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John,
On June 19, 1865, Union soldiers finally made it to Galveston, Texas to inform approximately 250,000 enslaved Black people that the Civil War was over and they were finally free.
Nearly 160 years following what is now known as Juneteenth, we continue to see freedom delayed for wrongfully convicted people trapped by our broken criminal legal system that still bears the legacy of slavery, as in the case of our client, Morton Johnson, in Pennsylvania.
Please take some time today to learn more about Morton, his cousin Sam Grasty, and their friend Derrick Chappell — three wrongfully convicted Black men who were dubbed the “Chester Trio” by local media.
Samuel Grasty, Derrick Chappell, and Morton Johnson (Image: Courtesy of the families)
Morton, Sam, and Derrick have already spent more than half their lives in prison for the 1997 murder of 70-year-old Henrietta Nickens. They were all wrongfully convicted despite DNA evidence excluding them even before their trials even began.
But in March, Morton’s murder conviction was vacated by Delaware County Common Pleas Judge Mary Alice Brennan. Yet despite her ruling that the conviction is no longer valid, Morton remains in prison awaiting freedom as Delaware County District Attorney Jack Stollsteimer announced that he would appeal Judge Brennan’s decision.
Innocence Project’s special advisor on race and wrongful conviction Ngozi Ndulue believes that this case represents “a striking example” of the ways the criminal legal system “allows and justifies” delays in liberation — particularly for Black people.
“We’re seeing Delaware County having an opportunity to act now with Morton Johnson, who could be out and free, and instead, he’s still behind bars despite the fact that his conviction has been vacated. This question is really, when we have this clear miscarriage of justice, how quickly are we going to act to remedy it, and what is lost in the intervening years?” Ngozi said.
Read more about Morton’s case, and share his story on social media to help raise awareness about the injustice he, Sam, and Derrick are facing.
Thank you so much for your support,
— The Innocence Project Team
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