A Durham man was exonerated then arrested again 6 months later. Now, for the 2nd time, he is cleared of all charges, DA's Office says.
For the second time, all charges have been Durham man had all charges dropped against him.
A judge threw out Johnson’s conviction based on questions about two key witnesses that helped convict Johnson. The Durham County District Attorney’s Office later decided it would not retry the case, clearing the way for Johnson’s freedom.
Six months after gaining his freedom, Johnson got into trouble with the law again – this time facing drug and gun charges. On Friday, the Durham County District Attorney's Office told WRAL News that those charges, too, have been dropped.
"The DA's Office dismissed all of the Jan. 3 charges against Mr. Johnson on Thursday pending further investigation," the Durham County District Attorney's Office said in a statement.
Court documents said Johnson's charges were dropped due to "lack of prosecutorial merit."
When a slew of new charges was brought against Johnson, his attorney questioned whether he was targeted by police. The Durham Police Department and DA's Office both denied targeting Johnson.
"We have not seen evidence to suggest he was targeted," the DA's Office said.
The charges against Johnson's co-defendant, Scott Burnette, are still pending.
