Jan. 7, 2009: Larry Swearingen speaks from the death row facility in Livingston, Texas. Photo by AP Photo/Mike Graczyk.
“Larry was a person, and Larry’s life had value.”
Max Gallo, Paralegal
Last week, our client Larry Swearingen was executed by Texas after being denied a stay by the U.S. Supreme Court. His Innocence Project attorney, Bryce Benjet, represented him for seven years alongside his longtime attorneys Philip Hilder and James Rytting, a team of paralegals, and Cardozo Law School clinic students who grew close to him through phone calls and letters.
Larry's final words were a gesture of forgiveness to the state officials who took his life: “Lord forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing.”
While in prison, Larry liked to draw, play chess and listen to the Houston Symphony Orchestra on the radio. He wrote holiday cards to prison staff every year, and maintained both a resilient sense of humor and a faith that his innocence would eventually be recognized. Join us in remembering Larry.
Archie Williams alongside his sister following his exoneration in March 2019, after surviving 36 years in Angola prison. Photo by Innocence Project New Orleans.
“Having that train pass gave me a profound sense of freedom.”
Archie Williams, Exonerated 2019
This month we are raising money for the Exoneree Fund to support basic resources for our clients like food, housing, and transportation after their release from prison. Consider supporting the fund that played an invaluable role in helping Archie Williams, Belynda Goff, and others as they transitioned home.
Rodney Reed has maintained his innocence on death row in Texas for more than 20 years. Photo courtesy of the Reed family.
“It simply makes no sense that the state would attempt to execute a person without conducting this basic forensic investigation.”
Bryce Benjet, Senior Staff Attorney
On August 8, lawyers for Rodney Reed, who has maintained his innocence for more than 20 years on death row, filed a federal civil rights suit against Texas after Rodney's request for DNA testing in his conviction for the murder of Stacey Stites has been repeatedly denied. This filing comes on the heels of the district attorney's request to schedule Rodney's execution for November 20, 2019. The filing demonstrates that the denial of DNA testing violates Rodney's constitutional rights.
"Even well-trained, well-intentioned forensic scientists are not immune to confirmation bias."
Glinda Cooper and Vanessa Meterko, Innocence Project Department of Science and Research
Can confirmation bias affect the evaluation of forensic evidence? If so, are there ways to reduce its impact in casework? Those are the questions Innocence Project staff members Glinda Cooper, director of science and research, and Vanessa Meterko, research analyst, set out to answer in in “Cognitive bias research in forensic science: A systematic review.”
To develop this article, the Innocence Project gathered all known studies about confirmation bias in forensic science. In total, this includes 29 studies covering 14 different forensic disciplines such as fingerprint analysis, handwriting analysis, and more. The conclusion? Even well-trained, well-intentioned forensic scientists are not immune to confirmation bias, which can lead to inaccurate analyses.
