Andre Brown, a Bronx man who was released from prison two years ago after his conviction of a 1999 attempted murder was overturned, may find himself locked up once again. Brown, who is now 48 and a father of two, had served 23 years out of a 40-year sentence before a Supreme Court Judge vacated his conviction due to ineffective counsel, according to a Bronx News12 report. "It haunted me, what’s happening now is a nightmare," Brown told Bronx News12, conveying the emotional toll of facing potential reincarceration.
Following his release, Brown has been working to rebuild his life, but the appellate division's decision to reinstate his case could disrupt this progress. He described prison: "Once you're behind 40-foot walls, you could scream, you can cry, and no one will hear you. You are left for dead. Society doesn't know you no more," his time since release has been spent working with at-risk youth and being with family. "One of the greatest feelings was able to breathe air whenever I wanted to because there is no window in your cell," Brown said in a statement obtained by CBS News New York.
The Bronx District Attorney's Office has consented to a one-month stay from prison while Governor Kathy Hochul's office reviews Brown's clemency petition. This temporary measure is intended to give the governor's office time to consider the case, which remains one of high stakes for the Bronx native: if no clemency is granted, he will have to go back to serve the remaining 17 years of his original sentence.
His next court hearing is scheduled for April 17. A spokesperson for the governor's office stated they do not comment on pending clemency applications, an exchange reported by CBS News New York.
