Thanks to the efforts of this community, Ron is free to continue to fight for justice outside of prison.

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John —

For the last 30 years, Ron Jacobsen has been incarcerated for a crime that DNA evidence proved he didn’t commit.

On Tuesday, Ron was released on bail after more than 1,300 of you donated to his family’s effort to bail him out. The overwhelming support of this community helped raise the $55,000 non-refundable fee to pay a bondsman, and yesterday, Ron arrived to his hometown of New York.
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Ron Jacobsen (second from right) returns to his hometown of New York City for the first time in 30 years on Nov. 4, 2020. Mr. Jacobsen was released on bail on Nov. 3, after DNA evidence proved his innocence in 2019. His lawyer Vanessa Potkin (second from left) met him at Pennsylvania Station. (Image: Daniele Selby/Innocence Project)
People like you helped make this happen, and Ron and his family have told us how grateful they are for your support. When Ron heard the news he said, “I'm overwhelmed by the outpouring of help to a total stranger from so many people. This reassures my faith in human beings.”

Read more about Ron’s story, and then share this good news with your family and friends on social media. ([link removed])

In the winter of 1990, Ron was arrested for the kidnapping and rape of a Georgia woman even though he was close to 200 miles away in Tennessee with his fiancée and her family at the time of the crime.

Though DNA testing, secured by the Innocence Project along with the Georgia Innocence Project, excluded Ron as the attacker in 2017, it took another two years for his conviction to be overturned. And in 2019, rather than dismiss the charges, the Newton County District Attorney’s Office announced it would re-try Ron and oppose his release on bail while awaiting a new trial.

They instead offered him a plea deal — he could receive time served and be able to go home if he pled guilty.

But Ron was determined to prove his innocence, so he refused to admit to a crime he did not commit, even though he knew it would mean spending more time incarcerated. “I have to see my case through to the end, either by a jury finding me not guilty, or the charges being dropped. There's no other solution when I'm innocent."

More than 90% of cases end with a guilty plea. Many people plead guilty to crimes they didn’t commit because they can’t afford bail, and would otherwise be incarcerated for months or even years awaiting trial.

Thanks to the effort of this community, Ron is free and has the chance to fight for justice outside of prison.

If you have a moment, please share this positive news with your friends and family. ([link removed])

We’re so thankful for all of your support.

— The Innocence Project Team
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