In criminal law, there is an old doctrine that states, “The law holds that it is better that 10 guilty persons escape, than that one innocent suffer.” Despite this emphasis on avoiding the punishment of the innocent, time and time again we’ve seen people be imprisoned for crimes they didn’t commit. Some for a few years, others for decades. In any case, it is a tragedy that could and should have been avoided.
In the case of Daniel Villegas, false imprisonment stole his entire life. He was arrested for murder in 1993 at the age of only 16. A high school student in El Paso Texas, he was accused of murdering two men: 17-year-old Armando Lazo and 19-year-old Robert England. The murder took place late at night in 1993 when the victims and two of their friends were shot while walking home from a party.
When the police brought in 17-year-old David Rangel, Villegas’ cousin, for questioning, Rangel claimed that Villegas had bragged about shooting the men with a sawed-off shotgun. Despite the fact that Rangel said he thought his cousin was joking, police arrested Villegas and handcuffed him to a chair. They questioned and intimidated him, threatening him if he did not confess. Terrified, Villegas agreed to give a false confession, which he recanted several hours later.
Villegas was charged with capital murder. His first trial ended in a hung jury, although he was eventually convicted in a second trial despite a complete lack of physical evidence tying him to the crime. He was sentenced to life in prison. Over the next 25 years, people worked tirelessly to investigate the crime and prove Villegas’ innocence. In 2013, an appeals court overturned his conviction and ordered a third trial. He was released from prison awaiting another trial, which took place in 2018.
At this third and final trial, he was acquitted of the crime and finally had his name cleared. His wife and daughter were with him in the courtroom as he heard the jury’s verdict, bursting into tears as his 25-year nightmare came to an end.
Now, even as a free man, Villegas still lives every day with the trauma of his false imprisonment. “It’s an effect that lasts for a lifetime,” said Villegas. “Everything you do, even right now that I am exonerated, I can’t even go to school for my kids and be there for them because they say ‘well, this comes up on your record.’”
Adjusting to life out of prison has not been easy. Villegas receives threats on social media and faces stigma from those who hold his record against him. Still, he has managed to find solace in helping others who are victims of the legal system. He works for the Christina Montes Law Firm helping people like him who are accused of crimes. Although nothing can give Villegas back the time he lost in jail, it’s inspiring to see the life he has built for himself even with everything that’s been taken from him.
