Article By James Washington // EEW Magazine Online // Criminal Justice reform

Christian athlete Maya Moore shocked the basketball world when she stepped away from the WNBA to help a family friend, Jonathan Irons, get his conviction overturned.

Well, today, Moore contacted Irons in state prison to let him know that the judge had ruled in his favor. It was a sweet moment indeed.

News Tribune reports that an emotional Moore said, "It doesn't feel real. It's sad that it has taken this long for us to get to this point and he's still not home yet. We're happy, though, that the truth is out there."

She added, "We're still fighting because he is still behind bars, but we hope that the momentum and the commitment we've had for truth in this case, from Johnathan, to our lawyers, to our family, we hope inspires others and inspires change along with accountability and prosecutorial reform. This is something that didn't have to happen."

As previously reported by EEW Magazine Online, Irons has been incarcerated since 1997 after he was convicted in the nonfatal shooting of a homeowner during a burglary. He is serving a 50-year sentence despite there being no physical evidence — no DNA, fingerprints or footprints — linking Irons to the crime.

To Irons’ and Moore’s delight, Cole County Judge Dan Green ruled that Irons’ defense had provided enough evidence to prove he was wrongfully convicted and ordered that his convictions be vacated. The good news left his family and supporters cheering and celebrating the victory.

Moore, 30, helped Irons’ story get national attention by sharing his case with the press and publicizing her commitment to fight for justice. “I’ve known Jonathan for over a decade, and I’m fighting to make sure his case gets a fair review,” she said in a former statement to The Associated Press in a phone interview. “I’m trying to call attention to the prosecutorial misconduct that I believe resulted in his being wrongfully sent to prison for 50 years as a teenager. This hearing will hopefully give us a perfect opportunity to show why this conviction lacks integrity for so many different reasons.”

Green's official court order says Irons can be discharged from custody unless the St. Charles County prosecutor's office elects within 30 days of the judge's order to retry him these charges. The order is currently pending a review by the Missouri Attorney General's Office.

Irons, who was16 at the time of the crime, had been seen in O’Fallon, Missouri — a suburb of St. Louis — on the evening of Jan, 14, 1997, with a gun, according to court records cited by the Times. The victim returned home and confronted a burglar, the records said. Shots were fired and the victim was hit in the right temple. A week later, Irons was arrested. The detective in the case said Irons confessed, but the detective wasn’t available to be cross-examined at trial because he was ill. He has since died.

Kansas City attorney Kent Gipson, who defended Irons in his suit, said, "It's sad that it's a lot harder to get a conviction overturned than it is to obtain one in the first place. It's not unusual to happen as long as 25 years after the fact."

Gipson also said Irons will likely remain in prison for a couple of weeks. Press play on the video below to get in-depth details about the case and the gross miscarriage of justice that compelled Moore and her family to get involved.