Dwight Jones Released From Kern County Prison After Serving 21 Years Of Life Sentence For Crime He Did Not Commit
BAKERSFIELD (CBSLA) - After serving 21 years of a life sentence for a crime he did not a commit, a Bakersfield man walked out of a Kern County prison thanks to work done by the Loyola Project For the Innocent on his behalf.
Dwight Jones was wrongfully convicted in 2000 of a deadly drive-by shooting in Casa Loma Park.
Jones appeared Friday at Loyola Law School where he talked about his first full day of freedom.
"I got to see the Staples Center. I'm like, 'Wow,' you know, because I'm a Lakers fan. Just seeing regular people in regular clothes, it's like, 'Wow.' We went to the store last night and I just started taking pictures because that was like, 'Wow,'" Jones said at the press conference.
Under a deal with the Kern County District Attorney's Office, Jones took an offer plea to reduce charges and secure his release.
This is the Loyola Project For the Innocent's fourth life without parole release in four years.