Former San Francisco 49ers standout and Super Bowl champion Dana Stubblefield was released from prison on Tuesday following the overturning of his 2020 rape conviction by a California appeals court. The Sixth Court of Appeals vacated the conviction, citing racially biased remarks made by prosecutors during the trial, a violation of California’s 2020 Racial Justice Act.
The court's decision highlighted the prosecution's argument that police hadn't searched Stubblefield's residence or presented a gun as evidence because of his status as a prominent Black man. They contended that such actions would have "sparked significant controversy." The appeals court interpreted this to mean that the prosecution implied a search would have been conducted and a gun wouldn't have been discovered if Stubblefield weren't Black, thus factoring race into the equation.
Stubblefield, incarcerated since December due to a lower court judge's jurisdictional limitations on granting bail, was released after intervention from the state attorney general and appeals office. Santa Clara Superior Court Judge Hector Ramon ultimately authorized his release on Friday.
Having served almost four years of a 15-year sentence, Stubblefield's defense attorney, Kenneth Rosenfeld, celebrated the release, declaring, "An innocent man is finally free from confinement and reunited with his family." Stubblefield's 2020 conviction stemmed from the alleged rape of a developmentally disabled woman in 2015, whom he purportedly enticed with a babysitting job offer. The defense maintained that the encounter was consensual and involved an exchange of money for sex.
Stubblefield's distinguished 11-year NFL career included being named Defensive Rookie of the Year with the 49ers in 1993 and Defensive Player of the Year in 1997. A three-time Pro Bowler, he played for the Washington Redskins and Oakland Raiders after his initial stint with the 49ers, retiring in 2003.
