BCLP and Midwest Innocence Project Secure Justice for Dominic Moore After 15 Years of Wrongful Incarceration

In a major victory, BCLP Partner and Global Practice Group Leader – Business and Commercial Disputes, Bob Hoffman, along with Associates Courtney Stout and Addison Schlatter, worked in collaboration with the Midwest Innocence Project to successfully secure Dominic Moore’s release after 15 years of wrongful incarceration. During an emergency hearing on Wednesday, the 29th Judicial Circuit of Wyandotte County vacated Mr. Moore’s conviction, resulting in his immediate release from the El Dorado Correctional Facility and his reunion with family later that evening.

In February 2009, Mr. Moore and his co-defendant, Cedric Warren, were accused and later convicted of first-degree murder, second-degree murder, and attempted first-degree murder stemming from an alleged double homicide in Kansas City, Kansas. The prosecution’s case relied almost entirely on the testimony of the sole surviving victim, Brandon Ford, despite numerous discrepancies in his account.

At the outset, Ford told police he had not seen the suspects and could not identify anyone involved. However, after hours of police interrogation, his account changed. Ford alleged that one of the shooters was “a man named Ced” and claimed the other was wearing “a red shirt.” The following day, police arrested Mr. Warren at a house where he was with several others, including Mr. Moore. Mr. Moore was implicated solely because he was wearing a red shirt, and Ford subsequently identified him in a lineup. Despite contradictions in Ford’s statements and the lack of any reliable evidence linking Mr. Moore to the crime, he was convicted on all counts.

Working alongside the Midwest Innocence Project, the BCLP team uncovered that the prosecution had withheld critical evidence regarding Ford’s mental health. Before trial, Ford informed representatives of the State that he experienced hallucinations, doubted whether his memories were real, and was uncertain if he had even witnessed the crime. The prosecution failed to disclose this information to the defense, violating Mr. Moore’s constitutional rights and forming the basis for the motion to vacate his conviction.

In February 2024, the BCLP team filed a motion to vacate Mr. Moore’s sentence, supported by the team’s extensive investigation into the case in collaboration with the Midwest Innocence Project, which had also worked on behalf of Mr. Warren. In December 2024, the court vacated Mr. Warren’s conviction, and during Wednesday’s emergency hearing, the BCLP team successfully persuaded the court to extend its ruling to include Mr. Moore. At the team’s urging, the court also ordered the immediate release of both Mr. Moore and Mr. Warren.

While the court’s decision was specifically limited to the constitutional violation caused by the withheld evidence, the case also underscored broader concerns about the integrity of the initial investigation— one that was conducted under the supervision of a police captain who was later indicted on multiple charges of misconduct and corruption spanning several decades.

BCLP has a longstanding partnership with the Midwest Innocence Project, a Kansas City-based nonprofit dedicated to representing wrongfully convicted individuals.