Conviction of Prison Guard Overturned
A federal appeals court has overturned the conviction of a Pelican Bay State Prison guard accused of shooting an inmate in the chest.
The reversal came two months after the U.S. 9th Circuit Court of Appeals said there was a “likelihood” that David G. Lewis’ conviction would be reversed.
Last year, Lewis was convicted of violating the rights of inmate Harry Long and sentenced to 93 months in prison. Lewis shot Long during a prison yard fight in 1994.
Judges said Friday that a prison review board concluded that the shooting was justified, and that the board’s findings should not have been excluded from the trial.
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