Essex County prosecutor urges court to dismiss NJ man’s bid for exoneration

Essex County prosecutors are fighting the exoneration plea of a man whose life sentence ex-Gov. Phil Murphy commuted in January.

By: Dana DiFilippo

Outlets: New Jersey Monitor

Published: April 6, 2026

Words: 806

Last Updated: 2 months, 2 weeks ago

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An Essex County prosecutor wants a state judge to reject a Newark man’s bid to vacate his murder conviction.

Former Gov. Phil Murphy commuted Darren Boykins’ prison sentence in January after Boykins spent 45 years behind bars, but Boykins continues to fight for exoneration because he has always maintained his innocence in the 1981 murder of a carpet salesman.

In a brief filed Thursday, Assistant Essex County Prosecutor …

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