Four men who were falsely accused of killing four teenage girls at an Austin yogurt shop in 1991 are expected to be exonerated today by a state district judge.
The hearing, which will be livestreamed, is set to begin at 9 a.m. in the auxiliary courtroom on the first floor of the Travis County Blackwell-Thurman Criminal Justice Center.
Robert Springsteen, Michael Scott, Maurice Pierce and Forrest Welborn were falsely accused of the killings. Springsteen and Scott were convicted for the crime in 1999, but the conviction was overturned a decade later.
The hearing is expected to be an official acknowledgment that the four men were wrongly accused, prosecuted and imprisoned. It’s a long time coming for the group, who were all in their 20s when they were arrested.
Here’s how to watch the exoneration in real time.
Scott, Welborn and members of Pierce’s family are expected to attend. Springsteen’s attorney said he would not.
Austin Police Chief Lisa Davis is also invited, but it is unclear whether she will address how the department currently carries out interviews with suspects.
It’s also unclear if any family members of the victims will attend the hearing.
The unusual nature of the proceeding is sure to draw multiple observers from the Travis County criminal justice community.
A finding that the men are “actually innocent” will enable them to more effectively seek restitution through civil litigation against the city of Austin and Travis County.