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Ken Rosenfeld Accompanies Dana Stubblefield
SAN JOSE, CALIFORNIA – JULY 27: Former San Francisco 49ers' Dana Stubblefield listens to his verdict, shown in a screen grab from KNTV NBC channel 11, at the Santa Clara County Hall of Justice in San Jose, Calif., on Monday, July 27, 2020. (Screen grab f
Ken Rosenfeld, Lead Attorney, Stubblefield Rape Case (Courtesy ABC7, Bay Area)
In a stunning turn of events, Court rules in favor of Stubblefield, vacating his 2020 conviction using the Racial Justice Act, citing it as“legally invalid.”
Racial discrimination has no place in our justice system. The jury's prior not-guilty finding regarding the alleged victim's developmental status highlights the weaknesses in the prosecution's case.” - Allen SawyerSANTA CLARA COUNTY, CA, UNITED STATES, December 30, 2024 /EINPresswire / -- Lead Criminal Defense Attorney Kenneth Rosenfeld and Co-Counsel Allen Sawyer of Rosenfeld & Sawyer are very satisfied following the December 26 appellate court decision that overturned the rape conviction of their client, Dana Stubblefield, a former NFL player (Case #F1660022). The landmark ruling highlights significant violations of the California Racial Justice Act of 2020 (RJA) during the original trial and reaffirms the team's long-held belief in Stubblefield's innocence. This decision will bring about change across the State of California in how prosecutors try cases. Rosenfeld will be in court next week motioning to have their client released.
According to court documents filed with the Court of Appeal of the State of California Sixth Appellate District on December 26, 2024, a jury originally found Stubblefield, former defensive tackle for the San Francisco 49ers, guilty of forcible rape, forcible oral copulation, and false imprisonment of a woman who had gone to his Morgan Hill home to interview for a babysitting job; the jury furthermore found he used a firearm in the commission of the first two offenses. The trial court sentenced Stubblefield to a term of 15 years to life in prison; however, on Thursday, December, 26, 2024, judges unanimously ruled that the prosecution engaged in misconduct by making racially charged statements during the trial.
At issue in the appeal were statements uttered by the prosecution at the original trial in July 2020, which Rosenfeld & Sawyer contended utilized racially discriminatory language that unjustly influenced the jury's perception. The prosecution's statements centered around the police's failure to search Stubblefield's residence for the firearm allegedly used in the commission of the aforementioned crimes. According to the court documents, the prosecutor in the closing arguments of the original trial said the police decided not to search Stubblefield's home because, as a famous Black man living in Morgan Hill, a“storm of controversy” would have ensued.
The appellate court ultimately found that, in explicitly asserting that Stubblefield's race played a role in the police's decision not to search his house, in suggesting Stubblefield gained an undeserved advantage at trial for being a Black man, and in implicitly referencing the then-recent events surrounding George Floyd's killing with the claim that a home search would have opened up“a storm of controversy,” thereby appealing to racially biased perceptions of those events, the prosecution's statements amounted to“racially discriminatory language” and violated Penal Code section 745, subdivision (a)(2) of the Racial Justice Act. As such, the appellate court found the conviction legally invalid and vacated both conviction and sentence. According to court documents, the matter will be remanded to the trial court to conduct new proceedings consistent with Penal Code section 745, subdivision (a).
“This ruling is a crucial reminder that racial discrimination has no place in our justice system,” said Allen Sawyer, one of the two attorneys comprising Stubblefield's defense team.“The facts of this case were overshadowed by bias, and we are grateful that the appellate court has taken a stand for justice. The jury's prior finding of not guilty regarding the alleged victim's developmental status highlights the weaknesses in the prosecution's case.”
Adding to his defense team partner's statement, Ken Rosenfeld said,“The court's decision is a victory not just for Mr. Stubblefield, but for the integrity of our legal process. It emphasizes the importance of ensuring that all evidence is presented fairly and that every defendant receives a trial free from prejudice. The prosecution's failure to search Stubblefield's home and the withholding of crucial evidence further demonstrate the systemic issues that led to this wrongful conviction. We are committed to continuing our fight to clear his name in the upcoming proceedings.”
The appellate court furthermore recognized that substantial evidence was withheld from the jury, which could have altered the trial's outcome. That Rosenfeld and Sawyer had previously secured in July 2020 two significant acquittals for Stubblefield, including rape of a person incapable of giving consent, and oral copulation of a person incapable of giving consent, affirmed the allegations against Stubblefield were unfounded.
About Ken Rosenfeld and Allen Sawyer
With offices in Sacramento, San Jose, and Palm Springs, The Rosenfeld Law Firm aggressively defends a wide range of high-profile criminal defense cases such as first-degree murder and sex offense cases, and also provides juvenile defense and California DUI defense. The Rosenfeld Law Firm furthermore practices appellate law and prison law. As a skilled criminal law commentator, Ken Rosenfeld has made regular appearances on KTXL TV and FOX40's Ask an Attorney. Rosenfeld was named Litigator of the Year by the American Institute of Trial Lawyers and was recently recognized as a 2024 Lawyer of Distinction by Lawyers of Distinction. For more information, please contact Ken Rosenfeld directly at (916) 447-2070, or visit .
With offices in Stockton, San Jose, and Sacramento, The Law Offices of Allen Sawyer comprise unparalleled attorney representation for a range of legal matters across the state. Additionally, Mr. Sawyer can be seen regularly on local television news, handling cases for politicians, celebrities, sports figures, and matters in the public eye. Sawyer brings over 20 years of experience as a California attorney, including time spent as a prosecutor, to his California defense attorney practice. Misdemeanors and felonies, Allen Sawyer litigates California criminal defense cases including, but not limited to the following: California criminal defense, Stockton drug crimes defense, California embezzlement defense , federal crimes defense, and San Francisco white-collar defense. His distinctive legal experience and his passionate dedication uniquely situate him to provide criminal defense to clients in Stockton, Sacramento, San Francisco, Northern California, Los Angeles, and San Diego. Mr. Sawyer fights for the rights of the accused. For more information or to schedule a consultation, please contact Allen Sawyer directly at (209) 645-0556, or visit the law firm website: .
The attorney team recommend Brian Murphy for nursing home abuse and neglect representation.
Kenneth L. Rosenfeld
The Rosenfeld Law Firm
+1 916-447-2070
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Attorneys say appellate court has overturned rape conviction against ex-49er Dana Stubblefield (Courtesy KPIX | CBS News Bay Area)
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