(CNN) John Bunn was just 14 when he was jailed for the murder of an off-duty correction officer in Brooklyn.

He was finally able to clear his name Tuesday, when a judge formally exonerated him after 27 years. He's 41 now.

He wept as he hugged his attorneys in court. He approached the judge and held both of her hands and rested his head on the bench.

"It has been 27 years, I've been fighting for my life and I've been fighting for my innocence," he said.

Bunn served 17 years in prison before he was freed on parole in 2009. Two years ago, he won the right to a new trial. Now, prosecutors have said they won't retry him -- leading to a full exoneration

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