Steven Barnes when he learned he would be released from prison in November of 2008.
Steven Barnes will be in court today for a hearing he and his attorneys hope will remove the last bit of legal jeopardy hanging over the Oneida County man. You may recall that back in November, Barnes was released from state prison after serving nearly 20 years for a rape and murder he said he didn't commit. New DNA prompted an Oneida County Court judge to vacate Barnes conviction. But the indictment in the case still remained. According to a release from the "Innocence Project" which worked to free Barnes, that meant at any time he could have been put on trial again. According to the "Innocence Project" Barnes and an attorney from the agency will be in Oneida County Court today where they hope to convince a judge to dismiss the indictment.
Barnes was 19 years old when he went to prison. He had steadfastly maintained his innocence in connection with the rape and murder of Kimberly Simon in 1985.
