John,
This is a moment to give thanks and celebrate. For us to give thanks to the nearly 20,000 Dream.Org members who took a moment out of their day to sign a petition to right an injustice. And a time to celebrate because today, just moments ago, that injustice has, indeed, been made right. C.J. Rice is a free man!
Donate to C.J.’s GoFundMe to help him rebuild his life.
C.J. Rice was a young man of 17 when he was convicted of a crime he did not commit1. He was given a 30-60 year prison sentence and to date has spent 11+ agonizing years behind bars. But today he has finally been released from prison and declared innocent!
Last November, a US District judge ruled that Rice had received ineffective counsel during his trial in 2013 and ordered the Philadelphia District Attorney to either retry him or set him free2. The judge gave the DA 180 days to make their decision. Since then, Rice, the Tappers, Dream.Org, petition signers and all those who knew of this injustice have been waiting for the DA to do the right thing, and today they have.
C.J. is free and innocent!
But earning his freedom and innocence is unfortunately not the end of C.J.’s battle. They are actually just the first few steps he has made to reclaim the life he lost and build the future he deserves — one of peace, success, prosperity and loving relationships.
The realities of living in America don’t end when the government admits fault and corrects an injustice. Take C.J.'s case, for instance. Despite being wrongfully imprisoned for over a decade, his journey towards rebuilding his life is just beginning. He's missed out on years of education and now faces the daunting task of finding stable employment, securing transportation, affording and furnishing a home, and financing his aspirations to become a paralegal. That’s where you come in. You can help make his transition from incarceration to freedom less stressful by donating to his GoFundMe.
Thank you for standing with us to fight the good fight. Now take a second more to donate to his “freedom fund.” To make his reintegration into society as smooth as possible.
In solidarity,
— Dream.Org
1: This is Not Justice by Jake Tapper for The Atlantic
2:C.J. Rice Conviction Overturned by Jake Tapper
