My name is Esaw Snipes Garner. I am the widow of Eric Garner who was killed by the police in Staten Island on July 17, 2014 and I’m writing to offer you a unique opportunity to further support the Innocence Project.
For the past few years I have been involved in the making of a film about the trial that should have followed my husband’s death. The film is called American Trial: The Eric Garner Story, an unscripted courtroom drama that uses real lawyers and the actual witnesses who would have testified in court, had the case against the police officers who killed my husband been prosecuted.
The film premiered at the 57th annual New York Film Festival last October. It was a very emotional experience for me and my family, but I think the filmmaker did a great job, and I’m glad I had a chance to feel the love of the audience and get some sense of catharsis from watching what justice might have looked like for my husband.
With the COVID-19 pandemic and the closure of all movie theaters, we won’t have a chance to debut this film in theaters, so we’re releasing it to virtual theaters and are partnering with social justice organizations across the country to help us reach as wide an audience as possible.
As audience members, you will also get a seat on the virtual jury to vote on the trial's verdict, and join a livestream Q&A with the film's director, CBS's Michelle Miller and myself on May 21.
The Innocence Project exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. www.innocenceproject.org
