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What’s going on at the Innocence Project this May
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Stanley Orson Mozee, (left) represented by the Innocence Project, with his daughter, LaTonya Mozee, (second from left) and Dennis Lee Allen, (right) represented by the Innocence Project of Texas, with his grandmother, Opealean Smith, (second from right), celebrate their freedom after Judge Mark Stoltz overturned their convictions on Tuesday, Oct. 28, 2014. (Image: Lara Solt)
Prosecutor Whose Misconduct Cost Two Innocent People 30 Years of Freedom Has Been Disbarred
In 2000, Richard “Rick” Jackson, then a Dallas County assistant district attorney, withheld evidence from two innocent men on trial for murder: Dennis Allen and Stanley Mozee. Both men were sentenced to life in prison and spent 15 years incarcerated for a crime they didn’t commit. When Dennis Allen learned that the former prosecutor had been disbarred, he said that he felt “fabulous” about “this huge step in the right direction towards justice.”
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Pervis Payne in Riverbend Maximum Security institution in Tennessee. (Image: Courtesy of PervisPayne.Org)
Pervis Payne May Have a Chance to Present His Intellectual Disability Claim in Court
Tennessee recently passed bipartisan legislation to create a process for people with intellectual disabilities on death row to present their disability claim in court. It is unconstitutional to execute people with intellectual disabilities and Pervis Payne’s attorneys have since filed a petition under the new procedure in Shelby County Criminal Court to present his claim and stop his wrongful execution.
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A mural of George Floyd in Minneapolis, Minnesota. (Image: Fibonacci Blue/Flickr)
George Floyd’s Murder Reinforces the Need to Continue the Fight for Equity and Justice in the Criminal Legal System
On the anniversary of George Floyd’s death, Innocence Project Executive Director Christina Swarns reflected on his murder, the movement it energized, and what that means for the future of the organization and its work.
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Yusef Salaam, one of the Exonerated Five, arriving to court. (Image: New York Daily News Archive)
Five Facts About Police Deception and Youth You Should Know
When people are brought in for questioning by police, they are expected to tell the truth. Most people would assume that goes both ways — but the reality is that the police are legally allowed to lie to you during an interrogation, and it is not uncommon for them to do so. And young people are especially vulnerable to these deceptive tactics.
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Multiply Your Impact for Justice
The Innocence Project represents innocent clients for an average of seven years before they’re freed. This is why having a steady stream of support is so important to our work. Will you become a monthly donor today and help free innocent people from prison? Thanks to Innocence Ambassador Tony Goldwyn, your first three monthly donations will be matched dollar-for-dollar. (We'll also send you your choice of a special pin as our thanks to you!)
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Exonerations Around the U.S.
WMU-Cooley Law School Innocence Project client Gilbert Poole was exonerated on May 26, 2021 after 32 years in prison.
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