Innocence Project

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Innocence Project

Fix the System

In 2009, thousands of men will be falsely accused of murder, rape, and domestic violence. Many of those unfortunate men will have to spend their entire life savings to prove they are innocent, while the ones that do not have the money for a good lawyer will wind up in prison for a crime they did not commit. Will this happen to you, your son? Men and only men are “guilty until proven innocent ” in today’s society. I believe 4 decades of demonizing men is a factor in wrongful convictions.

We are fortunate to have an organization like the Innocence Project. Founded in 1992 by Barry C. Scheck and Peter J. Neufeld at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at Yeshiva University to assist prisoners who could be proven innocent through DNA testing. To date, DNA testing, including 17 who served time on death row has exonerated 226 people in the United States. These people served an average of 12 years in prison before exoneration and release.

The Innocence Project is not only working to free innocent people, they are also working to reform the criminal justice system to prevent further injustice. I have to wonder how many innocent people have been put to death. Please visit their web site and read the success stories, put yourself in their shoes, it’s a scary thought and I’m sure those people never thought it would happen to them.

The Innocence Project needs donations to continue and I am asking you to please take the cost of one case of beer and donate that every month. All gifts in December will be matched dollar for dollar by a group of Innocence Project donors. They have a section on ten things anyone can do to help and spread the word about wrongful convictions.

These are just a few examples of the outstanding work being done by the Innocence Project.

Dean Cage was exonerated by DNA testing in Chicago after spending 12 years in prison for a rape he didn’t commit.

Michael Blair was convicted and sentenced to death in Texas based on improper forensic testimony and several eyewitness misidentifications. He served nearly 14 years on Texas death row for a murder he didn’t commit.

William Dillon served 26 years in a Florida prison before DNA testing led to his release. He was convicted based on an eyewitness misidentification, testimony from a jailhouse snitch and unreliable testimony of a police dog handler.

Nathaniel Hatchett was 17 years old when he was arrested for a carjacking and rape he didn’t commit. He served 10 years in Michigan before he was cleared.

Charles Chatman served 27 years in Texas prison for a rape he didn’t commit before DNA testing secured by the Innocence Project of Texas set him free.

In 2009 Kennedy Brewer marked the first anniversary of his exoneration. He was wrongfully convicted of the 1992 rape and murder of his girlfriend's three-year-old daughter. Kennedy spent 15 years in prison, including seven years on death row and another eight years awaiting trial. I'm happy to report that he's thriving this year, enjoys his full-time job with benefits, and is engaged to be married.

This November will mark the first anniversary of freedom for Steve Barnes, who speaks frequently to audiences about his ordeal and the problem of wrongful convictions nationwide. Steve also appeared before a congressional committee in support of reforms that can prevent future injustice.

Kennedy and Steve spent most of their adult lives in prison for crimes they didn't commit. But thanks to the generous support of people like you, The Innocence Project was able to pay for the DNA testing that exonerated them. Who will be freed next?