Martin Tankleff

Martin Tankleff
Born (1971-08-29) August 29, 1971
Residence Long Island, New York, U.S.
Other names Marty Tankleff
Alma mater Hofstra University, Touro Law Center
Occupation Legal, Innocence Project
Spouse(s) Laurie Tankleff
Children 1
Website martytankleff.org

Martin H. "Marty" Tankleff (born August 29, 1971) is a Long Island, New York, resident who was convicted of murdering his wealthy parents, Seymour and Arlene Tankleff, on September 7, 1988, when he was 17 years old. After serving more than 17 years of imprisonment, his conviction was vacated and he was released from prison in 2007.

Imprisonment

Tankleff was admitted to the New York State Department of Correctional Services in October 1990. In State custody, Tankleff was incarcerated at the Clinton Correctional Facility in Dannemora, New York, in a special housing unit called "APPU" for high-profile inmates and inmates at high risk of victimization.

Trial and acquittal

Tankleff was convicted of killing his parents, Seymour and Arlene Tankleff, on June 28, 1990 and sentenced to two consecutive terms of 25 years to life in prison. A 2003 appeal, however, presented new evidence from 20 witnesses,[1] and an appellate court ultimately overturned his conviction after Tankleff served 17 years in prison. Tankleff was represented by attorney Barry Pollack.[2]

Before the Suffolk County District Attorney dropped the charges, New York Governor Eliot Spitzer appointed[3] New York Attorney General Andrew Cuomo as special prosecutor in the case. From his staff, Cuomo selected Chief Trial Counsel, Benjamin Rosenberg, and veteran homicide prosecutor, Thomas Schellhammer, to reinvestigate the case.[4] On June 16, 2008, Rosenberg announced the results of the Attorney General's investigation. "The issue in this case is not whether there is evidence," he said to Justice Doyle, "but whether there is sufficient evidence." Rosenberg then announced: "The people move to dismiss the indictment." In the same motion, prosecutors announced they would not proceed against suspects identified by Tankleff's defense team, revealing that, "on balance, the defense theory does not appear to be supported by clear evidence."

On July 22, 2008, Justice Doyle concurred with the Attorney General's motion to dismiss. All charges facing Tankleff were dropped; he would not face retrial.[5]

The incident and subsequent trials were the subject of A Criminal Injustice: A True Crime, a False Confession, and the Fight to Free Marty Tankleff, published by Ballantine Books in 2008.

On January 7, 2014, Tankleff was awarded $3.4 million from the state after settling his wrongful conviction lawsuit. Tankleff graduated from law school at Touro Law Center on May 25, 2014. On April 2017, he passed the New York State bar exam. [6]

Federal case

Tankleff and his attorneys appeared before the U.S. District Court, the Eastern District of New York in Central Islip, New York for a hearing on October 30, 2017. He sued Suffolk County, in addition to various people who were police and county employees at the time of his arrest and trial.[7] Tankleff was represented by Barry Scheck of Innocence Project in Manhattan.[8] In April 2018, Tankleff reached a settlement with Suffolk County for $10 million.[9]

References

  1. ↑ Lambert, Bruce. "Questions About a Son's Guilt, and a Cop's Methods". The New York Times.
  2. ↑ Lambert, Bruce (August 4, 2004). "Man's Appeal in Killings of Parents Takes a Twist". The New York Times.
  3. ↑ Www.Ny.Gov – Governor Spitzer Announces Appointment Of Attorney General Cuomo As Special Prosecutor To Investigate Tankleff Murders Archived April 4, 2008, at the Wayback Machine.
  4. ↑ "Crime". Daily News. New York.
  5. ↑ http://www.newsday.com/news/local/suffolk/ny-litank0723,0,4341550.story
  6. ↑ https://nypost.com/2017/04/27/man-wrongfully-convicted-of-murder-is-becoming-a-lawyer/
  7. ↑ "Tankleff case heads for trial". Long Island Business News. October 30, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  8. ↑ "Federal judge gives Tankleff, Suffolk time to settle suit". New York Newsday. October 30, 2017. Retrieved October 31, 2017.
  9. ↑ "Martin Tankleff awarded $10 million settlement in Suffolk". New York Newsday. April 19, 2018. Retrieved April 20, 2018.

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