Inside LADA
October 22, 2024: Continuation Announced in Exoneration Case for Wrongly Convicted Man and Woman
Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón announced today that a hearing on the exoneration and release of Charlotte Pleytez and Lombardo Palacios is set to take place Nov. 1. Each has spent more than 17 years in prison for an East Hollywood murder in 2007 that LADA’s Conviction Integrity Unit determined they did not commit.
“We must continually re-evaluate questionable past convictions in the interest of justice,” District Attorney Gascón said. “In doing so, we recognize that the system has failed at times, and when it does, the consequences are life-altering. The families of Ms. Pleytez and Mr. Palacios have lost nearly two decades with their loved ones and have suffered profoundly. This process is about righting those wrongs and restoring their dignity. Our hearts also go out to the family of Hector Luis Flores, who tragically lost his life. While we believe this case has revealed deep flaws in the legal process, we will never forget the immense loss the Flores family has experienced.”
