investigators | business fraud | criminal defenseJames Watson is coming home - motion for new trial π₯π₯π₯ππΌππΌππΌ
Apr.16.2020
61-year-old James Watson was released from MCI-Norfolk last Thursday after serving more than 41 years in prison for a crime that he did not commit. Nardizzi & Associates Inc. conducted critical investigation into the case, securing key affidavits from several witnesses. A Suffolk Superior Court judge credited the investigation with "questions raised in this case of hypnosis of identification witnesses" and "the potential testimony, rewards, and inducements of a highly inculpatory trial witness, [which] raise significant and potentially successful issues." The Suffolk Superior Court issued an order on April 16 allowing Watson to be released from prison while his motion for a new trial is considered. The request was not opposed by Suffolk County DA Rollins’s office.
"Jimmy Watson has a special strength to make it this far with mind, body and soul intact," said Nardizzi, whose investigations firm whose investigations firm has helped free 5 clients in the past year after long prison sentences. He credited staff investigator Jill Vaglica with conducting several important witness interviews in the Watson case. "These cases are incredibly difficult to win and require a dedicated team of PIs and lawyers and experts. We're thrilled for the Watson family," said Nardizzi.
Watson also noted the urgency needed in his release due to his medical conditions and age. The factors put him at risk of severe illness and death due to the coronavirus pandemic. Watson was convicted in 1984 of murdering taxi driver Jeffrey Boyajian in Roslindale. He has maintained his innocence since his arrest in 1979, attorneys Barbara Munro and Madeline Blanchette said in a statement. “We are grateful to the court for making it possible for Mr. Watson to be released to seek the urgent medical care he needs,” Munro said in the statement. “What a gift and a privilege to witness this amazing man walk out of prison after 40 years, with his sense of humor and compassion for others still intact.”
The case against Frederick Clay, Watson’s codefendant, was vacated three years ago after former Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley’s office "raised significant doubt as to the fairness of his trial." Hypnosis had been used to aid witnesses in Clay's trial as well. The practice is not considered a reliable scientific technique in aiding witness memory.
Watson's legal team will continue to work to exonerate him in the coming months as the state conducts an investigation into his case. Watson will spend time out of prison “regaining his health and rebuilding his life after decades of separation from his beloved family,” the attorneys’ statement said.
“I have waited 40 years already, so waiting a few more months is easy. The truth will set me free,” Watson said in the statement.
"Jimmy Watson has a special strength to make it this far with mind, body and soul intact," said Nardizzi, whose investigations firm whose investigations firm has helped free 5 clients in the past year after long prison sentences. He credited staff investigator Jill Vaglica with conducting several important witness interviews in the Watson case. "These cases are incredibly difficult to win and require a dedicated team of PIs and lawyers and experts. We're thrilled for the Watson family," said Nardizzi.
Watson also noted the urgency needed in his release due to his medical conditions and age. The factors put him at risk of severe illness and death due to the coronavirus pandemic. Watson was convicted in 1984 of murdering taxi driver Jeffrey Boyajian in Roslindale. He has maintained his innocence since his arrest in 1979, attorneys Barbara Munro and Madeline Blanchette said in a statement. “We are grateful to the court for making it possible for Mr. Watson to be released to seek the urgent medical care he needs,” Munro said in the statement. “What a gift and a privilege to witness this amazing man walk out of prison after 40 years, with his sense of humor and compassion for others still intact.”
The case against Frederick Clay, Watson’s codefendant, was vacated three years ago after former Suffolk District Attorney Dan Conley’s office "raised significant doubt as to the fairness of his trial." Hypnosis had been used to aid witnesses in Clay's trial as well. The practice is not considered a reliable scientific technique in aiding witness memory.
Watson's legal team will continue to work to exonerate him in the coming months as the state conducts an investigation into his case. Watson will spend time out of prison “regaining his health and rebuilding his life after decades of separation from his beloved family,” the attorneys’ statement said.
“I have waited 40 years already, so waiting a few more months is easy. The truth will set me free,” Watson said in the statement.