The road from 2004 to freedom
Two decades of a case that should never have happened — and the fight to undo it.
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1998
A new family
Ajay and Peggy Dev adopt a teenage relative from Nepal and bring her to live with them in Davis, California.
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2004
The allegations
After family conflicts, the accuser makes allegations against Ajay. A recorded “pretext” phone call, partly in Nepali, is made at the direction of Davis police.
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2009
Conviction and a 378-year sentence
On June 25, 2009, a jury convicts Ajay on 76 counts. On August 7, Judge Timothy Fall sentences him to 378 years and four months. Within days, nearly 100 people protest outside the courthouse.
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2009–2016
A growing movement
Annual vigils and rallies grow from dozens to hundreds. Advocates spend thousands of hours analyzing transcripts and documenting contradictions in the accuser’s testimony.
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Oct 2016
Oral arguments at the Court of Appeal
The Third District Court of Appeal grants rare oral arguments. Hundreds of supporters gather outside the Sacramento courthouse.
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2017
Appeal denied
The appellate court acknowledges a jury-instruction error but calls it “harmless” and upholds the conviction. The defense turns to a habeas corpus petition.
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2018–2025
The habeas phase
Over nearly seven years, the defense assembles forensic linguistic analysis, authenticated Nepali court records, and new witnesses who say the accuser admitted fabricating the charges.
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May 17, 2025
Conviction OVERTURNED
Judge Janene Beronio grants the habeas petition, vacates the conviction, and orders a new trial. “I believe he may be innocent,” she says from the bench.
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May 23, 2025
Ajay comes home
Ajay is released on his own recognizance — no bail — and reunites with Peggy and their two sons after sixteen years.