Freed ex-49er Dana Stubblefield says he 'always believed the truth would come out'

SAN JOSE, Calif. - Former San Francisco 49er Dana Stubblefield and his lawyers addressed the media on Wednesday after his five-year-old rape conviction was vacated in December 2024 by a state appellate court.

A free man

What they're saying:

"Throughout this tough ordeal, I always believed the truth would come out," said Stubblefield, glancing down at notes of his prepared statement. "There were long nights when I would sit in my cell, an innocent man, wondering if things would ever be right."

Stubblefield who played 11 NFL seasons and won numerous personal awards and a Super Bowl title, was convicted in 2020 of rape.

Prosecutors alleged he lured a mentally disabled woman to his home with the promise of a babysitting job and then used a gun in the commission of the crime. Stubblefield has consistently maintained the sexual encounter was consensual and that there was no weapon.

"During this process and during the trial, so much evidence was hidden from the jury. The trial judge made sure the jury did not know that Dana's accuser was a sex worker," said Kenneth Rosenfeld, a member of Stubblefield's legal defense team.

Conviction overturned

What we know:

Defense lawyers said the case was filled with errors and racial bias. An appellate court ruled prosecutors violated California's Racial Justice Act by using racially discriminatory language, forcing the panel to overturn Stubblefield's 15-year sentence, of which he had served about four years.

"We have uncovered new evidence that's compelling as it relates to the false allegation that there was a gun in this case at all," said Allen Sawyer, another attorney on Stubblefield's defense team.

The Santa Clara County District Attorney's Office has appealed the order to vacate.

Assistant District Attorney Terry Harman said in a statement that read in part "We felt that justice had been served. That justice has been interrupted... We are disappointed that the judge released Mr. Stubblefield from custody while we await a decision from the California Supreme Court."

Prosecutors have asked the state's highest court to decide the issue, but defense lawyers said they're confident the law is on their side.

"We don't think that they're allowed to retry this case based on the errors that have already occurred," said Sawyer.

What's next:

As for Stubblefield, after nearly four long years, it's a warm homecoming and a chance to finally be with family.

"Now I want to focus on what truly matters, which is watching my son play football, coaching him a little bit, and having dinner with my wife. You have no idea how I've missed spending time with my family and friends," he said.

Although freed, Stubblefield still has to wear an ankle monitoring device as the vacate order is under appeal, and he's been ordered not to contact the victim in this case.

Jesse Gary is a reporter based in the station's South Bay bureau. Follow him on the Instagram platform, @jessegontv and on Facebook, @JesseKTVU.