Bail Denied for Inmate Seeking Exoneration
A judge denied bail Monday for a man seeking freedom after 20 years behind bars after a child molestation conviction that prosecutors had secured on the basis of testimony by six child witnesses -- most of whom now say the crimes never happened.
There was no physical evidence to back up the 1984 conviction of John Stoll on 17 counts of child molestation.
Attorneys for two Innocence Project chapters in California have been arguing for Stoll’s freedom since January. On Monday, a Kern County judge ruled that he would not release Stoll on bail pending a final decision April 30 on whether to overturn the conviction.
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