Stephanie Spurgeon’s Story
CIFS Represents Logan in a Wrongful Conviction Case
Case Overview
In 2008, Stephanie Spurgeon had been running a licensed in-home daycare for many years. One day, after a baby in her care was picked up, the baby became unresponsive and was rushed to the hospital. The child died one week later. Because she was one of the last people with the baby, Stephanie was charged and convicted in her death. Since the baby had no external signs of abuse, doctors determined that she had been thrown onto a soft surface. But the real cause was likely an undiagnosed medical condition.
We partnered with the Innocence Project of Florida and the Exoneration Project to represent Stephanie and in July of 2020, Stephanie was granted a new trial. She was released in August of 2020 after spending 8.5 years in prison. Before her second trial, the prosecution offered Stephanie an Alford Plea guaranteeing her freedom and ending her case. Stephanie has always maintained her innocence and the plea offer allowed her to continue that claim while moving forward with her life. Alford pleas allow a person to acknowledge that the state may have enough evidence to obtain a conviction against them even if they are innocent.
Stephanie is now an advocate for the wrongfully convicted and works as a paralegal for the Innocence Project of Florida. To learn more about Stephanie’s story, listen to the Wrongful Conviction Podcast episode dedicated to her story.
Read the news release from 2021 when Stephanie took an alford plea.
“Finally being free after years of wrongful conviction feels like waking up from a 13 year nightmare. When I was released from prison I was always looking over my shoulder and didn't feel like I fit into the world. I agonized over offering an Alford plea to finally have closure. While it's not the exact outcome I wanted, I am grateful to now be able to put this behind me. Simply put, I chose guaranteed freedom over possible justice.
-Stephanie Spurgeon