BRENDAN DASSEY WINS BIG VICTORY IN FEDERAL COURT

A federal appeals court has affirmed a judge’s ruling that overturned the murder conviction of Brendan Dassey, who was featured in the Netflix series Making a Murderer.

In a 2-1 ruling issued Thursday afternoon, the U.S. Court of Appeals for the 7th Circuit upheld the August 2016 decision by U.S. Magistrate William Duffin of Milwaukee.

Duffin found that Dassey’s constitutional rights were violated because investigators for the prosecution made false promises during multiple interrogations.

In overturning the conviction, Duffin ruled that investigators made “repeated false promises” that, “when considered in conjunction with all relevant factors, most especially Dassey’s age, intellectual deficits and the absence of a supportive adult, rendered Dassey’s confession involuntary.”

Dassey was convicted in the 2005 murder of photographer Teresa Halbach. His uncle, Steven Avery, also is serving a life term in connection with the killing.