CLEVELAND — After spending more than three decades behind bars, Dwayne Brooks is now a free man.
Applause erupted in the Cleveland courtroom during an emotional hearing Friday as Cuyahoga County Common Pleas Judge William McGinty dismissed the case against Brooks in which he was convicted of aggravated murder connected to a shooting that happened at Luke Easter Park on Aug. 17, 1987.
Fast forward to April 12, 2023, when Brooks was granted a new trial as court records declare it was found “that several exhibits were not disclosed during the discovery phase prior to trial in 1988. The Court specifically found three exhibits to be exculpatory, and three other exhibits to be favorable to the defense.”
You can watch the full court hearing from Friday morning in the player below:
Then, earlier this week, Cuyahoga County Prosecutor Michael O’Malley filed a motion to dismiss the case against Brooks.
Although Brooks did not speak during Friday's court hearing, he talked with 3News a few days ago about these new developments.
“There is like millions of pounds being lifted off of my shoulders," he said. “For the last 35-36 years, you know, being hunted down like a criminal when I was the absolute opposite. I was good. I never had more than a speeding ticket.”
