A California man was freed from custody Tuesday afternoon after serving more than 13 years in prison for a crime a federal judge and the California Innocence Project say he didn’t commit.  Federal Judge Suzanne Segal ordered the release of Daniel Larsen, who was convicted in 1999 of carrying a concealed knife, a third strike for the twice-convicted burglar. Police alleged he had tossed the 6-inch blade under a car after a brawl in a Northridge bar.

Larsen has maintained his innocence throughout the years and eventually got the California Innocence Project to take up his cause. “You’re being given a rare opportunity here," Segal said. "I hope you use this opportunity well. Don’t violate the trust the court has put in you.”

Bailiffs unlocked Segal's shackles as he smiled broadly and his family watched, sharing tears of joy. Although a 9th Circuit Court of Appeals judge ordered his release in 2010, he had languished in prison.

 

READ MORE FROM THE L.A. TIMES