Feb 18, 2008 12:52 pm US/Pacific
Advocate For Wrongfully Accused Struck, Killed
SANTA ANA, Calif.
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Arthur Paul Carmona, who fought for those who are wrongfully accused, was killed after an argument at a party.
CBS
A man, 26, who served time behind bars as a juvenile before a judge overturned his conviction, was fatally run over by a truck following an argument in Santa Ana, it was reported Monday.
Police found Arthur Paul Carmona unconscious at Quiet Village mobile home park while responding to a report of gunfire, the Orange County Register reported.
"When he got out of jail, he went through a lot of ups and downs," his mother, Ronnie Carmona, told the Register. "He had found purpose and he was finally moving on."
Carmona, who was just 16 at the time of his arrest, was convicted of robbing two juice bars in Irvine and Costa Mesa. A Costa Mesa officer said he matched the description of the gunman, and a Lakers cap worn by the gunman was put on Carmona's head before he was shown to witnesses for identification.
His mother protested the police tactics that led to his arrest. Support for overturning his 12-year prison sentence came from law firms, community groups, Hollywood actors and the politically active rock band Rage Against the Machine.
Finally, a judge ordered a new trial in August 2000. The District Attorney decided not to seek a new trial, and Carmona was released.
No evidence of gunfire was found in the Sunday incident, according to the Register. At least one person told police Carmona was struck by a truck allegedly driven by an angry partygoer who had been involved in the fight, the newspaper reported.
Carmona recently enrolled in the firefighter program at Santa Ana College. He was working with the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of its Innocence Project.
(© 2008 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. Wire services contributed to this report.)
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