SAN JOSE, CA (December 26, 2024) – After a nearly five-year legal battle, the California Sixth Court of Appeals handed down a dramatic ruling that vacated ex-Super Bowl champion Dana Stubblefield’s 2020 conviction of rape using a firearm, announced by his winning defense team, Kenneth Rosenfield and Allen Sawyer. As a result of a crucial statement made by the prosecution during closing arguments of Stubblefield’s original trial, which happened during the George Floyd protests, it was deemed “racially discriminatory” and determined to unjustly influence the jury, resulting in the landmark ruling today.
After the ruling, Lead Defense Attorney 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.” Rosenfeld’s legal partner Allen Sawyer added, “This ruling is a crucial reminder that racial discrimination has no place in our justice system. The facts of this case were overshadowed by bias, and we are grateful that the appellate court has taken a stand for justice.”
Stubblefield, a former San Francisco 49er, was originally convicted of holding a woman at gunpoint and raping her after she came to his Morgan Hill, California, home in 2015 to interview for a babysitting job. Although a gun was mentioned, it was never formally introduced in the trial because, as the prosecution stated, searching the home of a famous Black man during this time would result in a “storm of controversy” due to national protests for perceived racial injustice. It was argued by the defense team that this statement, as well as the withholding of key evidence in the trial, could have altered the trial’s outcome. For these reasons, the appellate court found the 2020 rape conviction and 15-years-to-life-in-prison sentencing to be invalid.
