Unjustly imprisoned for a fatal St. Paul car crash, Koua Fong Lee continued to believe that America is "fair, just and blessed." On Thursday, the 32-year-old immigrant's newly adopted country earned his steadfast faith in it.

Lee walked out of the Ramsey County jail a free man after Judge Joanne Smith wisely granted his request for a new trial in the 2006 crash in which Lee's 1996 Toyota Camry slammed into an Oldsmobile, killing three. Ramsey County Attorney Susan Gaertner, whose arguments against a new trial were resoundingly rejected by Judge Smith, said she would not appeal the decision or retry Lee.

Lee's case became a national cause célèbre after problems with sudden acceleration in some of Toyota's cars surfaced. Lee, who had no drugs or alcohol in his system and no previous driving offenses, has always maintained that he stepped on the brake in an attempt to stop the car. But his 2007 trial took place before publicity about the carmaker's problems made that seem plausible. Lee's original attorney, lacking the funds to hire a mechanical expert, essentially conceded at the trial that Lee likely hit the gas pedal instead.

A Ramsey County jury not only bought that version of events, but concluded it was gross negligence, a harsh judgment for a mistake. Smith, who presided at the trial, handed down an eight-year sentence, which is harsher than the punishment often given to drunken drivers who cause fatal crashes.

On Thursday, a case that one law professor called the "perfect storm" of the criminal-justice system's flaws became an example of how the system can also right itself, at least when it comes under pressure to do so.

When Lee's wife gave birth to their youngest child while her husband was in prison, she named the baby Angel, hoping one would watch over her family. It's hard not to believe her prayers were answered in looking at the unlikely group of people from across the nation who came together to help her husband.

Hundreds of Toyota drivers who had experienced sudden acceleration contacted the Innocence Project of Minnesota and told their stories. Eleven took the stand, including Sun Country Airlines pilot Ron Neumeister, whose credibility helped convince Smith that a jury should weigh other Toyota drivers' acceleration problems. Respected Twin Cities defense attorney Ron Meshbesher also testified and absolutely shredded the work of Lee's original attorney. That also clearly played a critical role in the judge's decision, which hinged not only on whether there was new evidence, but also on whether Lee had had ineffective counsel.

Much credit is due Lee's dedicated new defense team -- Twin Cities attorney Brent Schafer and Texan Bob Hilliard -- and to the judge herself, whose ruling combined care and compassion. Schafer and Hilliard weren't paid for their work, but they won Lee's freedom through smart, dogged legal work. Among their findings: that the prosecution's mechanical expert hadn't realized Lee's car was equipped with antilock brakes, which could have explained the lack of skid marks at the accident.

Smith took steps before her ruling to ensure that Lee's paperwork could be speedily processed so he could leave quickly with his wife. Her conduct stands in contrast to that by Gaertner's office, which fiercely fought a new trial right up to the very end. On Thursday, when it was clearly losing badly, the office tempted Lee with a deal that would have given him immediate freedom but left a felony conviction on his record, a dicey situation for someone not yet a citizen. Then, an attorney from the office suggested that both sides submit written closing arguments instead of doing them orally that afternoon. That could have added days or weeks to the time Lee spent needlessly in prison.

Lee's story, while harrowing, is also inspiring. He was a new immigrant who barely spoke English. He's home with his family now because people in Minnesota and across the nation looked beyond that. They saw a man who was wronged, and they got involved.