Pittsburgh, PA — Nearly a decade and a half after his initial arrest for a crime that shook a small Pennsylvania community, Jordan Brown seeks justice through a federal civil rights lawsuit against the Pennsylvania State Police, blaming them for wrongful incarceration during his youth. Charged at the tender age of 11, Brown spent several years detained for the 2009 murder of his father’s pregnant fiancée, Kenzie Marie Houk. His conviction was overturned in 2018 due to a lack of evidence.
This legal battle highlights Brown’s ongoing struggle and the broader implications for states like Pennsylvania, which lack laws compensating wrongfully convicted individuals. This deficiency leaves a civil lawsuit as Brown’s only avenue to seek redress for alleged police misconduct, including claims that officers fabricated evidence and reports.
Now 27, Brown was initially found guilty in juvenile court of first-degree murder and the homicide of an unborn child. He spent his formative years in custody, released only when the state Supreme Court vacated his conviction due to insubstantial evidence.
The lawsuit targets four former state troopers, one of whom has passed away, accused of pivotal roles in misleading the murder investigation. These former officers, according to Brown’s legal claims, led charge efforts devoid of probable cause and constructed a case founded on contrived evidence. The state police, adhering to their standard policy on pending litigation, have withheld comments on the proceedings.
During the investigation, the accused troopers maintained they had ample grounds for Brown’s arrest, asserting his access to a 20-gauge shotgun provided both the means and opportunity required to commit the crime. However, no direct evidence, such as eyewitness testimony, DNA, or forensic evidence, linked Brown to the murder scene conclusively.
Seeking reparations, Brown’s attorney, Alec Wright, elaborated on the profound emotional, mental, and financial toll the ordeal exacted on him, asserting that Brown endured the hardship in the hope of ultimately proving his innocence and reclaiming his freedom.
The financial implications of wrongful convictions are monumental, as evidenced by data from the National Registry of Exonerations. Since 1989, exonerees have received approximately $3.3 billion in civil awards, reflecting the severe impact of judicial errors on individuals’ lives.
Despite the absence from the National Registry of Exonerations—due to procedural particulars concerning his juvenile court vacatur—Brown’s case underscores the harsh realities and potential life-altering consequences of wrongful convictions. Jeffrey Gutman, a professor at George Washington University, emphasizes the societal obligation to provide remedies for those unjustly deprived of their freedoms.
Brown resided with his father, Chris Brown, and Houk, alongside her two daughters, in Wampum, Pennsylvania, at the time of the murder. Following the dismissal of Chris as a suspect, authorities pursued a theory positioning young Brown as the culprit, postulating he used a youth-model shotgun to commit the act before school.
Despite the tragic implications, not everyone is convinced of Brown’s innocence. Houk’s sister, Jennifer Kraner, attending the juvenile court proceedings, continues to believe in his guilt and expressed discomfort at the thought of Brown potentially gaining substantial financial compensation through his lawsuit.
This case brings to light not only the personal narrative of a young man embroiled in the legal system but also the broader dialogue concerning the adequacy of legal protections for wrongfully accused juveniles. As the legal proceedings slowly unfold, all eyes will be on the federal courthouse in Pittsburgh next month, expecting a trial filled with compelling testimonies and crucial legal arguments.
In managing his life post-release, Brown has joined his father in running a beer distributorship in western Pennsylvania and plans to complete his college education.
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