Former death row inmate freed by DNA evidence back in prison for choking wife

(Tampa, FL-AP) November 14, 2006 - Rudolph Holton spent 16 years on Florida's death row before DNA evidence set him free, but now Holton is back behind bars for choking his wife.

He married her just months after being released from death row in 2003. But later that year, he was charged with assaulting her ex-husband's son.

Four months after that, Holton was arrested for punching his wife and hitting her with a golf club. She went to the hospital. He went to prison for 14 months.

Now he's been sentenced to 20 years in prison for choking her. A judge ordered the stiff sentence because of Holton's eleven previous felony convictions.

Holton says his wife is to blame for his troubles - telling the judge he "married the wrong lady."