Felipe Rodriguez was exonerated yesterday after 30 years. Here’s how to help free more innocent people in 2020 and beyond.
Final stretch for 2019
John,
Yesterday morning, I had the pleasure of joining my client Felipe Rodriguez in court to witness his exoneration. I was overjoyed to see the Queens courtroom filled with family and friends who came out to support Felipe, who is now finally, as he said, “completely free” after 30 years. It was a wonderful way to end 2019.
With less than a day until 2020 begins, I’m thinking about the new year and the 200 clients we represent at any given time, all of whom are desperately fighting for their chance to be free. From assessing thousands of letters asking for help, to reforming laws and policies across the country, to helping exonerate innocent people — the work we do is only possible because of the support we receive from people like you.
Felipe Rodriguez, center, moments after his exoneration on Monday with his attorneys Nina Morrison of the Innocence Project and Zachary Margulis-Ohnuma. Photo credit: Sameer Abdel-Khalek.
Over the past 15 years at the Innocence Project, I’ve represented hundreds of clients in their fight for freedom. Each of these clients has not only made an indelible impact on my professional and personal life, but their cases have also helped transform the criminal justice system.
However, we know that innocent people are still being wrongfully convicted and until that ends, the Innocence Project will continue to fight for a more accurate and fair criminal justice system for all.
Started in 1992 as a legal clinic at Cardozo School of Law, the Innocence Project is now an independent nonprofit, affiliated with Cardozo, that exonerates the wrongly convicted through DNA testing and reforms the criminal justice system to prevent future injustice. www.innocenceproject.org
