Home Page.

Note: 1989 was the year of the first DNA exoneration and the dawn of a new era of wrongful convictions. The Registry used to separate the two - pre and post 1989 exonerations - into two separate and distinct databases. They are now synthesized to reflect the entire body of exoneration data. If you wish to view exonerations prior to 1989, check "Pre-1989" in the Exoneration Era filter.

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Total records: 17
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Name State County Convicted Exonerated Crime Sentence Years lost Age Race Sex Posting Date
Addison, Ronald Maryland Baltimore City 1998 2005 Murder 30 years 7.7 19 Black Male 08-29-2011
Austin, Michael Maryland Baltimore City 1975 2002 Murder Life 26.8 25 Black Male 08-29-2011
Chestnut, Alfred Maryland Baltimore City 1984 2019 Murder Life 35.5 16 Black Male 12-09-2019
Hall, A. Greg Maryland Baltimore City 1992 2023 Murder 50 years 24.9 28 Black Male 05-09-2023
Johnson, Jerome Maryland Baltimore City 1989 2018 Murder Life 29.3 20 Black Male 07-04-2018
Langhorne, James Maryland Baltimore City 1998 2025 Murder Life 27.0 20 Black Male 07-30-2025
McDermott, Christopher Maryland Carroll 1999 2000 Child Sex Abuse 3 years 1.2 23 White Male 02-10-2016
Morris, David Maryland Baltimore City 2005 2021 Murder 50 years 16.2 19 Black Male 11-15-2021
Owens, James L. Maryland Baltimore City 1988 2008 Murder Life 20.3 22 White Male 08-29-2011
Pettiford, Antoine Maryland Baltimore City 1995 2000 Murder Life 2.2 23 Black Male 12-28-2012
Shipley, Clarence Maryland Baltimore City 1992 2018 Murder Life 26.5 20 Black Male 01-16-2019
Smith, Demetrius Maryland Baltimore City 2010 2012 Murder Life 2.5 25 Black Male 03-12-2013
Stewart, Andrew Jr. Maryland Baltimore City 1984 2019 Murder Life 35.5 16 Black Male 12-09-2019
Thomas, Melvin Maryland Baltimore City 2001 2020 Attempted Murder 65 years 19.0 20 Black Male 01-04-2021
Ward, Bernard Maryland Anne Arundel 1989 1994 Murder Life 4.6 28 White Male 06-22-2013
Washington, Gary Maryland Baltimore City 1987 2019 Murder Life 31.6 25 Black Male 02-16-2019
Watkins, Ransom Maryland Baltimore City 1984 2019 Murder Life 35.5 16 Black Male 12-09-2019