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Here’s what’s been going on at the Innocence Project this month.
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Robert Roberson with his daughter Nikki before she passed away. (Image courtesy of the Roberson family)
What to Know about Robert Roberson on Texas Death Row for a Crime that Never Occurred
In 2002, Robert Roberson’s two-year-old, chronically ill daughter, Nikki, was sick with a high fever when she suffered a short fall from bed. She died in the hospital from a combination of undiagnosed pneumonia, the impact of respiratory-suppressing medications that she had been prescribed, and the accidental fall. Medical staff did not know that Robert had autism and judged his response to his daughter’s death as lacking emotion. Robert was prosecuted, convicted, and sentenced to death under the now-discredited Shaken Baby Syndrome — and he’s been fighting to prove his innocence ever since. Take a moment right now to read more about Robert’s case and then share his story with your friends and family online.
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Innocence Project client Perry Lott exonerated on Oct. 10, 2023 in Ada, Oklahoma (Image: September Bottoms/Innocence Project)
Perry Lott is Exonerated After 35 Years of Wrongful Conviction in Ada, Oklahoma
Perry Lott was exonerated in Ada, Oklahoma, after 35 years of wrongful conviction and 30 years of incarceration. Perry, who is Black, was wrongly charged of a 1987 burglary and rape of a white woman who was getting home from her shift at a restaurant. He was convicted despite not matching the physical description of the perpetrator and with no physical evidence connecting him to the crime. The State’s case rested entirely on the survivor’s identification of Perry, which was based on a suggestive police lineup. Eyewitness misidentification is the leading contributing factor of wrongful convictions, and cross-racial identification is particularly challenging. “I have never lost hope that this day would come,” said Perry. “I had faith that the truth would prevail — even after 35 long years. Please take a moment right now to read more about Perry’s story and share the news of his exoneration online. If you’d like to help support Perry after wrongful conviction, you can visit his personal fundraising page.
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 From left to right: Christa Alexander, Shabel Castro, and Kaila
Johnson (Image: Lo Harris/Innocence Project)
Introducing This Year’s Foderaro Post-Conviction Litigation Fellows
The Foderaro Post-Conviction Litigation Fellowship program provides a unique and previously non-existent pathway for new attorneys to do post-conviction litigation work at the Innocence Project. This year’s class of fellows includes Christa Alexander, Shabel Castro, and Kaila Johnson — all of whom bring brilliant academic credentials and a deep commitment to criminal and racial justice. Take a moment to get to know the latest class of fellows now.
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 Brenda Cachay Gutiérrez, a paralegal, and Kanani Schnider, another paralegal, and Vanessa Potkin, the director of special litigation, will run in the hopes of spotlighting their clients’ long and unjust wrongful incarceration. (Image: Innocence Project)
“I’m running the New York City Marathon in honor of Jabar Walker— one mile for every year of liberty he’s lost”
On Nov. 5, over 50,000 runners will take to the streets of New York for a 26.2-mile journey as a part of the TCS New York City Marathon. This year, Vanessa Potkin, the Innocence Project’s director of special litigation, and paralegals Brenda Cachay Gutiérrez and Kanani Schnider will run in the hopes of spotlighting their clients’ long and unjust wrongful incarceration. Please, learn more about the Innocence Project marathon runners, why they’re running, and how you can support them in reaching their fundraising goals for the race.
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 (Image: Thomas Hawk/Flickr)
Shaping the Future of Forensic Science: Your Voice, Our Guide
Did you know that the misapplication of forensic science is a leading cause of wrongful convictions? That’s right, it was a contributing cause in 52% of cases involving Innocence Project clients who were later exonerated. If we want to end wrongful convictions and build a more just system, forensic science standardization is one way to tackle the problem. That’s why the Innocence Project has created the Handbook for the Forensic Standards Development Commenting Process to assist individuals and communities in providing commentary on key standards that can help create a more fair, just, and equitable criminal legal system. Learn more about how the misapplication of forensic science has led to so many wrongful convictions and how we can
work together to stop it.
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2023 Just Data Conference: Nov. 9
Join the Innocence Project on Nov. 9 for our second annual virtual conference dedicated to elevating social science, highlighting the expertise of exonerees, and promoting practical research to advance the innocence movement. Please join us for an educational and exciting day — RSVP to save your spot.
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Exonerations Around the U.S.
Exoneration Project client Patrick Taylor was exonerated on Oct. 11, 2023, after serving 16 years wrongfully incarcerated; Great North Innocence Project client Cassandra Black Elk was exonerated on Oct. 20, 2023, after serving one year wrongfully incarcerated.
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