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A former Texas prosecutor on Monday was disbarred for pushing erroneous testimony and making false statements that sent an innocent man to death row, according to the Huffington Post.

Charles Sebesta was disbarred for his conduct in the conviction of Anthony Graves, who spent 18 years in prison on charges of setting a fire that killed six people before being freed, writes the news outlet. The Board of Disciplinary Appeals appointed by the Texas Supreme Court upheld a state licensing board’s decision to disbar him.

Via the HuffPo:

Sebesta had convicted Robert Carter for the murders and tried to get Carter to say Graves was an accomplice. But the day before he was to testify, Carter told Sebesta he acted alone and Graves was not involved, the board said.

“Sebesta never disclosed this information to the defense,” the board said.

Sebesta then presented false testimony implicating Graves, crucial in a conviction since there was no physical evidence linking him to the crime, it said.

Before Graves’ attorney could present a witness to support his client’s alibi, Sebesta derailed the testimony by falsely stating in court that he was a suspect in the murders and could be indicted. The witness fled the courtroom refusing to testify, the panel said.

The Huffington Post says Graves’ conviction was reversed in 2006 and “he was remanded for a new trial. In 2010, a special prosecutor found there was no credible evidence that Graves was involved in the murders and Graves was then released.”

SOURCE: Huffington Post | PHOTO CREDIT: Getty 

SEE ALSO: Supreme Court Rules Florida Death Row Inmate’s Sentence Was Unconstitutional

Ex-Texas Prosecutor Disbarred After Sending Innocent Man To Death Row  was originally published on newsone.com