Patterson Harkavy files wrongful conviction suit on behalf of Willie Grimes

In July 1988, Willie Grimes was wrongfully convicted of the rape and kidnapping of an elderly woman in Catawba County. On October 4, 2012, thanks to the work of the North Carolina Center for Actual Innocence, a three-judge panel unanimously found that Grimes was innocent. Grimes served 24 years in prison for crimes he did not commit.

Yesterday, Patterson Harkavy, together with attorneys from Martin & Jones, filed suit on Mr. Grimes’ behalf. The complaint alleges that Grimes was wrongfully convicted because the Hickory Police Department, the Catawba County Sheriff’s Department, and the Clerk of Court of Catawba County unlawfully destroyed evidence, unlawfully suppressed evidence, and failed to conduct a constitutionally adequate criminal investigation
Mr. Grimes’ wrongful conviction and exoneration have received extensive media coverage, including in the Winston-Salem Journal and the Denver Post.
Burton, Narendra, and Paul represent Mr. Grimes in his civil suit.