A Queens Man's Freedom Restored After 33 Years Behind Bars
Allen Porter, 53, was released from prison on a $400,000 bond after a state judge overturned his double murder conviction, citing the prosecution's withholding of key evidence during his trial. The decision marks a significant victory for Porter, who has spent over three decades behind bars.
Prosecutors had withheld substantial and alarming amounts of evidence, including a witness statement that identified another suspect as the gunman and the names of five witnesses that were never shared with the defense. According to Judge Michelle Johnson's ruling, this suppression was not only egregious but also part of a pattern of concealment by the prosecution.
The case has sparked widespread concern over the handling of Porter's trial by the Queens District Attorney's office under late DA Richard Brown. Since his tenure ended in 2019, several murder convictions have been overturned due to the office's failure to turn over exculpatory evidence and other improper actions, resulting in costly lawsuit settlements.
Porter's case was built largely on coerced testimony from a lone eyewitness, who has since recanted her statement. The prosecution had also relied heavily on two witnesses claiming Porter plotted the killings, despite one of them only cooperating after being threatened with a charge of accessory to murder.
The judge's decision to vacate Porter's conviction was influenced by his remarkable friendship with investigator Jabbar Collins, who exonerated himself in 2010 and has since become a key figure in Porter's case. The two men had been friends for over two decades while incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility, and Collins had promised Porter that he would "not forget him."
The Queens DA's office is currently reviewing the judge's decision, but Porter is expected to be released with his freedom finally restored after 33 years of wrongful imprisonment. As Collins noted, Porter lost most of his life due to a conviction built on coercion, concealment, and constitutional violations, but he can now walk free thanks to Collins' tireless efforts and dedication to justice.
For Porter's mother, Lula Ward-Brewer, the news was a beautiful day after 34 years of waiting for her son's release. She described it as "a beautiful, beautiful day" and expressed relief and gratitude at being able to take him home.
Allen Porter, 53, was released from prison on a $400,000 bond after a state judge overturned his double murder conviction, citing the prosecution's withholding of key evidence during his trial. The decision marks a significant victory for Porter, who has spent over three decades behind bars.
Prosecutors had withheld substantial and alarming amounts of evidence, including a witness statement that identified another suspect as the gunman and the names of five witnesses that were never shared with the defense. According to Judge Michelle Johnson's ruling, this suppression was not only egregious but also part of a pattern of concealment by the prosecution.
The case has sparked widespread concern over the handling of Porter's trial by the Queens District Attorney's office under late DA Richard Brown. Since his tenure ended in 2019, several murder convictions have been overturned due to the office's failure to turn over exculpatory evidence and other improper actions, resulting in costly lawsuit settlements.
Porter's case was built largely on coerced testimony from a lone eyewitness, who has since recanted her statement. The prosecution had also relied heavily on two witnesses claiming Porter plotted the killings, despite one of them only cooperating after being threatened with a charge of accessory to murder.
The judge's decision to vacate Porter's conviction was influenced by his remarkable friendship with investigator Jabbar Collins, who exonerated himself in 2010 and has since become a key figure in Porter's case. The two men had been friends for over two decades while incarcerated at Green Haven Correctional Facility, and Collins had promised Porter that he would "not forget him."
The Queens DA's office is currently reviewing the judge's decision, but Porter is expected to be released with his freedom finally restored after 33 years of wrongful imprisonment. As Collins noted, Porter lost most of his life due to a conviction built on coercion, concealment, and constitutional violations, but he can now walk free thanks to Collins' tireless efforts and dedication to justice.
For Porter's mother, Lula Ward-Brewer, the news was a beautiful day after 34 years of waiting for her son's release. She described it as "a beautiful, beautiful day" and expressed relief and gratitude at being able to take him home.
it makes you wonder how many other innocent ppl are out there suffering the same fate and its crazy that this guy was able to get his life back thanks to some good old fashioned detective work 
. I'm just glad the judge saw through it all and restored Porter's freedom. It's a beautiful day for him and his mom (who's been waiting 34 years!) - finally getting her son back after all that time is just amazing 
just imagine spending 33 yrs behind bars for something that wasn't even yours 
hope Allen Porter gets his life back on track now, he deserves it so much 
it's not too late to start fresh
finally some justice after all these years... can't believe Porter had to spend 33 yrs in prison for a case that was basically built on shaky ground 
his friend Jabbar Collins is a true hero, glad he's been a voice for the innocent all along 
he was wrongly convicted of double murder cuz the prosecution didn't turn over some super important evidence and it's crazy because his friend jabbar collins who's like a key witness in his case is actually the one who helped get him outta there 
collins has been friends with porter since they were both in prison at green haven correctional facility and he promised porter he wouldn't forget him 
my heart is literally bursting with joy 
and coerced witnesses into testifying against him... that's just not right. I'm so glad Judge Michelle Johnson spoke out and gave Porter a second chance 
Jabbar Collins is literally a hero 
but she said it was a "beautiful day" - that's all I need to know! Porter's freedom is restored and that's all that matters 
This is crazy! I mean, 33 whole years in prison over something that wasn't even fair? It's just wild to think about the life Porter lost behind bars while people were playing with the system. The fact that his so-called "friend" turned out to be a key witness for his case and had the prosecutor's back is just mind-blowing 
.
. Can't believe they withheld so much evidence...it's like they were trying to make sure he stayed locked up. 
At least justice is finally being served and Allen gets his freedom back 
! Meanwhile, the number of wrongful convictions in the US has been steadily rising over the past few decades, with a whopping 74% of inmates on death row later being exonerated 
. I mean, can you believe it? A total of 175 people were exonerated between 2010 and 2025 alone 
! The case of Allen Porter is just another example of how the justice system can go wrong when prosecutors withhold evidence and coerce testimony 
. It's time for us to demand more transparency and accountability from our law enforcement agencies! 
I mean, 33 yrs is a long time to be locked up for something that wasn't even fair 
. I mean, who coerces testimony from a witness? That's just not right 
. And the fact that they relied on two witnesses who were only talking because they were threatened with charges... it's just a huge miscarriage of justice 
.
. That's true friendship right there! And I'm so glad that Porter is finally going to be free 
. This whole case just highlights how important it is for prosecutors and investigators to do their job right and follow the law 
.
it's crazy that all these years and his mom was waiting for this day to come and finally she got to hug him back 
but what about justice, did he really deserve to be released after 3 decades of being locked up? i mean, we gotta give credit to collins though, he's like the real MVP 
.