The Felix brothers, 19 year old Emory and 22 year old Maurice, were tried and convicted of murder in October of 2007. But today the Court of Appeals threw out their convictions, quashed their sentences of life in prison, and ordered a new trial. The brothers were charged for killing Mitchum Heredia in April of 2006 and on October 11th of 2007, Justice Troadio Gonzalez sentenced them to life.

The Court of Appeal threw out the conviction because Simeon Sampson, the lawyer for the Felix brothers, argued that Justice Adolph Lucas erred when he instructed the jury that the prosecution’s star witness didn’t need to identify the brothers. That star witness was Romell Palacio who was also shot on the night of the murder. He knew the brothers but their attorney Simeon Sampson argued that judge’s instruction was prejudicial.

The Felix brothers have been remanded to the Hattieville Prison pending their new trial.