Innocence Project of Florida's work frees another innocent man.

For the first time in almost a decade, Cheydrick Britt said he is looking forward to celebrating the holidays, his heart full of gratefulness and joy.

"Thank God for DNA," said Britt, of Tampa, who was wrongfully convicted of sexual battery and lewd and lascivious molestation in May 2004, and spent more than nine years in prison on a 30-year sentence.

"I have been waiting for this moment for almost a decade. I always maintained my innocence and now the DNA testing has proven what I always knew to be true," Britt said, thanking the attorneys and judge who paved the way to freedom.

"I think justice was done and I'm very grateful. I will have a Happy Thanksgiving and a Merry Christmas," Britt said.

For Charles Murray, a solo practitioner in Bonita Springs, it was his first DNA case in 40 years as a lawyer. Murray had been representing Britt since 2008, and he called the Innocence Project of Florida for guidance.

"They responded magnificently and jumped right in to help," Murray said, thanking Melissa Montle and Seth Miller, attorneys at the Innocence Project of Florida, who worked closely with the 13th Circuit State Attorney's Office.

The testing was performed at DNA Diagnostics Center in Fairfield, Ohio, and Murray said, "The report was so technical."

"I am thrilled that we were able to reunite Cheydrick with his family. We commend the state attorney for taking an objective look at how these DNA test results impact the remaining evidence and pursuing justice in this case," said Montle.

Miller added: "We're thrilled that this can be a model for collaboration between defense attorneys and prosecuting attorneys' offices, to help get to a just and right result in these cases that are often very complicated."

Britt is the 14th person exonerated through the use of DNA testing in Florida since 2000, Miller said.

"Outstanding!" is the word Murray used to describe Assistant State Attorney Kimberly Hindman.

"What some prosecutors forget is their job is supposed to be a search for the truth and justice. A lot get wrapped up in winning and losing, and fight to the death," Murray said. "In the case of Ms. Hindman, she recognized it for what it was, and, in fact, was extremely cooperative in getting the testing done. When the scientific evidence showed my client was not the guilty one, she was very cooperative. She went back and interviewed the victim to see what the victim would say."

Attempts by the News to reach Hindman were not successful.

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