Tony Hopps walked free after spending more than 31 years wrongfully incarcerated for the armed burglary and robbery of an elderly couple staying at a Tampa motel. Following a comprehensive reinvestigation by the Conviction Review Unit (CRU) of the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit State Attorney’s Office, the State determined it could “no longer stand by the convictions.” Hopps’ convictions and life sentences were vacated, and the State immediately dropped the charges.

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The Crime

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In 1990, an elderly couple staying at a motel in Tampa, Florida, was the victim of an armed burglary and armed robbery. Tony Hopps was ultimately identified as the perpetrator by the two victims.

Despite having an alibi, Hopps was convicted based solely on the victims’ identifications. There was no physical or scientific evidence and no corroborating witnesses linking him to the crime.

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The Trial

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The State’s case against Hopps rested on eyewitness identification. However, his trial counsel did not move to suppress the identifications based on the improper procedures used to obtain them. Counsel also failed to present available evidence that would have strengthened Hopps’ alibi.

More than three decades later, a reinvestigation found significant problems with the evidence used to convict him. The CRU determined that the photo lineup procedure used by law enforcement did not comply with best practices at the time and that the resulting identifications would not be admissible today.

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The reinvestigation also found that Hopps did not match the victims’ description of the perpetrator.

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Evidence Supporting His Innocence

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The CRU uncovered substantial evidence supporting the alibi Hopps had maintained since his original trial. Witnesses from the time of trial, a new witness, and objective evidence contained in law enforcement reports placed Hopps far enough from the crime scene that investigators concluded it was highly unlikely he could have committed the crimes.

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The investigation also established that Hopps could not have been one of the men seen fleeing from the vehicle containing the victims’ stolen belongings because he was indisputably in jail at the time.

Together, these findings raised serious concerns about the eyewitness identifications and the circumstances that initially led law enforcement to consider Hopps a suspect.

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Post-Conviction

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On May 12, 2020, the Conviction Review Unit opened an investigation after receiving a letter from Hopps. CRU lead attorney Teresa Hall conducted a comprehensive review of his wrongful conviction claim and ultimately determined that the State could no longer stand behind the convictions.

Hall sought the assistance of Innocence Project of Florida Executive Director Seth Miller to initiate postconviction proceedings on Hopps’ behalf. Based on the CRU’s findings, the parties agreed that his convictions should be vacated.

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Circuit Judge Lyann Goudie signed an agreed order vacating Hopps’ convictions and life sentences, and the State immediately dropped the charges.

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After learning that he would finally walk free, Hopps reflected on the decades he spent trying to have his innocence heard:

“I have tried to get people to listen to me all these years and finally Teresa Hall from the State Attorney’s Office took my case seriously.”

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After more than 31 years of wrongful incarceration, Tony Hopps was finally free.