Man serving 400 years after wrongful conviction released from prison

(CNN) – A wrongfully convicted man is free after serving 34 years of a 400-year prison sentence.

Sidney Holmes was seen walking out of a Florida jail and into his mother’s arms after a judge threw out his conviction Monday.

Holmes said he never lost hope that he would be freed.

Holmes was convicted of armed robbery in Broward County in 1989, largely because he and the suspect in the case had similar vehicles, according to the Innocence Project of Florida.

Despite some similarities, the cars reportedly had key differences, and no physical evidence or corroborating witnesses linked Holmes to the crime.

The Broward County State Attorney’s Office said its conviction review unit worked with the Innocence Project to re-investigate Holmes’ case and asked for a judge to throw out his conviction and sentence.

A judge signed the order Monday.