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SAN JOSE, Calif. (AP) — Dana Stubblefield, the former San Francisco 49ers player, will remain incarcerated after a judge opted not to grant him bail following the recent vacation of his rape conviction.
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Hector Ramon stated that he could not authorize bail or release for the ex-NFL star since the matter is still pending in an appeals court, as reported by The Mercury News.
In December 2024, the Sixth District Court of Appeal vacated Stubblefield’s prior conviction, which had sentenced him to 15 years to life in prison, determining that racial bias influenced the trial process. However, the appellate court’s remittitur, a procedural ruling that reestablishes authority to the lower court, will not likely be issued until next month.
Stubblefield’s legal team has been advocating for his release, arguing that the current circumstances do not justify his continued incarceration.
In a motion submitted to Judge Ramon earlier this week, the attorneys contended that he had the discretion to transfer Stubblefield from California State Prison, Corcoran—where he has served nearly four years of his 15-year sentence—to a county jail, from which he could then be granted bail. They maintain that this would restore Stubblefield’s pretrial status, reflecting his current legal position.
In court proceedings on Friday, Judge Ramon reiterated that local control would not revert until the appeals court completes its remittitur process. Meanwhile, the office of Deputy District Attorney Tim McInerney has expressed its support for keeping Stubblefield in custody, as reported.
Outside the courthouse, Stubblefield’s attorneys voiced their discontent over the ruling.
“As he sits here, everything has been vacated; he has been convicted of nothing, and a legally innocent man is sitting in prison because we’re waiting on a time clock,” said attorney Ken Rosenfeld.
Stubblefield was originally sentenced to a lengthy prison term in October 2020 after being found guilty of raping a woman with developmental disabilities, whom prosecutors claimed he had deceived into coming to his home with the promise of babysitting work in 2015. His defense argued that no assault took place, asserting that the encounter was consensual in nature.
The Sixth Court of Appeal’s decision to vacate the conviction cited violations of the California Racial Justice Act of 2020, enacted in response to the nationwide protests following the death of George Floyd. This law prohibits prosecutorial misconduct based on racial bias.
According to the appeals court, the prosecutors had employed “racially discriminatory language,” necessitating the nullification of Stubblefield’s conviction.
Stubblefield began his NFL career with the 49ers in 1993, earning the title of Defensive Rookie of the Year. He later received the NFL Defensive Player of the Year award in 1997, and he played for the Washington team before concluding his career back in the Bay Area with the 49ers from 2000 to 2001 and with the Raiders in 2003.
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