Ron Jacobsen Officially Exonerated After 30 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment
We are thrilled to announce that this week Ron Jacobsen was officially exonerated after 30 years of wrongful imprisonment!
Ron was wrongfully convicted of a 1990 kidnapping and rape of a woman in Georgia despite a strong alibi and no physical evidence connecting him to the crime. Ron would spend the next three decades proclaiming his innocence as his attorneys fought for justice on his behalf.
On Tuesday, Alcovy Judicial Circuit District Attorney Randy McGinley, moved to dismiss the charges and officially exonerate Ron, saying that after a thorough review of the case, the State, “…does not believe that the above charges could be proven beyond a reasonable doubt”.
Read the court order in its entirety here.
“I spent half of my life in a prison hundreds of miles away from my family for a crime I did not even commit,” said Ron. “I now have the rest of my life to look forward to, thanks to the tireless work of my legal team and supporters. Thank you.”
Ron’s exoneration is the result of a multi-year collaboration of teams from New York (Ron’s home state), Georgia (Ron’s home when he was convicted), and across the country (home to amazing supporters like you)!
The New-York based Innocence Project (IP) was lead counsel, with (independent) Georgia Innocence Project acting as local counsel. GIP successfully argued the motion for post-conviction DNA testing of the rape kit, and Ron’s conviction was ultimately vacated. The law firms of Garland, Samuel & Loeb (Georgia) and Weil, Gotshal & Manges (New York) came on board to handle the potential retrial and everything leading up to it. After Ron spent another 21 months in jail awaiting the then-DA’s next step, the judge finally set an astronomical bond. Over 1,000 amazing supporters like you (from across the country) raised more than $75,000 which allowed Ron to post bail in November 2020 and live with his family as he continued to fight the charges.
We are grateful to District Attorney McGinley for moving forward with dismissal in this case, resulting in Ron Jacobsen’s exoneration.
We are also inspired by Ron’s strength and perseverance. And while we are thrilled with the ultimate outcome in Ron’s case, we must not forget the many years and extensive litigation that it took to correct his wrongful conviction, even when there was exculpatory DNA evidence. We must learn from these injustices and the undue focus on finality, especially when a jury or decision maker did not have all the evidence or information that we know now. The criminal legal system is not perfect, and when miscarriages of justice occur, the State must correct them quickly, ensuring convictions have integrity, officials are accountable, and that no one is too late for justice.
You can learn more about Ron Jacobsen’s case on our website, here.
If you would like to support Ron Jacobsen as he transitions into life after exoneration, you can do so here.