DNA Exonerates Dallas Man Who Served 12 Years in Prison for Rape
A Dallas man who served 12 years in prison for a rape conviction will have the crime erased from record. It turns out he wasn't guilty after all.
Michael Phillips, 57, will be the 34th person to be exonerated by the Dallas DA's Conviction Integrity Unit. However, there is a twist to his story. Phillips did not ask to be exonerated. His exoneration will come thanks to luck of the draw.
Phillips was sentenced to prison in 1990, after he pleaded guilty to the rape of a 16-year-old girl. Phillips says his attorney advised him to plead guilty rather than go to trial, suggesting a jury would not believe a black man accused of raping a white girl, who had identified him in a photo lineup.