🧠 The Gutter Report: How a Broken System Locked Up an Innocent Man
The Case of Deyontay Smith — New Evidence, Unanswered Questions, and the Laws That Could Fix It
📸 Deyontay all smiles despite being held on a wrongful conviction.
🕯️ When Life—and Death—Intersect With Injustice
Onondaga County, New York — The case of Deyontay Smith is one of the most troubling conviction stories in recent New York history.
Convicted in Onondaga County in 2019 and sentenced to 25 years to life for a crime he did not commit, Smith’s conviction was built on conflicting testimony, questionable investigation, and a lack of direct evidence tying him to the killing.
You can review the full facts of his conviction here:
👉🏾 The Gutter Report: Another Onondaga County Conviction Faces Scrutiny
But there’s another piece of this story the public needs to understand:
⚖️ Deyontay’s trial lawyer, Paul Carey, has since died under questionable circumstances — and no official cause of death has been released.
His family remains deeply troubled — not only about how Carey handled the case, but about the silence surrounding his death.
For deeper reporting on that:
👉🏾 The Gutter Report: When Silence Becomes the Story — How Did Judge Paul Carey Really Die?
🧱 The Human Cost of a System Without Accountability
The Smith family’s questions were never emotional — they were factual:
• Why were key witnesses never called?
• Why was contradictory evidence ignored?
• Why did trial counsel fail to challenge critical testimony?
• And now, why is there still no official report on his death?
Even with real evidence and real contradictions, New York has no reliable system to correct wrongful convictions.
That’s not a bug.
That’s the design.
📝 The Three Bills That Could Prevent the Next Deyontay Smith
None of the following are laws yet.
They are proposed bills currently introduced in the New York State Legislature — meaning they only become real protections if the public pressures lawmakers to pass them.
And cases like Deyontay’s are exactly why these bills exist.
🧾 1. NYS Accountability in Reporting Act (S3999) — Proposed
This bill would create criminal penalties for public officials who knowingly file false or biased reports, and require a public database of such misconduct.
In simple terms: if an official lies in a report that affects someone’s case, they could be charged and publicly documented.
Why this matters:
Deyontay’s conviction was built on official narratives that later conflicted with physical evidence and new testimony. This bill would deter dishonest reporting and protect future defendants from being convicted on fabricated or biased narratives.
🔍 2. Conviction Integrity Unit Act (A7776 / S7502) — Proposed
This bill would establish Conviction Integrity Units (CIUs) inside prosecutor offices to review old convictions when credible claims of innocence emerge.
In simple terms: it would create an official doorway back into the system for wrongfully convicted people.
Why this matters:
Right now, prosecutors are not required to revisit questionable convictions — even when new evidence appears. This bill would force structured review instead of leaving families to fight alone.
🚔 3. Wandering Officers Act (S7561 / A1284) — Proposed
This bill would bar police officers from being hired in New York if they were fired, resigned under investigation, or left while facing discipline or criminal charges.
In simple terms: officers with serious misconduct histories could no longer quietly move between departments.
Why this matters:
Police credibility is evidence. This bill would expose problematic policing and protect the integrity of future investigations.
Why These Bills Should Become Law
Deyontay’s case shows what happens when:
Official reports go unchallenged
Defense fails without consequences
Police credibility is never examined
Prosecutors never revisit old cases
These bills exist because this pattern keeps repeating.
Making them law would mean:
Truth becomes enforceable
Innocence becomes reviewable
Misconduct becomes visible
Not just for Deyontay — but for every person in New York who enters the criminal justice system.
📣 The Petition
A formal petition is now demanding:
• An independent review of Deyontay’s conviction
• Support for all three bills
• Accountability from the Onondaga County District Attorney
Sign it here:
👉🏾 Demand Justice for Deyontay Smith and Pass Critical New York Accountability Laws
📣 The public call to action — supporters are demanding justice and legislative reform.
🔥 Why This Is Bigger Than One Case
Every wrongful conviction follows the same blueprint:
Flawed investigation.
Unchallenged reporting.
Weak defense.
No review.
Institutional silence.
These bills exist because cases like Deyontay’s keep happening.
✊🏾 What You Can Do Right Now
Read both Gutter Reports.
Sign the petition.
Share this article.
Contact your NYS Senator & Assemblymember.
Demand a Conviction Integrity review.
Because justice doesn’t correct itself.
People force it to.
Not for clicks — for clarity.
— Elliott Carterr, LFTG Radio
📱 TikTok: @elliott_carterr ↗
📺 YouTube: @lftgradio ↗
🌐 Website: LFTGRadio.com ↗
⚖️ The Gutter Justice Project ↗
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