Jamal Trulove, a wrongfully convicted California man, says he’s haunted by a moment when Kamala Harris, who prosecuted his case, laughed at him after securing a guilty verdict. Trulove was convicted in 2010 of murdering his friend Seu Kuka, based on what was later revealed to be fabricated evidence and coerced testimony. His conviction was overturned in 2015, but not before he spent six years in prison.
In an interview with The Art of Dialogue, Trulove described how Harris’ laughter felt like a taunt. “We locked eyes this one time, and she laughed,” he said. “She literally just, like, kind of busted out laughing. Almost as if she was pointing like, ‘ha-ha.’” Though she didn’t actually point, Trulove says the encounter left him shaken, especially given the severity of the situation.
Trulove eventually sued the city of San Francisco and was awarded $13.1 million in compensation for his wrongful conviction. The civil jury found that police had violated his civil rights by fabricating evidence and coercing witnesses. Despite this, Harris has been criticized for her record of defending wrongful convictions, even in cases where official misconduct was clearly documented.
Legal experts, including Lara Bazelon, have called out Harris for her efforts to uphold tainted convictions. Trulove’s experience has led him to become a vocal opponent of Harris, and he’s now endorsing President Donald Trump in the 2024 election as a result of his negative experience with her.
