Kelner & Kelner Secures Justice for Carl Dukes, Wrongfully Convicted Man Awarded $8 Million Settlement

By: Prodigy

March 19, 2025 at 11:02 AM EDT

03/19/2025, New York, NY // PRODIGY: Feature Story //

Kelner & Kelner is proud to announce a major victory in securing justice for Carl H. Dukes, who was wrongfully convicted in 1999 of the murder of University at Albany student Erik Mitchell. After spending nearly two decades in prison for a crime he did not commit, Dukes has now been awarded an $8 million settlement from the State of New York following a unanimous appellate court ruling that overturned his conviction and declared him “actually innocent.”

Kelner & Kelner represented Mr. Dukes in his civil cases, which stemmed from a conviction based on a coerced confession and fabricated evidence by Albany detectives. Dukes and his co-defendant, Lavell R. Jones, were pressured into signing false statements implicating one another. No physical evidence ever linked them to Mitchell’s murder, and a key witness recanted during Dukes’ trial. The case finally unraveled in 2014 when a violent felon, Jeffrey Conrad, confessed to the killing, providing details that only the real perpetrator could have known.

“Carl is grateful to have fully and finally cleared his name and proven his innocence,” said Joshua D. Kelner, attorney at Kelner & Kelner. “While the scars of his unjust incarceration will always be with him, he’s hopeful for the next phase of his life.”

Dukes had previously received a $5.75 million settlement from the City of Albany, bringing the total compensation for his wrongful conviction to nearly $14 million. His case highlights the deep flaws in the criminal justice system, particularly in cases where police use coercion and fabricated narratives to secure convictions.

Kelner & Kelner remains committed to fighting for justice for those wrongfully convicted and holding accountable the institutions responsible for such injustices.

###

Media Contact

Joshua Kelner

Kelner & Kelner

7 World Trade Center 250 Greenwich Street, Suite 2700 New York, NY 10007

JKelner@kelnerlaw.com

https://kelnerlaw.com/