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Nine years of freedom for Atlanta man
Posted: June 16, 2008 3:54 pm
Nine years ago, Calvin Johnson was freed from a Georgia prison after serving more than 15 years for a crime he didn’t commit. Today, he has a wife and daughter, he serves on the boards of the Innocence Project and the Georgia Innocence Project, he has published a memoir, “Exit to Freedom,” and he works as a supervisor for the Metropolitan Atlanta Rapid Transit Authority. Last year he received the Innocence Project’s first Freedom & Justice Award, and spoke at the ceremony about the suffering he endured while wrongfully incarcerated and the slow process of rebuilding a life after release. Watch his speech here.
Today, Johnson says he is proud to be a leader in the innocence movement and a mentor to newly released exonerees. But he also wants to see more states – including his own – pass laws to support exonerees as they face the hard road of building a new life after years, or decades, away from society. While three states (Connecticut, Florida and Utah) have enacted new compensation laws in the last two months, Johnson’s home state of Georgia is still one of the 25 states without a law compensating the exonerated upon their release. And among the 25 states with compensation laws, many are woefully outdated and inadequate.
Other exoneration anniversaries this week:
Sunday: Jerry Townsend, Florida (Served 21.5 years, Exonerated 6/15/01)
Tuesday: Kenneth Wyniemko, Michigan (Served 8.5 Years, Exonerated 6/17/03)
Friday: Kevin Green, California (Served 15.5 years, Exonerated 6/20/96)
Saturday: James Giles, Texas (Served 10 years, Exonerated 6/21/07)
Armand Villasana, Missouri (Served 7 months, Exonerated 6/21/00)
Tags: James Giles, Kevin Green, Calvin Johnson, Armand Villasana, Kenneth Wyniemko
Exonerees Who Served in the Military Observe Memorial Day 2012
Posted: May 25, 2012 12:35 pm
Photo (clockwise from top left): Larry Fuller, Kevin Green, Dennis Maher and Brandon Moon
Before their wrongful convictions, many of the DNA exonerees served in the U.S. armed forces. Former Marine Kevin Green, who was exonerated through DNA in 1996, will participate in his local Memorial Day ceremonies in Jefferson City, Missouri. He says, “Memorial Day is to honor those who served and gave their lives to protect our freedoms. Because of them, we must realize that freedom is not free. We work to protect it every day.”
Former Army Sergeant Dennis Maher, exonerated through DNA testing in 2003, says “Because of my wrongful conviction, I missed the opportunity to serve my country because I was going to be a career soldier. I think about that on Memorial Day.” Maher served almost six years on active duty before he was wrongfully convicted in 1984.
Like many other exonerees, Green and Maher still work to protect individual freedoms and civil liberties by speaking publicly about their wrongful convictions and advocating for criminal justice reforms.
Tags: Larry Fuller, Kevin Green, Dennis Maher, Brandon Moon