Dana Stubblefield was found guilty of rape back in 2020 after he was convicted of forcible rape of a developmentally disabled woman while using a gun.
His life changed upside down as he was sentenced to 15 years to life.
What appeared like his final days would be spent in prison would soon change that now sees him as a free man.
Last week, a judge granted the release of former San Francisco 49er Dana Stubblefield after his 2020 rape conviction was vacated by a California appeals court last December.
The Sixth Court of Appeals overturned his conviction after determining that prosecutors had made racially discriminatory statements during his trial.
Unfortunately, Stubblefield remained in prison because a lower court judge said he didn’t have the jurisdiction to grant bail or release.
It took six weeks, but he is now free.
“Finally, an innocent man is no longer sitting in a cage away from his family,” attorney Kenneth Rosenfeld said in a statement after a judge granted Stubblefield’s release on Friday.
A first-round draft pick of the 49ers in 1993, Stubblefield was initially convicted of raping a woman in 2015.
Prosecutors argued that Dana Stubblefield lured a woman to his home under the guise of a potential babysitting opportunity.
Stubblefield alleged his interactions with the woman were consensual in exchange for money.
Former 49er Dana Stubblefield spoke for the first time after being released from prison last week.
The 54-year-old had his 2020 rape conviction vacated, or set aside, by a California appeals court last December.
“Being back home with my family after four long years is incredible,” Stubblefield said at a press conference.
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