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Here’s what happened at the Innocence Project in April.
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Melissa Lucio Appeals to Texas Pardons Board and Governor for Clemency
This week, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals issued a stay of execution for Melissa Lucio and ordered the 138th Judicial District Court of Cameron Country to consider new evidence of her innocence in the death of her daughter, Mariah. We want to thank everyone who called, shared Melissa’s story on social media, or signed the petition. You all played a huge role in stopping her execution, and we are forever grateful for this community — but the fight isn’t over. Take the next step and send Melissa a message to let her know that we aren’t done fighting for her.
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Supreme Court to Hear Rodney Reed’s Case Regarding DNA Testing
In April, the Supreme Court agreed to hear arguments on Rodney Reed’s petition challenging the constitutionality of the Texas DNA testing statute. Rodney, who is Black, has maintained his innocence for over 20 years after being convicted by an all-white jury for the murder of Stacey Stites, a white woman with whom he was romantically involved. Thus far, the Texas court system has refused to allow key evidence from the crime scene to be DNA tested. Now, the next steps in the case will be decided by the Supreme Court. Take a moment to read more about Rodney’s story and the next moves in his case.
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John Oliver Is “Maddened” That It’s Legal for Police to Lie to Suspects During Interrogations
On a recent episode of Last Week Tonight, host John Oliver turned his focus to police interrogations. Since 1989, over 3,000 innocent people have been exonerated in the U.S, and at least 10% falsely confessed to crimes they did not commit, including Innocence Project client Christopher Tapp, who was featured on the show. The episode dove into coercive interrogation methods employed by law enforcement, including the fact they are legally allowed to lie to suspects about the presence of evidence that doesn’t exist in order to compel a confession. Watch and share the full episode here.
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Barry Jacobson’s Conviction Is Vacated Due to Antisemitism in Trial
In Massachusetts, Berkshire County District Attorney Andrea Harrington agreed that Barry Jacobson was wrongfully convicted of arson in a biased 1983 trial, during which jurors made antisemitic remarks about Barry, who is Jewish. Barry spent more than a month in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, based on unreliable arson evidence and a baseless claim that he was looking to make insurance money on the home — although no claim was ever filed. Learn more about Barry’s case and then share his story.
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Innocence Project Wins First-Ever Webby for Public Service & Activism
The Innocence Project won its first-ever Webby Award in the Public Service & Activism category this week for its recent “Happiest Moments” campaign. Happiest Moments,” produced in both English and Spanish and narrated by actress Dascha Polanco, tells three remarkable stories of wrongful conviction — Rosa Jimenez, freed in 2021 after 17 years in prison; Termaine Hicks, exonerated in 2020 after 19 years in prison; and Huwe Burton, exonerated in 2019 after 20 years in prison. Be sure to watch the video here and share the exciting news about the Innocence Project’s win.
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Exonerations Around the U.S.
Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project client Michael Haas was exonerated on April 19, 2022 after having served 23 years wrongfully incarcerated; Innocence Delaware client Mark Purnell was exonerated on April 28, 2022 after having served 16 years wrongfully incarcerated.
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