Innocence Project

Music was a lifeline for Huwe Burton and rapper Brian “Saigon” Carenard, who met during the 19 years Huwe spent wrongfully incarcerated for his mother’s murder. It allowed them to have a sense of creativity, discipline, and purpose while in prison. Since being freed, Huwe and Saigon continue to collaborate on music that reflects their shared experiences. Listen to Huwe and Saigon discuss their music and friendship. https://lnkd.in/ewqynMT4

A Philadelphia judge vacated the #wrongfulconvictions of Jermal Shuler, Marc Brittingham, and Rasheed Turner on Tuesday afternoon. The three men were convicted based on a single unreliable eyewitness and flawed forensic testimony and spent 28 years in prison for a murder they did not commit. They were represented by attorneys at the Innocence Project, the Exoneration Project, the The Pennsylvania Innocence Project (PaIP), and DLA Piper. https://bit.ly/49xIX22

Earlier this week, a Philadelphia judge dismissed the #wrongfulconvictions of three men who spent nearly three decades in prison for a crime they did not commit. Jermal Shuler, Marc Brittingham, and Rasheed Turner were wrongfully convicted for a 1997 murder based on flawed forensic testimony. "I was 18 when I came in. I'm 46 going out," Jermal said. The three men were represented by attorneys at the Innocence Project, the Exoneration Project, The Pennsylvania Innocence Project (PaIP), and DLA Piper. https://bit.ly/4dPmsqy

Time’s running out to win tickets to see Adrien Brody and Tessa Thompson in “The Fear of 13” on Broadway! The winner gets two tickets to see the play and round-trip airfare or ground transportation to New York City for you and a guest plus a backstage tour, a signed Playbill from the cast, and exclusive merchandise! Our sweepstakes closes on Monday, June 1. https://bit.ly/4tY3jsn

This week, in a 5-4 decision, SCOTUS found that Terry Pitchford, a Black man sentenced to death in Mississippi, was denied a fair trial. The trial court failed to properly apply Batson v. Kentucky, a landmark ruling that bars race-based jury strikes. Prosecutors removed 80% of Black potential jurors leaving him to face a jury of 11 white people and just one Black person. This case was overseen by now-retired prosecutor Doug Evans, who also oversaw the racially biased jury selection in the 2019 overturned conviction of Curtis Flowers. Last month, we wrote about how Batson’s 40-year-old promise remains unfulfilled. Read more and join the fight against racially biased jury selection: https://bit.ly/3PTaUuv

Exciting news! We won a #TellyAward.. Our short film, “What I Didn’t Know” won Gold in the social video category. The film takes a look at the challenges of life after wrongful conviction and incarceration — and the strength it takes to heal and rebuild. Watch our award-winning work. https://bit.ly/4fN0VRT

Exciting news! We won a #TellyAward! We won Silver in the online-social impact category for “Stories of Freedom: A Community Archive of Freed and Exonerated Voices,” published in partnership with the Mellon Foundation, RWJF, and StoryCorps Studios. Listen to the award-winning work. https://bit.ly/40H24lq

BREAKING: A Philadelphia judge vacated the #wrongfulconvictions of Jermal Shuler, Marc Brittingham, and Rasheed Turner in a 1997 murder. The three men had always maintained their innocence and were convicted based on flawed forensic testimony and the unreliable testimony of a single eyewitness. They spent 28 years in prison for a crime they did not commit. The three men were represented by attorneys at the Innocence Project, the Exoneration Project, The Pennsylvania Innocence Project (PaIP), and DLA Piper. Read more: https://lnkd.in/eQUUNcff

A titan of the civil rights movement, Dr. Clarence B. Jones, has passed away at 95. Dr. Jones was an attorney, strategic advisor, and draft speechwriter to Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. from 1960 until Dr. King's assassination in 1968. He helped draft the historic "I Have a Dream" speech, smuggled the "Letter from Birmingham Jail" out of an Alabama cell, and represented Dr. King and the SCLC in the landmark First Amendment case New York Times v. Sullivan. In 2024, President Biden awarded him the Presidential Medal of Freedom. Our team is grateful to have had the chance to meet this incredible champion of justice in 2022 after receiving The Communications Network Clarence B. Jones Impact Award for our digital advocacy campaign to stop Pervis Payne’s execution. The award connected our work to a lineage of advocacy that reshaped this country. We are grateful beyond words for his life and legacy, and we recommit ourselves to the work he gave his to. Rest in power, Dr. Jones. https://bit.ly/4frL7nJ

Tennessee plans to execute #TonyCarruthers tomorrow for a crime in which Tony has always maintained his innocence. He has spent 30 years on death row, and the state has refused to test DNA evidence in his case that could prove his innocence claim. The Innocence Project urges clemency for Tony before Tennessee carries out an irreversible injustice. https://bit.ly/42J8Qbp