U.S. District Judge John Adams ordered a new trial for Rasheem Matthew

U.S. District Judge John Adams ordered a new trial for Rasheem Matthew because former Cuyahoga County chief prosecutor Carmen Marino struck plea deals with 2 key witnesses who testified against Matthew but did not disclose those deals to the jury. Adams is the 2nd judge to set aside the 1990 Matthew's murder conviction because of Marino's actions. Common Pleas Judge Daniel Gaul made the same ruling in 1996. But a state appeals court overturned the decision.
Adams ruled Matthew must be retried by June for the 1989 slaying of Wayne Price.
Price was shot and killed in a courtyard while trying to buy cocaine.
A man named Theodore Roulette testified that he was in the courtyard and saw Matthew shoot Price. Another man, Charles Paxton, testified that he met Matthew in jail and that Matthew admitted shooting Price.
Both Roulette and Paxton were facing unrelated theft charges. Marino told jurors during the trial that neither man was promised a reduced sentence for testifying.
Marino later appeared at hearings for both men and, Adams said, worked to get them probation for their crimes. "This court has little doubt that both witnesses did indeed receive consideration for their testimony," Adams wrote. Marino's case hinged on the credibility of Roulette and Paxton, and not disclosing their deals violated Matthew's right to a fair trial, Adams ruled.