On Tuesday, Samuel Brownridge, a 45-year-old man who grew up in Queens, was exonerated of murder after wrongly serving 25 years in prison upstate for it. The exoneration came during an extraordinary, remotely held hearing before Justice Joseph Zayas of the Queens Supreme Court Criminal Term. During the 33-minute hearing, tears were shed by Mr. Brownridge, by the judge, and by Donna Aldea, the pro bono lawyer for Brownridge.

Queens District Attorney Melinda Katz took part in the hearing as well, and she, Samuel Brownridge, Justice Zayas, and Aldea made statements about reforming America's criminal justice system. Brownridge's case is one of the first reviewed by Katz's newly created Conviction Integrity Unit.

"The miscarriage of justice in your case was monumental," Zayas says to Brownridge during the hearing. "It is therefore no surprise that large segments of our city and our country have grave doubts about our criminal justice system and its ability to delver equal and fair justice to all."

Brownridge says he wishes his late mother had been alive to see him declared innocent. And at one moment, Aldea says she has been a lawyer for more than 20 years, and, "I really feel, Sam, that I am blessed to have met you."

Here is a full video of the hearing. It is shown with permission of the court.

Related:

People v. Brownridge, the post-hearing decision issued by Justice Zayas in Brownridge's NY Criminal Procedure Article 440 motion to vacate.