Lawsuit filed by man who spent 15 years in prison for fatal fire in Oakland County

A man who won his freedom last year after 15 years in prison filed a lawsuit against people involved in his case, including investigators, a prosecutor, and jailhouse informants who testified against him.

Juwan Deering, who has always maintained his innocence, was convicted of setting a fire that killed five children in Royal Oak Township and sentenced to life in prison in 2006.

Last year, a judge ruled Deering was deprived of a fair trial, overturned his murder and arson convictions and ordered his release. 

"As a result of the Defendants' actions and inactions, Deering was wrongfully incarcerated in jail and prison for ... 15 years, six months, and 27 days," said the 52-page lawsuit filed in federal court on Thursday.

The lawsuit said Deering's constitutional rights were violated and seeks monetary damages.

Oakland County is also a named as a defendant. A spokesman for the county could not immediately be reached for comment Friday.  

The primary evidence in Deering's case was testimony from three jailhouse informants and a fire investigator who said the fire was arson, the lawsuit said.

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Deering’s case got another look from prosecutors last year after questions were raised about how the fire started. Deering’s attorneys with the Michigan Innocence Clinic argued the fire couldn't be deemed arson and said faulty science was used.

"The prosecutor's office located and quickly turned over dozens of newly discovered documents relevant to the credibility of the jailhouse informants — documents that had previously not been disclosed to the defense," the lawsuit said.

During the trial, the prosecution's theory was the father of most of the children in the house that night owed Deering money for drugs and Deering set the fire to send a message. Deering made inconsistent statements to investigators about where he was the night of the fire and what he was doing. Testimony from the informants was crucial to the prosecution's case. 

“Since at least 1990, Oakland County had a pattern and practice of using informants to testify against others without disclosing the promised benefits to the defense or jury, violating the United States Constitution,” the lawsuit alleges.

Last year, Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald hired an outside lawyer to review Deering's case. The review found evidence that could have helped Deering at trial was never turned over to the defense and jurors were misled about the informants' motives and credibility.

"Evidence was withheld,” McDonald has said about the case. “There was prosecutorial misconduct.”

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McDonald could not be immediately reached Friday. Deering also could not be reached. 

"Mr. Deering intends to hold Oakland County and the detectives accountable for robbing him of 15 years of his life and taking him away from his family," Deering's attorney Trevor Garrison said in an email.   

Deering previously sued Michigan under the state's Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act seeking just over $750,000. People who qualify are paid $50,000 for every year they spent in prison. Wolfgang Mueller, Deering's attorney in that case, said Deering has been paid.

After Deering's release last year, he told the Free Press there should be consequences for people involved in his case. 

“Accountability has to be foremost,” he said at the time.

Contact Elisha Anderson: eanderson@freepress.com or 313-222-5144