After Eight Years in Prison, Man Cleared of Rape Charges

He was wrongfully convicted of grabbing a woman in Lemon Grove and sexually assaulting her. But it turned out to be a case of mistaken identity.

Uriah Courtney, 33, served 8 years of a life sentence for a crime new DNA testing determined was committed by someone who looked like him.

"It was a terrible experience, one I wouldn't wish on my worst enemy," Courtney said. "I'm just grateful to be out and grateful to the Innocence Project for everything they've done on my case."

Justin Brooks, director of the project at San Diego's California Western School of Law, said it's hard to look at someone like Courtney and say he's a lucky man.

"But he was lucky the evidence wasn't thrown out, his case caught our eye, we got cooperation from the DA and he was lucky ultimately to be exonerated," Brooks said.

Courtney still faces drug charges from a separate case, but he's now the ninth person to be freed from prison by the Innocence Project. His lawyer, Alissa Bherkhoel, said it's all bittersweet.

"You know, for every client we get out, there's another one in there that we really believe in that we have not been able to get out," she said.

About one out of every 1,000 cases the Innocence Project reviews is exonerated. Last year, Brain Banks was cleared of sexual assault charges after serving 10 years in prison.

Listen: After Eight Years In Prison, Man Cleared Of Rape Charges

Aired 6/26/13

Uriah Courtney, 33, served 8 years of a life sentence for a crime new DNA testing determined was committed by someone who looked like him.