Though Keith Roberts was released from prison in 1994, he has been fighting since then to clear his name for a crime he did not commit.
With help from Fordham Law Adjunct Prof. Leonard Noisette and students from the Criminal Defense Clinic, Roberts was exonerated today by Brooklyn Supreme Court Justice Matthew D’Emic.
Though Roberts did not speak publicly about his exoneration, Noisette, who has been Roberts’ attorney for decades, said, “Today, Keith Roberts ends nearly forty years of enduring the burden of a conviction for a crime he did not commit. We thank the Kings County District Attorney’s Office and its Conviction Integrity Unit (CRU), particularly Senior Assistant District Attorney Emily Farber, for undertaking a diligent investigation, an investigation that led to the undeniable conclusion that his unjust conviction should be vacated.”
Earlier in the afternoon before the hearing got underway, Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez, shook Roberts’ hand and apologized to him for being wrongly incarcerated.
Roberts served eight years in prison for a murder before accepting a plea deal in 1995 to a lower charge so he could stay at liberty after his original conviction was reversed on appeal. The reinvestigation found that the sole eyewitness was not credible, his alibi was plausible, and there was an inadequate police investigation. The complete CRU report is available here.
“This exoneration underscores the critical importance of our Conviction Review Unit and its mission to right the wrongs of the past,” said Gonzalez in a news release. “Mr. Roberts, like many others, found himself trapped by a system that failed to recognize his innocence, and nearly 20 years ago, he pleaded guilty just to stay out of prison. Our reinvestigation revealed the deep flaws in the original case—unreliable testimony, overlooked evidence, and a rushed investigation. Today, we are able to restore his dignity and good name and affirm his innocence.”
Today’s exoneration of Keith Roberts is a reminder that justice does not end with a conviction and it’s sometimes necessary to correct past mistakes with courage and integrity. It is the 40th exoneration following a reinvestigation since Brooklyn’s CRU was established in 2014. pic.twitter.com/bKOyRjp96p
— Brooklyn District Attorney Eric Gonzalez (@BrooklynDA) October 3, 2024
Anushka Sarkar ’25, Nell Fitzgerald ’25, Sherry Gui ’25, and David Schwartz ’25—law students in Fordham Law’s Criminal Defense Clinic—worked side-by-side with Noisette to conduct legal research and provide counsel to Roberts.
“This is my first time doing criminal law work, and it’s been such a privilege to play a small role in Mr. Roberts’ exoneration,” said Sarkar. “He was serving time before I was born, and so it’s really shed a light on how long individuals and their families suffer when the state fails them. And Professor Noisette has been an incredible advocate for so long, it’s been a privilege to learn under him.”
“I think I ultimately do want to go into public service and maybe public defense,” added Gui. “So it’s really wonderful to see these kinds of outcomes and the real impact that a public defender’s work can have.”
“Keith Roberts spent years in prison for a crime he did not commit, and since his release, he and his family have endured the hardships that come with living with a felony conviction,” said Noisette. “Today, we celebrate finally getting the just—and long overdue—conclusion to this case. Mr. Roberts looks forward to moving on with life without the albatross of this wrongful conviction around his neck and its stain on his reputation.”
