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Death row exonerees join the call for DNA testing in Alabama News from the Innocence movement around the country this month.
To see what's happening in your state, view our interactive reform map.
 On Monday, New Jersey Gov. Jon Corzine signed a law making the state the first to abolish capital punishment in four decades. While state policymakers were considering this measure, they heard testimony from men who spent years in New Jersey prisons — two of them narrowly avoiding the death penalty — for crimes they didn’t commit. When the state’s panel on capital punishment released its final report earlier this year, the risk of executing an innocent person was cited repeatedly as a reason for abolishing the state’s death penalty. Read more in the Innocence Blog.
John Jerome White (above) was exonerated last week in Georgia, 27 years after he was convicted of a sexual assault he didn't commit. The Innocence Project of Georgia represented White, the seventh person to be exonerated by DNA testing in Georgia. All seven Georgia DNA exoneration cases involved eyewitness misidentification, and Georgia lawmakers are currently considering reforms to the way identification procedures are carried out in the state.
Five men wrongfully convicted in 1990 of attacking a jogger in New York City's Central Park marked the fifth anniversary of their exonerations this week. Between 14 and 16 years old when arrested, several of the defendants falsely confessed after hours of police interrogation. In 2002, DNA evidence proved their innocence, and pointed to the actual perpetrator.
Donate today to help Innocence Project clients build a safety net after their release!
The Innocence Project is seeking to raise $15,000 for our Exoneree Fund by Dec. 31. The fund helps clients with basic needs like housing, food and medical care upon their release. Exonerees need your help this holiday season. We've raised $5,900 in 48 hours (38% percent of the goal!) - help us reach $15,000 in the next 11 days.
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Death row exonerees join the call for DNA testing in Alabama
In the last two weeks, 1,200 people have written letters to Alabama Gov. Bob Riley calling on him to grant DNA testing to death row inmate Tommy Arthur before allowing the state to execute a man who may be innocent. Today, six men who were sentenced to die and served time on death row but were ultimately exonerated through DNA testing urged Riley to immediately order DNA testing in Arthur's case. They wrote: “If we had never been granted DNA testing, we might not be alive today. Few people have been in Mr. Arthur’s position, but we have and that’s why we’re appealing to you to order DNA testing in this case. His execution has been delayed by the U.S. Supreme Court for other reasons, leaving plenty of time for DNA testing to be completed if you order it now.”
(Pictured L-R: Death row exonerees Ray Krone, Ryan Matthews, Earl Washington and Curtis McCarty. Also signing the letter were Charles Irvin Fain and Rolando Cruz) If you haven’t already sent an email to Gov. Riley asking for DNA testing for Tommy Arthur, you can send one right now through the Innocence Project’s website. It takes just 30 seconds to send a clear message that you support truth in justice. Arthur has spent more than two decades on Alabama’s death row for a murder he says he didn’t commit. DNA testing could provide compelling evidence of his innocence or guilt, but the courts and the governor have denied testing. Riley has the power to order testing in this case, and he needs to hear from all of us. Read today's letter from the six exonerees here. Injustice overturned: The exonerations of 2007 This year, 18 people were exonerated by DNA testing in 10 states after serving a combined 306 years in prison for crimes they didn’t commit. Nine Innocence Project clients were exonerated in 2007, and we opened more than 60 new cases. Below is a recap of the Innocence Project clients who were exonerated in 2007 and are celebrating the holidays as free men for the first time in years: Larry Fuller served 25 years in Texas prison for a rape he didn’t commit. He was misidentified by an eyewitness and wrongfully convicted in 1981. Roy Brown was exonerated in March after serving 15 years in New York prison for a murder he didn’t commit. Forensic misconduct contributed to Brown’s wrongful conviction. James Waller served 10 years in Texas prison and 13 years on parole after he was wrongfully convicted of a rape he didn't commit. Antonio Beaver was misidentified and wrongfully convicted of a carjacking in St. Louis. He spent 10 years in prison before DNA testing proved his innocence. Jerry Miller became the 200th person to be exonerated through DNA in the United States on April 23, 2007. He spent over 24 years in Illinois prison for a rape he didn’t commit. James Giles spent 10 years in prison and 14 years on parole after he was misidentified and wrongfully convicted in Dallas, Texas. Byron Halsey narrowly avoided the death penalty when he was wrongfully convicted of a brutal child murder in New Jersey. He spent 19 years in prison before DNA testing proved his innocence. Curtis McCarty served more than 16 years on Oklahoma’s death row before DNA testing proved him innocent in May. Chad Heins was exonerated this month after more than a decade in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. He was just 20 when he was arrested, and 33 when released. Looking ahead: The building momentum of criminal justice reform The American criminal justice system grew stronger in 2007 as several states passed laws based on the lessons of wrongful convictions. In a few days, legislatures will return to session around the county, and lawmakers nationwide will consider reform measures to address and prevent wrongful convictions.The Innocence Project plays a critical role in pressing for meaningful reform in the criminal justice system; following are just a few of the states where we’ll be working with legislators and advocates in the weeks and months ahead: Vermont — In the coming days, leading criminal justice experts will issue recommendations on policies regarding eyewitness identification procedures, recording of interrogations and the preservation of evidence. These recommendations could lead to critical reforms during the 2008 legislative session. Vermont was among the leaders in passing groundbreaking reforms in 2007, enacting laws providing access to DNA testing and compensating the wrongfully convicted. Read more here. California —Two years in a row, Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has vetoed criminal justice reform bills passed by the state legislature. The bills would have required law enforcement agencies to record interrogations in certain crimes, required jailhouse informant testimony to be corroborated and created a task force to develop guidelines on increasing the accuracy of eyewitness identifications. Advocates have announced that they plan to introduce similar measures in the 2008 session. Read more here. Texas — With 29 wrongful convictions overturned by DNA (more than any other state), Texas is poised to become a national leader in criminal justice reform. During the 2007 session, Texas legislators passed a law increasing the compensation paid to exonerees from $25,000 per year of wrongful incarceration to $50,000 per year. A bill to create an Innocence Commission, however, failed to pass in 2007. Innocence commissions in other states have met with great success in addressing and preventing wrongful convictions. State Sen. Rodney Ellis said he will introduce the bill to create an Innocence Commission again this year. Colorado — When Colorado Gov. Bill Ritter formed a task force this year to examine the state’s evidence preservation practices, an Innocence Project representative testified about the best practices of states around the country. The panel’s report, released last month, called for improvements statewide, and lawmakers have said they plan to introduce legislation in 2008 requiring law enforcement departments to retain biological evidence collected as part of crime investigations. Read more here. In these states and many others, the Innocence Project will pursue reforms in the 2008 sessions targeted at creating a more just system. While DNA evidence has the power to exonerate wrongfully convicted inmates, only about 10% of criminal cases involve biological evidence. The causes of wrongful convictions are not unique to cases with biological evidence. Only through policy reforms based on the lessons of wrongful convictions can we prevent future injustice in all cases. Why I Give: Susan Chandler
I first learned about the Innocence Project three years ago when Wilton Dedge was exonerated in Brevard County, Florida. I used to live in Brevard County, and I know that Mr. Dedge is not the only person to have been wrongfully accused or convicted there. The same snitch that lied on the stand to convict Wilton has lied on the stand in other cases as well. And the problems don’t end there. It is imperative that law enforcement agencies and prosecutors seek fair justice and not only convictions. That is why I support the Innocence Project and its reform efforts. I have written many letters to Florida Gov. Charlie Crist urging him to stand up for the wrongfully convicted, and to take the lead in passing a law compensating the wrongfully convicted when they are released. Mr. Dedge was finally exonerated, but other exonerees in Florida are still seeking help. It’s up to the public to call for politicians to do what’s right and compensate the exonerated immediately upon their release. Until then, it’s up to people like us to help the exonerated get back on their feet. Wrongful convictions can happen to anyone, and I would hope somebody would look out for me if I were in Wilton Dedge’s shoes. The Innocence Project is seeking to raise $15,000 for our Exoneree Fund this holiday season, in order to provide vital services to our clients in 2008. Thanks to dozens of donors like Ms. Chandler, we have raised over $5,900 since Tuesday. We need your help to meet our goal before the end of the year. Make a donation to support exonerees today.
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When I got an email Tuesday from the Innocence Project asking me to make a donation so they could provide fundamental necessities to their clients after they are exonerated, I clicked and donated right away. It’s absolutely vital that exonerees have a safety net when they’re released, and while I don’t have much money, I believe that every little bit counts.