NEWS and information

Witness to Innocence and its members have received considerable media attention. Read more about the powerful voice of exonerated death row survivors, chronicled across the country by various media outlets.

David Love to speak on SiriusXM's Make It PLain

February 09, 2012

David A. Love, Executive Director of Witness to Innocence will be discussing the Reggie Clemons case on Mark Thompson's show, "Make It Plain", Chanel 127, at 8pm (2/9/12) on the SiriusXM Left.

David Love to speak on the Pulse Morning Show

February 07, 2012

David A. Love, Executive Director of Witness to Innocence will be discussing the North Carolina Racial Justice Act and the current case of Marcus Robinson tomorrow morning (February 8, 2012) on the Pulse Morning Show at 8:05 AM (Eastern time).
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Dr. King's Stance Against the Death Penalty

January 16, 2012

As the U.S. observes the eighty-third birthday of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., this is a perfect time to reflect on the slain civil rights leader, Nobel laureate and death penalty opponent.
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Illinois State Police settles wrongful conviction suit with Randy Steidl

December 01, 2011

Today, the Illinois State Police agreed to pay $2.5 million to settle a lawsuit filed by Randy Steidl, a former death row inmate, and a member of Witness to Innocence's board of directors. Randy Steidl spent 17 years in Illinois prisons, including 12 on death row, before his exoneration in 2004. He was wrongly convicted and sentenced to die for the 1986 murders of Dyke and Karen Rhoads before an Illinois State Police investigation in 2000 found that local police had severely botched their investigation.
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VOA News: Death Row Exonerated Seek End to Death Penalty in US

November 21, 2011

Voice of America's coverage of Witness to Innocence's Texas Freedom Ride.
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WTI Exonerated Death Row Members and Staff Part of National Premier of Werner Herzog's "Into the Abyss"

November 17, 2011

Ray Krone, Shujaa Graham, and Kirk Bloodsworth will be leading discussions at special showings of Werner Herzog's new documentary, "Into the Abyss" on Friday, November 18, in Philadelphia and Washington, DC.

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Death Penalty and the #OccupyWallStreet

November 11, 2011

Quinnipiac Listens to Death Row Survivor

November 11, 2011

Juan Melendez spent 17 years, 8 months and one day on Florida's Death Row for a crime he did not commit. On Tuesday night, Melendez came to speak to Quinnipiac about his experience to an overcrowded Buckman Theatre.
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27 Wrongfully Convicted Urge Texas Gov. Perry to Allow DNA Test for Hank Skinner

November 04, 2011

In a letter to Texas Governor Rick Perry, 27 exonerated ex-death row survivors—all members of the group Witness to Innocence— urged the governor to halt the execution of Hank Skinner and allow for DNA testing in his case. Skinner, who was sentenced to death for a 1995 triple murder, has a scheduled execution date of November 9.
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Announcing David Love as the New Executive Director

October 31, 2011

Our Board of Directors has hired David Love as the new Executive Director of Witness to Innocence! David was introduced to the WTI members at our national Gathering that was recently held in Austin, TX from October 20-23, 2011. Now, we’d like to introduce him to all of you. David will officially take the helm of WTI on November 1, 2011.
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Coverage of Texas Freedom Ride and the Annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty

October 31, 2011

Exonerated Death Row survivors from seven took their powerful message against the death penalty across Texas from October 12th through 19th. They also led the 12th Annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty in Austin, TX on October 22, 2011.

Exonerated Death Row Survivors, Family Members, and Supporters Gather in Austin, TX

October 30, 2011

Twenty exonerated death row survivors came from cities, towns, and farms across the United States and assembled in Austin, Texas from October 19th -23rd for the Witness to Innocence (WTI) 2011 Fall Gathering of members. The 20 exonerated death row survivors were joined by 14 family members/loved ones and 11 allies.
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Texas Must Test DNA Before Carrying Out Skinner Execution

October 28, 2011

Test the DNA. That is the simple request of Hank Skinner to Texas officials before they carry out his execution, which is scheduled for November 9.
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Exoneree to advocate nationally against prosecutorial misconduct

October 27, 2011

A New Orleans man who narrowly escaped a death sentence for a murder he didn't commit will join a nationwide tour aimed at halting the prosecutorial misconduct that almost took his life.
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1st death row inmate exonerated by DNA to speak at UM

October 11, 2011

Kirk Bloodsworth addresses the public Tuesday from 7 to 8:30 p.m. in Room 101 of the University of Montana School of Law.

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Former death row inmate urges Gwynedd-Mercy students to fight for social justice (video)

September 29, 2011

Shujaa Graham, former death row inmate urges Gwynedd-Mercy students to fight for social justice.
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Dead Man Walks

September 28, 2011

With the death penalty in the national spotlight, one freed inmate remembers his time on death row.
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Speakers bring personal touch to death penalty presentation

September 25, 2011

Delbert Tibbs, death row survivor and WTI's Assistant Director of Communications, is traveling through out Montana this week. "Tibbs said that nations, like individuals, have souls. He said he has dedicated himself to opposing the death penalty because he wants to 'save this country’s soul.'"
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Texas Witness to Innocence Freedom Ride

August 07, 2011

Exonerated Death Row survivors from seven states will be taking their powerful message against the death penalty across Texas from October 12th through 19th. They will also be rallying support for the 12th Annual March to Abolish the Death Penalty in Austin, TX on October 22.

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Juan Melendez discusses injustice of capital punishment

October 11, 2011

Georgia Killed Troy Davis

September 20, 2011

Last night, the state of Georgia executed Troy Anthony Davis despite the lack of physical evidence linking him to the murder for which he was convicted, recantations by seven of nine eyewitnesses, and a global campaign of more than one million people.
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Witness to Innocence has moved to a new office!

September 15, 2011

Witness to Innocence recently moved to a new office at the Friends Center in downtown Philadelphia.
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WTI Exonerees Call on Georgia to Stop Troy Davis' Execution

September 09, 2011

Georgia corrections officials have set a September 21 date for the execution of Troy Anthony Davis. Twenty-six members of Witness to Innocence, all exonerated death row survivors, have signed a letter (SEE below) calling on the Georgia State Board of Pardons & Paroles to stop the execution of Troy Davis. WTI Board members Gary Drinkard and Shujaa Graham delivered the letter to Georgia officials on Thursday, September 15th. They also represented WTI at a Rally for Troy Davis at the Ebenezer Baptist Church in Atlanta.
Exoneree Letter for Troy Davis

West Memphis Three are Freed

August 19, 2011

Three men known as the "West Memphis Three" were freed from behind bars on Friday. Damien Echols survived 18 years on death row while Jason Baldwin and Jessie Misskelley Jr. were serving life sentences for a crime they did not commit. According to the New York Times, "The lawyers for the men said they would continue to pursue full exoneration."
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Missouri: Former death row inmate ordered freed

August 07, 2011

Reginald Griffin had originally been sentenced to death for stabling another inmate to death at the Moberly prison in 1983. In 1993 he was re-sentenced to life without parole for 50 years. In a 4-3 ruling handed down August 2 the high court agreed that the prosecutor had withheld evidence that could have proven Griffin’s innocence.
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Witness to Innocence- A Documentary by Brian Bullock

July 20, 2011

Brian Bullock of Bundy Films, LLC created a short film featuring the stories of Witness to Innocence members Sabrina Porter, Jeremy Sheets and Dan Bright. The documentary was recently selected as a finalist in the Clifton Film Festival.
WATCH VIDEO

The Justin Wolfe Case: We Await His Full Exoneration

July 18, 2011

WTI Assistant Director for Communications and Training Ron Keine covers the story of Justin Wolfe. Justin's murder conviction and death sentence were overturned on July 12, 2011. He has been behind bars in Virginia for over a decade.
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Randy Steild appears on Tavis Smiley

July 11, 2011

WTI board member and exonerated death row survivor Randy Steidl was recently featured on PBS's Tavis Smiley along with Rev. Jesse Jackson, Sr. and three other wrongfully convicted individuals.
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Reason Magazine features article about Paul House

July 07, 2011

Reason Magazine published an article for their July issue on the topic of wrongful convictions. The piece, written by Radley Balko, focuses on the story of Witness to Innocence member Paul House.
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New York Times Features Editorial about John Thompson

July 05, 2011

Lincoln Caplan, an editor for the New York Times, recently wrote an editorial for the Times about the case of Witness to Innocence member John Thompson. Thompson survived a total of 18 years behind bars in Louisiana, including 14 on death row, because prosecutors withheld evidence in his case which would have proved his innocence. The Supreme Court of the United States recently ruled against awarding Thompson $14 M for his wrongful conviction and imprisonment.
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June newsletter from WTI

June 30, 2011

The latest edition of the Witness to Innocence newsletter features stories, photos and video footage from the WTI Gathering in Virginia earlier this month. Please let us know if you'd like to be added to our mailing list and receive our news each month.
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The Board of Directors and the staff thank you for your participation and support

June 14, 2011

Forty-six (46) WTI members (24 exonerated death row survivors and 22 family members/loved ones) came together for four days (June 9-12) of organizational discussions, educational workshops, cultural sharing, peer support, fellowship, and public political action.
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Witness to Innocence gives a face to the death penalty through rally and community event

June 13, 2011

This past Saturday, 24 exonerated death row survivors representing Witness to Innocence held a rally at the Bell Tower on Capitol Square in Richmond, VA, followed by a community event at a local church. The events were a great success and have attracted local as well as national attention. Saturday's events were co-sponsored by Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty (VADP.)
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THEY WERE INNOCENT ON DEATH ROW, HEAR THEM AND MEET THEM

June 03, 2011

Twenty-six exonerated Death Row survivors from around the nation, all unjustly sentenced to death, will be speaking at a downtown Richmond rally and then at a unique face-to-face community conversation on Saturday, June 11. Everyone is welcome to attend. The events are sponsored by Witness to Innocence and Virginians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
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WTI member's record has not been officially cleared for a crime he did not commit

May 25, 2011

Randy Steidl survived almost 17 years on Illinois' death row for a crime he did not commit. Yet his record has never been officially cleared of the 1986 murders of which he was wrongfully convicted.
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Clarence Brandley's case attracts attention, while Texas Senate passes bill to award Anthony Graves

May 20, 2011

The Texas Senate passed a bill this week which would award Anthony Graves, the country's most recent exonerated death row survivor, more than $1 million. The bill will now go back to the House for approval.

Clarence Brandley, the WTI member who was exonerated and released from Texas' death row in 1990, will continue to fight for the compensation he deserves. Clarence's claim for $800,000 was denied last week because it did not meet the actual innocence requirement for the Texas code, according to the Texas Comptroller's Office.
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Clarence Brandley denied compensation

May 19, 2011

Witness to Innocence member Clarence Brandley was denied compensation for the ten years he spent on death row in the state of Texas. The Texas Comptroller's Office said his claim for compensation did not meet the actual innocence requirement of the Texas code. Yesterday Brandley took part in a press conference organized by Witness to Innocence to address the issue.
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Homeschooled students hear Shujaa Graham at Penn State Abington

May 12, 2011

On April 2, 2011, homeschooled students from the Philadelphia area attended Shujaa Graham's speaking event at Penn State Abington. They stayed after the event to talk baseball and other topics with Shujaa. The students were inspired by his story and wrote this great report.
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May Newsletter from Witness to Innocence

May 12, 2011

The May edition of the Witness to Innocence newsletter is complete. Read it here and email info@witnesstoinnocence.org if you would like to be added to our mailing list.
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Exonerated Death Row Survivors Urge Georgia to Stop the Execution of Troy Davis

May 11, 2011

Twenty-six exonerated death row survivors from across the United States have signed a letter urging the Georgia State Board of Pardons & Paroles to commute the death sentence imposed on Troy Davis to a sentence of life in prison. The exonerated death row survivors who signed the letter acted because serious doubts persist about the guilt of Troy Davis, whose 1991 conviction for killing Savannah police officer Mark MacPhail rested almost solely on witness testimony.
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Poetry of Delbert Tibbs featured by Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project

May 04, 2011

Witness to Innocence Assistant Director for Communications and Training Delbert Tibbs' poetry was recently displayed on the website of the Dead Man Walking School Theatre Project. It was also included in a compilation titled, "Beccaria," edited by Aja Beech of Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty.
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Supreme Court criticized for Connick v. Thompson ruling

May 04, 2011

At a dinner held in his honor, Former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens criticized the Supreme Court's recent ruling against Witness to Innocence member John Thompson. John was seeking $14M after being wrongfully convicted and surviving 14 years on Louisiana's death row.
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Help end the death penalty in Connecticut

April 26, 2011

You can help end the death penalty in Connecticut by signing a petition on Change.org created by Equal Justice USA. SB-1035, "An Act Repealing the Death Penalty," passed the Connecticut General Assembly's Judiciary Committee earlier this month. Whether or not you live in the state, you can be a part of this historic effort to make Connecticut the next state to end the death penalty.
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Juan Melendez featured in death penalty special

April 25, 2011

An interview with WTI member Juan Melendez has been included in a recent special on the death penalty from laSexta. Much of the footage is in Spanish but some of the conversations are in English as well.
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Derrick Jamison featured in a cover story article

April 21, 2011

WTI member Derrick Jamison was featured in the cover story of this week's Dayton City Paper. In the article, Tim Walker of the Dayton City Paper cites innocence as one of the primary reasons for why the death penalty should be abolished.
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Special Edition: News from Witness to Innocence

April 19, 2011

Meet the Interim Executive Director of Witness to Innocence, Terry Rumsey, in this special edition of our newsletter. Please email info@witnesstoinnocence.org if you would like to be added to our mailing list.
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The opportunity to support empowerment

April 15, 2011

Witness to Innocence has set a goal of raising $2,000- the cost of sending two members to the WTI Empowerment Gathering- and WE NEED YOUR HELP! You have the unique opportunity to support the empowerment of our members, such as Randal and Brenda Padgett who will be attending the Gathering. Our deadline is quickly approaching. So don't delay; please support WTI members today!
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WTI member tours Indiana

April 13, 2011

Witness to Innocence board member and exonerated death row survivor Randy Steidl is in Indiana this week on a speaking tour. The Republic, a local Columbus, Indiana newspaper, recently published a piece about Randy and Witness to Innocence in anticipation of his event this evening. "There’s no justice in the system," Steidl said. "The death penalty itself is nothing but retribution."
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Recent article highlights WTI and Speakers Bureau Coordinator

April 07, 2011

The Religious Action Center for Reform Judaism recently published an online article, "Chronic Innocence: Killing Without Cause," about Witness to Innocence and Speakers Bureau Coordinator Kathy Spillman. Amelia Viney writes "By sharing their experiences with audiences, Witness to Innocence speakers put human faces on an issue most of us would otherwise never encounter" and adds "Kathy herself is also exceptional."
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Witness to Innocence April Newsletter

April 01, 2011

The latest issue of Witness to Innocence's monthly newsletter is now available. In this issue, you can read about how to help send our members to the upcoming Gathering, the role our members played in the repeal of the death penalty in Illinois, our busy Speakers Bureau and the most successful Anti-Death Penalty Alternative Spring Break yet. If you would like to be added to our mailing list, please contact info@witnesstoinnocence.org.
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Action Alert from the National Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty

April 01, 2011

Witness to Innocence does not take a position on the guilt or innocence of any person currently on death row. However, we ardently support the right of any death row resident to advocate for his or her own innocence and for citizens to demand that all claims of innocence be fully addressed by the responsible authorities. To that end, we are forwarding this action alert to our members and supporters.
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US Supreme Court rules against WTI member John Thompson

March 30, 2011

With a 5-4 decision, the United States Supreme Court ruled against Witness to Innocence member John Thompson. John survived 14 years on Louisiana's death row before being exonerated and released. He now runs the organization Resurrection After Exoneration our of New Orleans, LA. In the case Connick vs. Thompson, John was suing former DA Harry Connick Sr. because prosecutors withheld a blood test at the time of his conviction that would have proved his innocence.
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Support the empowerment of WTI members

March 25, 2011

You can help send WTI members like Randal and Brenda Padgett to our upcoming Gathering in Richmond, VA. It costs $2,000 for the Padgett's to travel from their home in Birmingham, AL to the site of our Gathering and have meals and accommodations covered. WTI Gatherings provide the chance for our members to engage in peer support, workshops, training and public action that make our organization successful and unique. Our goal is to raise $2,000 in online donations for this campaign by May 1, 2011. So don't delay; please support WTI members today.
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WTI member visits Alaska

March 24, 2011

Fresh off the repeal of the death penalty in Illinois, Witness to Innocence board member and exonerated death row survivor Randy Steidl has been working in Alaska with the state group Alaskans Against the Death Penalty. Steidl spoke at public events earlier this week, including the AADP Annual Chili Feed, and will conclude his time in Alaska by meeting with legislators.
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The Nation includes innocence as reason to abolish death penalty

March 21, 2011

Accomplished author Walter Mosley contributed this week to the Nation's monthly online feature, "Ten Things." In the piece, Mosley mentions the recent exoneration and release of Anthony Graves, author and activist Sister Helen Prejean, CSJ, and includes statements from Witness to Innocence member Nathson Fields.
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Exonerated Death Row Survivors join students for Alternative Spring Break

March 17, 2011

Witness to Innocence members are joining forces with students this week in Austin, TX for the annual Anti-Death Penalty Spring Break. WTI Texas Field Organizer Hooman Hedayati organized this year's activities, co-sponsored by groups such as the Texas Moratorium Network and Students Against the Death Penalty. Yesterday's Alternative Spring Break events, including a rally and lobbying day, were well covered by local abc Austin station, KVUE.
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Philadelphia Inquirer publishes editorial in favor of ending death penalty

March 15, 2011

The Philadelphia Inquirer published an editorial today in favor of ending the death penalty. "The prospect of putting just one innocent person to death is reason enough to end capital punishment," reads the conclusion. Pennsylvania's death row has one of the highest population's in the United States.
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Gov. Quinn cites innocence as reason for abolishing death penalty

March 10, 2011

Gov. Quinn cited the role of innocence and wrongful convictions during a press conference Wednesday following the signing of the bill abolishing Illinois' death penalty. "Since our experience has shown that there is no way to design a perfect death penalty system, free from the numerous flaws that can lead to wrongful convictions or discriminatory treatment, I have concluded that the proper course of action is to abolish it," Quinn said.
READ PRESS CONFERENCE TRANSCRIPT

WTI member Nathson Fields featured on FOX Chicago News

March 10, 2011

Witness to Innocence member and exonerated death row survivor Nathson "Nate" Fields was interviewed this morning on FOX Chicago News. In the interview, Nate discusses yesterday's repeal of Illinois' death penalty. "I am a member of Witness to Innocence; we are a group of exonerees from Death Row throughout the nation that has come together to tell our story and try to repeal the death penalty in every state across America," said Nate.
WATCH VIEDO

ILLINOIS' EXONERATED DEATH ROW SURVIVORS WELCOME REPEAL!

March 09, 2011

Witness to Innocence board member Randy Steidl joined a group of concerned citizens today at the State Capitol to commemorate the signing of Illinois Senate Bill 3539 repealing the state’s death penalty, and to thank Governor Pat Quinn for taking this historic step.
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Indiana news station features three-part investigative report on Randy Steidl

March 04, 2011

The NBC affiliated news station of Wabash Valley, IN recently featured a three-part investigative report on the story of WTI member Randy Steidl and other wrongfully convicted individuals. Patrick Fazio, a reporter for the station, said "It's the worst thing government can do to its citizens - put you in prison or even on death row for a crime you didn't commit."
WATCH VIDEO

Deadline for signing Illinois repeal bill looms

March 02, 2011

The clock is ticking in Illinois as Gov. Pat Quinn continues to hear from both supporters and opponents of SB 3539, which would repeal the state's death penalty. Quinn's deadline for signing the bill is March 18. If he neither signs nor vetoes the bill, it automatically becomes law. Among those urging him to sign is WTI board member Randy Steidl, who has been instrumental in the repeal campaign. "You can't have a system in place that convicts the guilty but also convicts the innocent., Steidl told the Chicago Tribune earlier this week..
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Steve Earle plays Witness to Innocence benefit

March 01, 2011

Singer/Songwriter Steve Earle played to a sold out crowd Sunday evening at Johnny Brenda's, a popular venue in downtown Philadelphia. The concert was a benefit for Witness to Innocence and Earle pledged his allegiance to the anti-death penalty movement several times throughout his solo-acoustic performance. WTI Exectutive Director Kurt Rosenberg was joined by Director for Communications and Training Ray Krone and member Ronald Kitchen on stage before the show. An intimate group of concert goers met for a reception with Steve Earle at the Slingluff Gallery after the show.
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Richardson urges Quinn to sign Illinois repeal bill

February 28, 2011

Citing that fact that he "had become troubled about the risk of wrongful executions," the Chicago Tribune reported today that former New Mexico Gov. Bill Richardson urged Gov. Pat Quinn to sign the bill repealing the Illinois death penalty. In 2009, Richardson signed a similar repeal bill in his state. After meeting with families of murder victims who supported the death penalty, Richardson said he had felt an emotional connection with them and was convinced the death penalty was a deterrent to murder. But as he studied the issue, he saw "too many mistakes." Richardson met with WTI Board Member Juan Melendez, who handed him a letter from 27 exonerated death row survivors urging him to sign the bill. "I believe it was the right decision," Richardson said. Quinn has until March 19 to sign SB 3539, which passed the Illinois House and Senate last month.
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Shujaa Graham joins anti-death penalty fight in Connecticut

February 24, 2011

Witness to Innocence board member and exonerated death row survivor Shujaa Graham began a tour of Connecticut by taking part in a panel discussion on the death penalty at Yale Law School earlier this week. Graham, joined on the panel by New Haven defense attorney Peter Tsimbidaros and Connecticut State Representative Roland Lemar, was given a standing ovation by the crowd Monday evening. His time in Connecticut is sponsored by the Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty and concludes this evening at Western Connecticut State University.
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Texas death row survivor Anthony Graves denied compensation

February 17, 2011

The United States' most recent exonerated death row survivor, Anthony Graves, has been denied his initial attempt to receive compensation from the state of Texas. Graves was released in October 2010 after surviving 18 years in prison -- 14 of them on death row -- for a crime he did not commit. Explaining why Graves is ineligible for compensation, the Texas Comptroller's Office cited the absence of the term "actual innocence" in documents ordering his release. Kelly Siegler, the special prosecutor brought on to Graves' case in 2010, said the term "actual innocence" is rarely used in the courtroom. An Anderson Cooper interview with Graves will be featured tonight on CNN.
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WTI members send message to Gov. Quinn

February 15, 2011

WTI members Nathson Fields, Gary Gauger, Randy Steidl and Delbert Tibbs urged Governor Pat Quinn on Monday to sign SB3539 repealing the death penalty. Speaking at news conferences in Springfield, Ill., and Chicago, the four exonerated death row survivors encouraged the governor to seriously consider Illinois' record of sending innocent men to death row before making his decision. Some expect Quinn to make his decision within the next week.
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Montana death penalty repeal bill passes Senate Judiciary Committee

February 14, 2011

After hearing extensive testimony from both sides, including WTI's Randy Steidl, the Montana Senate Judiciary Committee voted 7-5 last Thursday to move the bill to repeal the state's death penalty to the Senate floor. While committee members heard such pro-death penalty arguments that if Jesus Christ were alive today he would support the death penalty, voices of reason from Steidl and others prevailed. Sen. Anders Blewett, of Great Falls, said capital punishment is unfair because it is disproportionally levied against the poor and minorities, while the "well-heeled" can afford good legal representation to avoid the death penalty. "It is long overdue," Blewett said. "We have evolved beyond putting people to death knowing full well we have killed people who are innocent."
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Oklahoma Bar Association committee to address wrongfully convicted

February 09, 2011

The Oklahoma Bar Association has created a Justice Commission to look at ways to address the problem of wrongful convictions. It will be chaired by former Oklahoma Attorney General Drew Edmondson and will work in collaboration with Oklahoma City University School of Law and its new Innocence Clinic. At least 15 people will be named to the commission, including crime victims, rural and urban prosecutors, scientific experts, law enforcement and members of the public. "The bar committee will look at what did go wrong in those cases and how can we make the system better and how we can be more accurate so we can prevent wrongful convictions in the first place,” said Madeline deLone, executive director of the New York-based Innocence Project. “It is exciting that these two projects are launching at the same time. It will give Oklahoma a chance not only to go back and right old wrongs, but go forward and make the system better,"
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Houston legislator proposes innocence protection package in effort to halt wrongful convictions

February 04, 2011

Texas State Senator Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, is sponsoring an "Innocence Protection Package," four bills aimed at decreasing the number of wrongful convictions in Texas. At least 42 men from a dozen Texas counties have leveled successful DNA challenges to their convictions, according to the Innocence Project of Texas, while 12 people have been exonerated from Texas' death row since the death penalty's reinstatement. Ellis' bills include requiring uniform procedures for eyewitness identification, investigators to record interrogations in serious felonies, streamlining defendants' appeals for DNA testing, and reorganizing Texas' indigent defense task force. "I tried to pick things that I thought were very much in the mainstream of criminal justice reforms that shouldn't cost money, that will save money," Ellis said.
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Former director of Ohio corrections department cites innocence in calling for death penalty repeal

February 01, 2011

In a recent op-ed published in the Columbus Dispatch, the former director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction called for the death penalty to be replaced with life without parole in his state. "Did the process make certain, absolutely, there was no mistake or error?" asked Terry Collins, who witnessed 33 executions during his career. "What if we got it wrong for those we executed? We continue to be one of the few industrialized nations to carry out the death penalty when we know mistakes happen."
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Five Illinois death row survivors urge Quinn to sign repeal bill

January 27, 2011

Five WTI members exonerated from Illinois’ death row recently sent a letter to Gov. Pat Quinn asking him to sign the bill to repeal the death penalty that was recently passed by the state legislature. “We are among the 20 people who have been exonerated from death row in our state,” says the letter, signed by Perry Cobb, Nathson Fields, Gary Gauger, Ronald Kitchen and Randy Steidl. "We are, quite literally, living examples of miscarriages of justice." The men spent a combined total of more than 50 years on death row for crimes they did not commit. The bill still awaits Quinn's signature. If he signs it -- or chooses neither to sign nor veto the bill by mid-March -- Illinois would become the 15th state without the death penalty.
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Citing innocence, Illinois lt. gov. calls on Quinn to sign repeal bill

January 25, 2011

In a letter to Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn, Lt. Gov. Sheila Simon cited the fact that 20 people who were sentenced to death in Illinois have been freed “because they were found innocent or the cases against them collapsed” and called on Quinn to sign the repeal bill that passed the legislature earlier this month. "Even in the best of circumstances, our system allows for error," Simon wrote. "As a matter of public respect for our justice system, we cannot tolerate errors in execution. As a former prosecutor and your Lt. Governor, I urge you to end the death penalty in Illinois.” Quinn has said in recent days that he wants to hear from all sides of the debate over capital punishment before deciding whether to abolish it.
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WTI member called "the face of capital punishment repeal" in Illinois

January 21, 2011

"It is the faces of the wrongly convicted that will persuade public opinion to support abolition of the death penalty," writes Bill Clutter, director of investigations at the Downstate Illinois Innocence Project at the University of Illinois at Springfield, in a recent piece published by the Illinois Times. Clutter worked on the case of exonerated death row survivor and WTI board member Randy Steidl from 1991, when Illinois set Steidl's execution date, until 2004 when he was released from prison. Steidl has been working exhaustively over the past few months on the Illinois repeal campaign and was instrumental in the passage of the bill through the House and Senate earlier this month.
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Popular TV series to feature Witness to Innocence member in upcoming episode

January 20, 2011

WTI Director of Communications and Training Ray Krone will be featured on an upcoming episode of the popular television series "On the Case with Paula Zahn." Titled "Shadow of a Doubt," the program will air Sunday, January 23 at 10:00 p.m. and again the following morning at 1:00 a.m. on the Investigation Discovery Channel.
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Chicago Sun Times urges Illinois to abolish death penalty and commute sentences to life without parole

January 18, 2011

In an editorial published in today's Chicago Sun Times, the newspaper urges Governor Quinn to abolish the death penalty and commute the sentences of the 15 men currently on death row to life without parole. The Sun Times believes that life without parole is a better alternative to capital punishment because it eliminates the risk of executing innocent people. The newspaper challenges the myth that “life in prison is a pleasant round of free prison meals and leisurely afternoons of TV” by citing the experiences of former death row survivor and WTI board member Randy Steidle who says "To try to live like that is a fate worse than death to me. . . ."
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How you can help repeal the death penalty in Illinois

January 12, 2011

The Illinois State Senate passed bill SB3539 to repeal the death penalty on Tuesday. Now just one thing stands in the way of death penalty abolition in the state of Illinois: Governor Pat Quinn’s signature. And you can help make it happen.

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Texas court ends historic death penalty hearing

January 12, 2011

The highest criminal court in Texas has put an end to an historic hearing concerning the death penalty. Lawyers for John Edward Green Jr. had sought to prove that sentencing their client to death was unconstitutional in the hearing, which began December 6. News about the the 138 individuals who have been exonerated from death row in the United States, 12 of whom were in Texas, was included in the arguments made by Green's attorneys. With a 6-2 ruling, the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals determined that District Judge Fine "doesn't have the authority to conduct the legal proceeding."
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Illinois State Senate votes to abolish the death penalty

January 11, 2011

The Illinois State Senate passed SB3539 to abolish the death penalty with a vote of 32-25. SB35389 passed the House last week and now awaits the decision of Illinois Governor Pat Quinn. Witness to Innocence member and former death row survivor Randy Steidl addressed the senate judiciary committee today and has been working tirelessly with groups in Illinois to see the bill passed.
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Fire experts testify to Texas commission that Willingham case was not arson

January 10, 2011

Two national fire experts testified Friday before the Texas Forensic Science Commission that no evidence supporting a finding of arson in a fire that led Texas to execute Cameron Todd Willingham in 2004. Craig Beyler, an arson expert who has studied the case exhaustively, said that the work of the lead investigator in the 1991 fire was "characteristic of mystics or psychics." The commission took no action on Friday in the case, which has gained international attention since late 2009. It will meet again on January 21 in Austin.
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Houston paper condemns wrongful convictions, calls for end to death penalty

January 03, 2011

"The current application of the death penalty in Texas involves an unacceptably high risk of killing innocent people," the Houston Chronicle wrote in a New Year's Day editorial excoriating capital punishment. Calling it "a horrible likelihood that we have executed innocent people," the Chronicle cites the recent death-row exoneration of Anthony Graves, compelling evidence that Todd Willingham and Claude Jones may have been executed despite their innocence, and government obfuscation surrounding the Willingham case and other innocence issues.
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DPIC report highlights decline of death penalty, concerns about innocence

December 27, 2010

The Death Penalty Information Center's end-of-the-year report emphasizes the continuing decline of the death penalty in the United States, with the number of executions in 2010 having decreased by 12 percent. The report also highlights the exoneration of Anthony Graves in Texas, as well as developments showing that Cameron Todd Willingham and Claude Jones were executed in Texas despite their possible innocence. Concern shown by politicians and citizens and a desire to eliminate the risk of killing innocent people, as well as the outspokenness of leaders such as former Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, have kept innocence at the center of the debate to end the death penalty.
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WTI members sign on to amicus brief to push forward hearing on unconstitutionality of Texas death penalty

December 23, 2010

A group of exonerated death row survivors representing Witness to Innocence were among an alliance of nearly 60 current and former prosecutors, judges, police chiefs, governors, and crime victims who filed a legal brief Wednesday asking Texas' highest criminal court to let a hearing on the constitutionality of the state's death penalty to continue. The hearing, ordered by state district court Judge Kevin Fine, was halted earlier this month after two days of testimony. "The tie that binds this diverse group of citizens together is the profound philosophical and practical concern that the Texas death penalty, as currently applied, unreasonably and substantially risks the conviction and execution of the innocent," wrote Walter Long, attorney for the group that filed the brief.
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Appeals court says Willingham judge abused discretion

December 21, 2010

A Texas court ruled today that Judge Charlie Baird abused his discretion when he did not recuse himself from considering a motion challenging his authority to conduct a court of inquiry to examine whether Cameron Todd Willingham was wrongfully convicted and executed. Baird was set in October to decide on a request to convene a court of inquiry to investigate whether Willingham was wrongfully convicted of setting a fire in 1991 that killed his three daughters. Willingham was executed in 2004 and his case has created international attention since evidence came to light that he could not have set the deadly fire.
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New information points to "ethically questionable tactics" in Graves case

December 20, 2010

In October, Anthony Graves became the latest person exonerated from death row in the United States after being wrongfully convicted in the murder of a family in Somerville, Texas. More information has recently surfaced about the conviction, which sent Graves to prison in 1992. Prosecutor Kelly Siegler and state trooper Otto Hanak revealed information that the original prosecutor, Charles Sebasta, may have used "ethically questionable tactics," including violating rules of evidence, to win Graves' conviction. “In all these years I've been in this business, I never thought I would be party to saving someone who was on death row," said Hanak.
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Houston Chronicle features editorial by WTI member Clarence Brandley

December 16, 2010

Appearing in today's edition of the Houston Chronicle is an op-ed by WTI member Clarence Brandley. In his piece, Brandley speaks out against Harris County District Attorney Pat Lykos' role in the recent halt to the historic hearing challenging the constitutionality of the death penalty in Texas, the state which far surpasses any other in number of executions. Clarence survived 10 years in prison, most of them on Texas' death row, after being wrongfully convicted of the murder of a high school student. He was exonerated and released in 1990.
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N.H. newspaper calls for repeal, saying "states are not infallible"

December 14, 2010

Following the release of the report from the New Hampshire Commission to Study the Death Penalty, one of the state's leading newspapers called for an end to capital punishment in the state. The Commission recently concluded a year of public hearings and careful study and chose by a 12-10 vote to recommend neither expanding nor abolishing the death penalty. However, the Monitor pointed out that the evidence presented to the commission was primarily in favor of repealing the death penalty. The editorial concluded: "States are not infallible. A life wrongly taken by the state cannot be returned. But an innocent person serving life without parole can be freed. New Hampshire should join the states and the many nations that have progressed beyond capital punishment."
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WTI member speaks in favor of death penalty hearing on constitutionality of the death penalty

December 10, 2010

Witness to Innocence member Clarence Brandley spoke at a press conference Thursday in Houston against the recent decision by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals to halt a historic death penalty hearing examining the constitutionality of Texas' death penalty. Brandley spent nine years on Texas' death row for a crime he did not commit. Meanwhile, attorneys are seeking to resume the hearing. "We are focused on what they want us to do and believe that there is a pretty decent chance that they will agree with us," said attorney Richard Burr.
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Historic death penalty hearing put on hold

December 08, 2010

A hearing in Houston examining the constitutionality of the Texas death penalty was halted a day after it began. The decision came late Tuesday from the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals at the request of the Harris County District Attorney's office. On Monday, prosecuting attorneys refused to participate in the proceedings, claiming that the hearing should not be taking place at all. Attorneys for John Edward Green were seeking to prove the death penalty unconstitutional in the state of Texas because of the high risk of wrongful convictions. "If the court stops this from happening, I think there will be a backlash: public backlash that demands something different to happen," said Richard Burr, Green's attorney.
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All eyes are on Texas as death penalty goes on trial

December 07, 2010

International media and anti-death penalty activists gathered Monday in Houston, where Harris County Judge Kevin Fine began to hear evidence in Green vs. Texas as the constitutionality of the death penalty is challenged in the Lone Star State because of the risk of wrongful convictions. Numerous expert witness are being called to testify, including Richard Dieter of the director of the Death Penalty Information Center, who was the first witness. Dieter emphasized the crisis in wrongful convictions in death sentencing in the United States, saying, “There certainly is a risk of executing the innocent and that risk still exists today,”. Meanwhile, prosecutors refused to partake in the initial day of the hearing. Wednesday's testimony will focus on the cases of Todd Willingham and Claude Jones, both executed in Texas despite substantial evidence of their innocence.
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Texas hearing scheduled for today on constitutionality of death penalty

December 06, 2010

Today in Harris County, Texas, Judge Kevin Fine will begin to hear evidence in the case of Texas vs. Green . Rather than being solely focused on the defendant, John Edward Green Jr., the attorneys involved are seeking to prove that the high risk of executing an innocent person renders the death penalty unconstitutional in the state of Texas. Though it remains unclear what the ruling in this case will mean for the anti-death penalty movement, experts suggest "Seeing a strong anti-death-penalty ruling from the capital-punishment capital of the U.S. could convince fence-sitters."
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Innocence issues to be heard in hearing on constitutionality of Texas death penalty

December 02, 2010

On Monday, a Texas court will hold a hearing to examine whether the execution of individuals who may have been wrongfully convicted means the state's death penalty should be ruled unconstitutional. Lawyers for John Edward Green Jr., a man accused of fatally shooting a Houston woman in a 2008 robbery, plan to draw attention to aspects of the Texas legal system that increase the risk of wrongful convictions: "a lack of safeguards to protect against mistaken eyewitness identification, faulty forensic evidence, incompetent lawyers at the appellate level, failures to guard against false confessions, and a history of racial discrimination in jury selection." Says Andrea Keilen, executive director of the Texas Defender Service, "We're seeing in case after case that the system is just inherently prone to the risk of wrongful convictions and has a complete inability to correct its mistakes."
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Willingham case to be made into documentary

November 30, 2010

"Incendiary," a compelling documentary examining the case of Todd Willingham, is nearly complete. The New York Times calls the film "wildly and broadly appealing." Co-directed by Steve Mims and Joe Bailey Jr. of the University of Texas' radio, television and film department, "Incendiary" focuses on three themes: science, law and politics as it explores the controversial case that has brought even more international attention to Texas' horrific record on the death penalty. Willingham was executed in Texas in 2004 after being convicted of murder by arson of his three children. Arson experts have concluded that Willingham could not have set the fire, and the case remains in the hands of the Texas Forensic Science Commission as critics seek Willingham's posthumous exoneration.
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Former Supreme Court Justice Stevens continues to speak against executions

November 29, 2010

Former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens explains his outspoken opposition to the death penalty in a recent piece for the New York Review of Books. Early in his career, Stevens supported the reinstatement of the death penalty but later came to conclude that it was unconstitutional. His piece is a review of "Peculiar Institution: America's Death Penalty in an Age of Abolition," by David Garland. Once again emphasizing his deep concern about wrongful convictions, Stevens writes in his typically understated style, "Execution of innocents is disturbing. . . "
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Another execution is called into question in Texas

November 23, 2010

Claude Jones was executed by the state of Texas in 2000. But now a DNA test has shown that the only piece of physical evidence linking Jones to the scene of the murder he was convicted of did not belong to him. Jones' lawyers filed petitions for a stay of his execution that was denied by then-Gov. Geroge W. Bush, who later said he was unaware the DNA testing had been requested. Meanwhile, Texas and the rest of the country await the results of the Texas Forensic Science Commission's examination of the evidence in the case of Todd Willingham, who was executed in 2004 for a crime arson experts say he could not have committed.
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Accomplished attorney and author speaks at WTI gathering

November 22, 2010

Noted death-penalty defense attorney, educator and author Andrea Lyon addressed Witness to Innocence members at their fall gathering last weekend in Chicago. Lyon is the author of Angel of Death Row and is renowned for her victories in capital-murder cases. She also is a professor at the DePaul University College of Law. Lyon regularly writes for The Huffington Post, and her piece this week describes her visit to the Witness to Innocence gathering.
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WTI pushes for repeal in Illinois

November 17, 2010

One of the largest gatherings ever of exonerated death row survivors took place last weekend in Illinois, where Witness to Innocence members lobbied for the repeal of that state's death penalty. Joining with the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty, 18 exonerees appeared at a press conference in downtown Chicago on November 12. They reinforced to citizens and legislators that the state has not fixed its broken death penalty system and that capital punishment must be repealed so that another innocent person is not sent to death row in Illinois. WTI members then fanned out through the Chicago suburbs for meetings with legislators, who have the opportunity to pass a repeal bill before the end of the year. A moratorium on the death penalty has been in place in Illinois since 2000, when former Gov. George Ryan imposed it in response to the fact that 13 wrongfully convicted people had been sent to death row in the state. There have been seven more death-row exonerations in Illinois since then. An editorial in the State-Journal Register in Springfield, pronounced that while there are many reasons to repeal Illinois' death penalty, "Those concerns are trivial when measured against the human cost of capital punishment. A system that once nearly took 13 innocent lives is beyond rehabilitation."
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Compensation for the "exonerated" is hard to come by

November 09, 2010

Exonerations for those wrongfully convicted and sent to death row are few and far between. Some have said that 6-10 percent of the more than 3,000 people on America's death rows are innocent of the crimes for which they were convicted. Paul House was the 131st person exonerated from death row after he spent more than two decades in prison before his murder conviction was dismissed over DNA tests that raised doubts about his guilt. Still, he must wait to be "officially exonerated" by Tennessee Gov. Phil Bredensen before he receives any compensation. House's story is hardly unique; the few who are compensated often don't receive enough money, and social services supporting them in post-prison life fall far short.
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Wrongful convictions take a terrible toll

November 05, 2010

Last week's exoneration of Anthony Graves, who spent 18 years in prison, including 14 on Texas' death row, provides a stark view of the damage caused by wrongful convictions. And that damage is not limited to the death row survivor. It extends to his family members, the family members of the homicide victim in a case of wrongful conviction, and society at large. "It's like I got lost," said Terrance Williams, Graves' 27-year-old son,. "I don't know what it's like to have a father in my life." A series of compelling articles in the Houston Chronicle explores the tragedy individuals and families face when someone is wrongfully convicted and sent to death row for a crime he did not commit.
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WTI members march against the death penalty in Texas

November 01, 2010

Witness to Innocence members gathered in Austin, Texas, on Saturday to call for an end to the death penalty in the state that leads the nation in executions. Albert Burrell, Gary Drinkard, Shujaa Graham, Ron Keine and Greg Wilhoit led the march and were joined by Greg's sister, Nancy Vollertsen and their parents, Guy and Ida Mae Wilhoit. "I'm a man on a mission," said Greg, "and the mission is educating people about the realities of capital punishment.” The march followed on the heels of Wednesday's exoneration in Texas of Anthony Graves, who became the state's 12 person exonerated from death row and the 139th human being exonerated from America's death rows since 1973. Graves spent 18 years in prison for a crime he did not commit, 14 of them on death row
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Anthony Graves exonerated in Texas

October 29, 2010

Anthony Graves became the 12th person exonerated from Texas' death row when charges against him were dropped on Wednesday. Graves was convicted in 1992 of assisting in the murder of a family in Somerville, Texas, and was sent to death row in 1994. There was no credible evidence to suggest that he had been involved in the slayings, and his conviction was overturned in 2006. Graves is the 139th person exonerated from death row in the United States. Immediately following his release, he visited family and friends. His mother, Doris Curry, told the Houston Chronicle, "He's lost a lot. He was 26 years old when they took him. Now he's 45. He's got grandchildren he's never touched."
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WTI voices are being heard across the US

October 27, 2010

Witness to Innocence has been active this fall in a number of states working diligently to repeal the death penalty. Exonerated death row survivors representing WTI have been on the ground in Colorado, Connecticut, Illinois and Montana, all of which are rapidly ramping up legislative efforts to put an immediate stop to state-sacntioned killing. And WTI has been collaborating closely with state anti-death penalty organizations to help make that happen. "We're definitely moving forward," says Jeremy Schroeder, executive director of the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty. "WTI speakers have gotten across the untold stories of the death penalty like no other voices could."
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John Thompson awaits Supreme Court ruling on civil suit against New Orleans D.A.

October 21, 2010

Earlier this month, the U.S. Supreme Court heard arguments in Connick v. Thompson, in which WTI member John Thompson is seeking damages from the New Orleans district attorney's office for failing to train its lawyers about their legal obligation to turn over evidence that could help defendants prove their innocence. He won a decision that would have awarded him $14 million, but the New Orleans DA's office appealed the ruling. Thompson spent 18 years in prison, including 14 years on death row, for a crime he did not commit before his exoneration in 2003. Thompson is the founder and director of Resurrection After Exoneration (www.r-a-e.org), a New Orleans-based organization dedicated to helping exonerated former prisoners rebuild their lives.
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FRONTLINE to examine Willingham case

October 18, 2010

On Tuesday, October 19, PBS's FRONTLINE will air Death by Fire, a documentary closely examining the evidence used to convict Cameron Todd Willingham of the arson deaths of his three children. The documentary will focus on a critical finding that was revealed just weeks before Willingham's execution -- that fire investigators apparently relied on outdated arson science to determine that Willingham had set the fire that killed his children. Gerald Hurst, a forensic arson expert, reviewed the evidence based on modern arson science and concluded it was a classic accidental fire. Death by Fire also features writer Elizabeth Gilbert, who corresponded with Willingham in prison and first began to question his guilt. Check your local listings for the exact air time.
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Debate on Willingham case intensifies

October 15, 2010

While a Texas court of appeals eventually ordered Judge Charlie Baird not to hold further proceedings or issue rulings until October 22, Thursday's hearing examining the possible wrongful conviction and execution of Cameron Todd Willingham kept Texas -- and the issue of innocence -- in the national spotlight. Members of Willingham's family, along with lawyers including former rabid pro-death penalty Gov. Mark White, had called for Thursday's "court of inquiry" to further examine evidence that Texas may have executed an innocent man when it sent Willingham to his death in 1994. Willingham's stepmother, Eugenia, told The New York Times after the hearing, "This is what he wanted us to do. He wanted us to stand up for him."
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WTI joins Montana Coalition for "Beyond Repair" tour

October 05, 2010

As the Montana Abolition Coalition ramps up its organizing efforts in advance of the 2011 legislative session, WTI Director of Communications and Training Ray Krone began a week-long tour of the Big Sky State over the weekend. Krone is a featured speaker on the "Beyond Repair: True Stories of the Death Penalty" tour that will reach citizens and legislators across Montana. A repeal bill passed the State Senate last year, and abolitionists in Montana are hopeful that the death penalty will soon be a remnant of their state's past.
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Hearing to be held on Willingham case

October 01, 2010

The question, asked again in an editorial in today's San Antonio Express-News, persists: did Texas put an innocent man to death in 2004? District Judge Charlie Baird will hold a two-day hearing October 6-7 to consider evidence on whether Cameron Todd Willingham was actually innocent of and executed for a crime that never occurred. And, on the evening of October 19, the television program “Frontline,” which airs on PBS, will feature the Willingham case (check your local listings for the exact air time). "Death by Fire" will examine all of the evidence used to convict Willingham and will seek to answer the question of whether or not Texas executed an innocent man.
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Ron Keine shares his death row experience on OtherWords.org

September 29, 2010

Ron Keine’s op-ed was published Monday in the online newspaper, OtherWords.org. Ron spent two years on New Mexico’s death row for a crime he did not commit. Today he is Assistant Director of Communications and Training for Witness to Innocence and speaks to audiences around the country about his experience. His piece gives readers an inside look at life on death row... and life after death row.
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Juan Melendez tours El Paso area with TCADP

September 27, 2010

Witness to Innocence board member and exonerated death row survivor Juan Melendez concludes a three-day speaking tour tonight in El Paso, Texas. The tour, "La Pena de Muerte No Mas" (No More Death Penalty) is co-sponsored by the Texas Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty and El Pasoans Against the Death Penalty.
READ MORE and watch video coverage

DNA test clears three wrongfully convicted inmates

September 24, 2010

Two men who were serving life sentences were exonerated on September 16 from a Mississippi prison after 30 years. Phillip Bivens and Bobby Ray Dixon were accused of the 1979 rape and murder of Eva Gail Patterson. Larry Ruffin, a co-defendant who died in prison eight years ago, will be posthumously exonerated.
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Disturbing questions continue to plague Willingham investigation

September 17, 2010

The Texas Forensic Science Commission meets today to debate a report that finds fire investigators did not commit professional negligence or misconduct in the case of Cameron Todd Willingham. Willingham was executed in 2004 after being convicted of deliberately setting a fire that killed his three young children, despite serious concerns and subsequent evidence that he may have been innocent.
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Dr. Frank Baumgartner shares why N.C. needs a Moratorium on the Death Penalty

September 16, 2010

People across North Carolina are calling for a moratorium on the death penalty. Dr. Frank Baumgartner, author of The Decline of the Death Penalty and the Discovery of Innocence, says, "It's the only solution in the wake of a scandal so messy it may never be fully sorted out."
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The New York Times Publishes an Article about Innocence

September 15, 2010

False confessions often play a role in death penalty cases. In fact, the case of David Keaton, the first person exonerated from death row in the United States, is a glaring example. In Tuesday's New York Times, John Schwartz writes about innocent individuals confessing to crimes they did not commit. "New research shows how people who were apparently uninvolved in a crime could provide such a detailed account of what occurred, allowing prosecutors to claim that only the defendant could have committed the crime," writes Schwartz.
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N.C. District Attorney Supports a Moratorium for Some Executions

September 01, 2010

The president of the North Carolina Conference of District Attorneys said Monday that he supported a moratorium on the execution of any death-row inmates whose cases include evidence from the State Bureau of Investigations. Seth Edwards, head of the organization of prosecutors and a district attorney of Eastern North Carolina, acknowledged that some might have doubts after recent blistering audit of the SBI's blood analysis unit highlighted a common practice of withholding test results that might have helped defendents.
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Federal Judge Rejects Troy Davis' Innocence Claim

August 24, 2010

U.S. District Court Judge William T. Moore Jr. rejected Troy Davis’s petition to overturn his conviction for killing a police officer in 1989 in Georgia. Judge Moore chose a high standard of proof that Davis would have to meet to establish his innocence claim: Davis needed to prove by "clear and convincing evidence that no reasonable juror would have convicted him in light of the new evidence." Judge Moore did conclude that it would be unconstitutional to execute "those who can make a truly persuasive demonstration of innocence." He also acknowledged that "the State's case may not be ironclad."
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Randy Steidl: Turn a death row tragedy into triumph

July 21, 2010

Witness to Innocence's Randy Steidl, who has spoken to groups and legislators throughout the country and is a member of our Board of Directors, has a powerful letter in today's State-Journal Register, which serves Springfield, the state capital. "I survived Illinois' death penalty," Randy writes. "I’m living proof why it needs to end." Randy, who was on Illinois' death row for 12 years, has played an integral role in repeal efforts in his home state as part of WTI's collaboration with the Illinois Coalition to Abolish the Death Penalty.
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A moral debt to innocent, former death row inmates

July 17, 2010

Stephen Dear, executive director of North Carolina's People of Faith Against the Death Penalty, has brought the issue of wrongful convictions and the death penalty to the forefront in his state. He also has shown unwavering support for death row survivors, as he did in a powerful guest column published last week in the Durham Herald-Sun. In his piece, "A moral debt to innocent, former death row inmates," Steve writes, "Glen Chapman, Alan Gell, Jonathon Hoffman, Levon Jones, Samuel Poole, Alfred Rivera and Christopher Spicer spent nearly five decades on North Carolina's death row and in our prisons for murders and other crimes they did not commit. They were condemned to die in your name and mine. . . . After nearly everything, including their lives, was taken from these men they were released with only the clothes on their backs. No transition. No help. No apology. No money. Nothing." Steve's indictment of a "compensation" system that needs to be overhauled across the country is a topic on which all abolitionists should be educating citizens and elected officials.
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False confessions and wrongful convictions

July 11, 2010

Why would anyone confess to a horrific murder — especially one involving their own child or loved one — if they didn't commit it? It seems unfathomable, yet it happens far more often than most people believe, experts say. In a comprehensive story published recently on the front page of the Chicago Tribune, reporters Lisa Black and Steve Mills examine police interrogation techniques and false confessions, which have been a major factor in wrongful convictions, including cases where innocent people have been sentenced to death. Dr. Robert Galatzer-Levy, a prominent Chicago psychiatrist, says interrogations are designed "not simply to get information," as the police often portray them. Instead, he said, interrogations are "well-thought-through psychological manipulations to get a confession. . . . People all say, 'I'd never confess. Not in a million years.' But it turns out that people who are vigorously interrogated will confess — even if they're innocent."
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Florida creates Innocence Commission

July 02, 2010

As one of his first acts, Florida State Supreme Court Chief Justice Charles T. Canady has issued an administrative order creating the Florida Innocence Commission. The 23-member Innocence Commission will "study the causes of wrongful conviction and subsequent incarceration," and will examine ways to prevent such convictions. Canady took the action on just his second day as chief justice. The panel will study issues related to wrongful convictions as well as the administration.of the death penalty. Florida leads the nation in death-row exonerations, have exonerated 23 people since 1973.
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Witnesses to Innocence Tour North Carolina

June 26, 2010

Witness to Innocence recently partnered with North Carolina-based People of Faith Against the Death Penalty for a tour of the state's eastern cities in June. WTI members Shabaka WaQlimi, Randal Padgett, Gary Drinkard, and Delbert Tibbs shared their stories with a variety of audiences in churches and community centers - and reached thousands more during television, newspaper, and radio interviews. Click here for a compilation of news coverage from the tour.
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Texas judge to hold hearing on risk of executing the innocent

June 25, 2010

Texas State District Judge Kevin Fine scheduled a hearing to consider evidence on whether there is substantial risk that Texas's death penalty laws allow for the possible execution of an innocent person. The hearing, which will begin November 8, will likely include testimony from death penalty experts around the country. Casey Kiernan, one of the attorneys who asked for the hearing said, "I think everybody in the United States would agree that the possibility exists an innocent person has been executed. 'We think there is much more than a possibility, based on all the exonerations, all the problems with the forensics." Defense attorneys also are planning to raise other issues at the hearing, including the legitimacy of eyewitness testimony.
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Innocence Matters

June 28, 2010

Judge Norman Fletcher served on the Georgia Supreme Court from 1989 through 2005 and was in the majority that upheld Troy Davis' original conviction and death sentence on direct appeal. However, Fletcher has noted that he probably would have voted in favor of a new evidentiary hearing for Davis if he was on the court today. He recently wrote about the wisdom of retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, writing, "[His] leadership in [the Davis] case was a triumph of the common-sense notion that innocence matters; it matters more than procedural technicalities. No matter whether one opposes or supports the death penalty, I would hope we can at least agree that the innocent should not be executed."
Read MORE about Justice Stevens' legacy:

Death Row Survivors Reach out to D.A.

June 17, 2010

A video by Al Dia TV highlights the Witness to Innocence press conference which took place outside Philadelphia District Attorney Seth Williams' office on June 4th.
WATCH the video

DNA Could Show If Claude Jones Was Wrongly Executed

June 15, 2010

Key evidence in the case of Claude Jones, who was executed in Texas in 2000, could prove that he was innocent. If so, Jones may be the first person to be posthumously exonerated. Read Dave Mann's article from the Texas Observer here.
READ the piece

Former inmates shed light on death penalty

June 08, 2010

The Philadelphia Daily News's Jan Ransom came to hear WTI members at a recent rally outside District Attorney Seth Williams' office. Read her coverage which highlights the stories of Harold Wilson and Bo Cochran.
READ the article

Innocence Has to Matter

May 28, 2010

"This idea that the Constitution allows innocent people to be put to death should be abhorrent to anyone who cares about justice," Adam Cohen writes in the current issue of Time magazine in an article detailing Texas death row prisoner Hank Skinner's search for justice. "The Supreme Court — which will take up Skinner's case in its next term — should rule that people accused of capital crimes can use federal civil rights laws to obtain the DNA evidence they need to prove their innocence. And the Justices should use the case to underscore that we, as a nation, care whether people facing the death penalty have actually committed the crimes they were accused of."
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Justice Stevens Warns of Increased Risk of Mistakes in Death Penalty Cases

May 13, 2010

Retiring U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens recently made remarks on his evolving views of capital punishment.
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Not So Fast

May 11, 2010

This article, from the Raleigh, NC News & Observer, highlights innocence by saying, "The possibility of an error, of executing an innocent person, is of course first among the reasons why the death penalty is an unwise alternative in the criminal justice system."
READ the article

Randy Steidl Tours Connecticut

May 04, 2010

As part of repeal efforts on behalf of the Connecticut Network to Abolish the Death Penalty (CNADP), Randy Steidl is spending the first week of May sharing his story with audiences across the state. Click here to read news coverage of his tour.
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Wrongfully convicted man speaks at University of Arizona

April 20, 2010

Juan Melendez told his story to the community at the University of Arizona law school on April 19th. Click here to watch video coverage by Arizona's Fox 11 news station.
WATCH the video

Former inmate discusses need to end death penalty

April 21, 2010

Juan Melendez represented Witness to Innocence admirably at a recent event at Western Oregon University, where he shared truth about innocence to a capacity crowd. As he and WTI Board Chair Freddie Pitts put it "you can release an innocent man from prison, but you can never release him from the grave."
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WTI member published in Ohio newspaper

April 13, 2010

Witness to Innocence member Dale Johnston had a powerful letter published this week in the Columbus Dispatch, one of Ohio's largest newspapers. Dale's compelling words about the need for criminal justice reform in the Buckeye State are yet another example of the influential voice exonerated death row survivors bring to the movement.
READ Dale's letter

Texas Forensic Science Commission to reopen Willingham discussion

April 10, 2010

After months of delay and internal upheaval, the revamped Texas Forensic Science Commission is poised to reopen discussion of the Cameron Todd Willingham case when it meets April 23.
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Rendell & the death penalty

March 30, 2010

This editorial, originally appearing in Philadelphia Daily News, calls on governor Rendell to see the many ways that a moratorium on executions is warranted in the state of Pennsylvania. Author Dave Lindorff highlights innocence in PA, including the case of WTI member Harold Wilson, as primary reasons for concern with Pennsylvania's use of capital punishment.
READ the piece

High court gives last-minute stay to condemned Texan

March 25, 2010

The U.S. Supreme Court intervened at the last minute in the case of Texas death row inmate Hank Skinner, staying his execution to allow for further investigation.
READ the coverage

Alabama moratorium bill goes to committee; WTI cited by sponsor

March 25, 2010

A bill proposing a three-year moratorium on Alabama’s use of the death penalty was referred to a subcommittee of the House Judiciary Committee on Wednesday by Rep. Merika Coleman. Rep. Coleman began her presentation by relating her experience of last November when she met and spoke with Witness to Innocence members at their gathering in Birmingham.

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Press Release regarding Hank Skinner Execution

March 23, 2010

TCADP released the following statement in response to the Board of Pardons and Parole 7- 0 vote against clemency for Hank Skinner. Please call and fax letters to Governor Rick Perry requesting a 30-day stay for Hank Skinner. Talking Points are available at www.tcadp.org.

VIEW the release

Editorial: Hold up Skinner execution for DNA tests

March 22, 2010

This editorial comes from the Dallas Morning News regarding Hank Skinner's scheduled execution - and his denial of access to DNA testing.
READ the editorial

Greg Wilhoit: Unsung Hero

March 16, 2010

Mike Farrell, an anti-death penalty activist (made famous for his work on the TV show M*A*S*H), wrote a beautiful piece in the Huffington Post honoring WTI member Greg Wilhoit.
READ the piece

DNA testing works, but not if we fail to utilize it

March 09, 2010

Sam Millsap, a friend to Witness to Innocence, wrote this editorial on DNA testing, innocence, and the death penalty. It was published March 9th in the Houston Chronicle.
READ the piece

Texas judge rules executions unconstitutional

March 05, 2010

A Houston judge on Thursday granted a pretrial motion declaring the death penalty unconstitutional, saying he believes innocent people have been executed. Story by the Houston Chronicle.
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Former death-row inmate tells Alvernia crowd: Seek justice

February 25, 2010

Shujaa Graham delivered a powerful speech to students and community members in Reading, PA at Alvernia College. Coverage by the Reading Eagle's Michelle Park.
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Death row survivors demand end to U.S. executions

February 24, 2010

Witness to Innocence members Ray Krone, Curtis McCarty, and Delbert Tibbs join Executive Director Kurt Rosenberg in calling for an end to U.S. capital punishment at the 4th World Congress Against the Death Penalty in Geneva.
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Establishing Innocence

February 22, 2010

Greg Taylor's exoneration after 16 years - though not a death row case - offers another stunning example of wrongful conviction and how difficult it is to have one's innocence proven. Article from the Durham Herald-Sun.
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Raise Your Voice Against Injustice in Texas

February 18, 2010

An editorial by Witness to Innocence Executive Director, Kurt Rosenberg.
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A STEP AWAY FROM DEATH

February 18, 2010

They are a deserving club of survivors. In the history of the United States, 139 innocent people have been rescued from death row, a place to which they should never have been sent. Here is coverage of Witness to Innocence's Birmingham gathering by El País Semanal (a weekly publication in Madrid) translated from Spanish to English.
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Innocence panel gets push

February 12, 2010

A state senator in Florida is pushing for an investigative panel to examine wrongful convictions called the "Innocence Commission." Witness to Innocence chairperson Freddie Lee Pitts of Florida points out the importance of such a commission saying, "it is critical that we don't risk an innocent person being executed. Nothing can raise an innocent man from the grave or erase the grief of the family and friends of the executed." Furthermore, "wrongful convictions only further injure the victims' loved ones."
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Possibly innocent man denied DNA testing

January 29, 2010

Hank Skinner, a Texas death row inmate, is scheduled for execution on February 24th. But critical DNA testing could justify his claims of innocence and lead to an exoneration - but Skinner is being denied access to these tests.
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A story from death row, by Juan Roberto Melendez-Colon

February 05, 2010

A first-person account by Juan Melendez explaining to readers of the New Hampshire Sentinel about his wrongful imprisonment and the importance of innocence.
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Texas panel meets, skips talk of Willingham case

January 29, 2010

The Texas state panel created to investigate the forensic science used in Cameron Todd Willingham's famous arson case held a meeting on January 29th. Unfortunately, Willingham's 2004 execution and the details of the case were not discussed.
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Johnson files wrongful conviction bill in first step to repeal death penalty

January 14, 2010

State Sen. Constance Johnson in Oklahoma has recognized the injustice of wrongful conviction, and has filed a bill to create an Oklahoma Commission on Wrongful Convictions.
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Exonerated Death Row Inmate Speaks to Students

January 14, 2010

Juan Melendez spoke with high school students in Louisville, KY this January.
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Total of eight Louisiana death row inmates have found innocent, freed

January 24, 2010

Louisiana has had a total of eight death row exonerations since 1976, which are discussed as a serious flaw to the state's employment of capital punishment in this article from the Shreveport Times.
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Texas panel to meet, but Willingham not on the agenda

January 21, 2010

The Texas Forensic Science Commission will meet on January 29th, but the significant case of Cameron Todd Willingham's 2004 execution is not on their agenda for discussion.
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Shujaa Graham Delivers Petition to Texas Governor

January 06, 2010

Witness to Innocence Shujaa Graham delivers a petition to Texas Governor Rick Perry at the 10th Annual March Against the Death Penalty.
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Report: Death sentences decline; death rows shrink

December 18, 2009

Innocence is cited as the leading factor in 2009's record low issues of death sentences.
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Exonerated Death Row Inmate Speaks Out

December 02, 2009

Ray Krone speaks at Belmont University in Nashville, just hours after Tennessee's sixth execution took place.
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TOOLS Gathering Interviews

November 19, 2009

ABC Birmingham visits Witness to Innocence at its fall gathering and highlights the stories of several death row survivors.
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Free From Death Row

November 18, 2009

News coverage of Witness to Innocence's gathering in Birmingham Alabama, where death row survivors spoke out about their experience.
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Gary Drinkard Interview

November 13, 2009

Gary Drinkard tells of his wrongful conviction and exoneration, and explains Witness to Innocence's mission, on the television show "Talk of Alabama."
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Death Row Survivor Talks

May 29, 2009

Printed in the May 29, 2009, Waterbury, Conn., Republican American, writer Paul Hughes writes about Randy Steidl and his efforts to encourage Connecticut Governer M. Jodi Rell to sign legislation abolishing capital punishment.
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Governor, we can’t afford another wrong man on death row

March 15, 2009

Printed in the March 15, 2009, Albuquerque Journal writer Leslie Linthicum writes an open letter to New Mexico Governor Bill Richardson, encouraging him to sign House Bill 285 which abolishes the death penalty and replaces it with life imprisonment without parole.
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2009 Legislature: Senators hear from former death-row inmate

March 07, 2009

In the March 7, Sante Fe New Mexican, Steve Terrell writes about former death row inmate Randy Steidl's appearance before the New Mexico legislature.
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Shameful Record on Executions

October 28, 2008

Bob Ray Sanders of the Fort Worth Star-Telegram wrote this powerful piece in conjunction with Witness to Innocence's fall 2008 gathering in Texas.
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Can the teeth tell all? The bite-mark debate

May 15, 2008

The York Daily Record's 2008 exploration of "junk science" and how it leads to wrongful convictions. Witness to Innocence staff member Ray Krone is featured prominently.
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Curtis McCarty Speaks

February 25, 2008

The Grand Island (Nebraska) Independent covered a talk given by Curtis McCarty, who spent two decades on death row in Oklahoma for a crime he did not commit. McCarty was released in May 2007.
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Killing An Innocent Man

February 24, 2008

An Op-Ed piece by Witness to Innocence member Ray Krone highlighting the importance of innocence in the conversation on capital punishment. It was printed in the Denver Post on February 24, 2008 and also appeared in the San Francisco Chronicle and the Arizona Republic.
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A System That Too Often Sacrifices the Innocence

December 02, 2007

An article by Witness to Innocence's Executive Director, Kurt Rosenberg. Published after the US carried out its 1,000th execution.
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