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San Francisco Judge Dumps 1989 Double-Murder Conviction

SAN FRANCISCO (AP) - A San Francisco judge has found that a man imprisoned for 18 years was wrongfully convicted of murder because investigators knew their star witness was lying on the stand.

San Francisco Superior Court Judge Marla Miller ruled Tuesday that 40-year-old Caramad Conley was denied a fair trial in a 1989 double-murder case.

Caramad was convicted in both slayings and sentenced to two terms of life in prison without parole. He has been incarcerated since 1992.

Miller found "voluminous evidence" showed that star prosecution witness Clifford Polk lied on the stand when he claimed he was not in witness protection and thus not being paid by authorities.

Miller also found the lead police investigator knew Polk was lying but did nothing.

(© 2010 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)

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