It was there on a panel discussion, Reforming Criminal Justice in America . 2. Hinton (portrayed in the movie by O'Shea Jackson Jr.) was arrested and convicted in Alabama in 1985 for the murders of two fast food restaurant managers who worked at different places, and who were killed months apart that year, NBC News reports. On February 24, 2014, the Supreme Court today unanimously granted relief to Anthony Hinton, finding that his trial lawyer was constitutionally deficient. Only by the grace of God, says Ray. But last year, the Supreme Court said that Mr. Hintons defense had been unacceptable, setting up a new trial and essentially forcing prosecutors to review the evidence for a case in which they acknowledged the forensic studies were paramount. Two days later, after serving 30 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit, Ray was released. In recent days leading up to the vote, Hinton had been thinking more about his grandparents and his parents, who he said werent allowed to vote because of voter suppression such as literacy tests, polls taxes and intimidation. I realized I was there because the wrong people were in office and I had a chance to begin to put men and women that are going to uphold the Constitution.. He was convicted of two murders in 1985. Then in 2014, the U.S. Supreme Court agreed to hear Rays case. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. Download the free myCBN app. The Lost Books Of The Bible: Should We Accept Or Reject? The panel questioned the findings of the Alabama authorities, but the state remained steadfast. In 1985, Hinton was arrested and charged with two capital murders based solely on the assertion that a dusty revolver taken from his mother's home was the gun used in both murders and in a third uncharged crime. Why was it important for a white ballistics expert to be hired? No one knows the hardship created by our inefficient system more than I do, Mr. Hinton wrote. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Anthony Ray Hinton was sentenced to death and held in solitary confinement for 28 years on Alabama's death row before he was exonerated in 2015. Ray still remembers one of their last conversations before Henrys execution in 1997. [12] On April 1, 2015 the Jefferson County district attorneys office moved to drop the case. Hinton is the 152nd person since 1973 to be exonerated from death row in the United States, and the sixth in the state of Alabama. Police seized an old revolver belonging to Mr. Hinton's mother, and state firearm examiners said that was the gun used in all three crimes. The 64-year-old, whose story was featured in the HBO documentary film True Justice, is one of thousands of formerly incarcerated Americans who are casting ballots amid a new movement to restore their reentry into society and a reckoning on criminal justice and racism in America. For more than 15 years, EJI attorneys repeatedly asked state officials to re-examine the evidence in this case, but former Jefferson County District Attorney David Barber, and Attorneys General from Troy King to Luther Strange, all failed to do so. The lecture began with Hinton recounting the day of his arrest in extreme detail. The prosecutorwho had a documented history of racial bias and said he could tell Mr. Hinton was guilty and evil solely from his appearancetold the court that the States experts asserted match between Mrs. Hintons gun and the bullets from all three crimes was the only evidence linking Mr. Hinton to the Davidson and Vason murders. 0. By AFP Reporters Alabaman Anthony Ray Hinton, an African American spent 30 years on death row because, he says, he was "black and poor." His name finally cleared in Alabama, he now campaigns for justice which he says can only be achieved by beating Donald Trump at the ballot box. All Rights Reserved, U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies. The two Harriets were termed abolitionists because they wanted slavery to be abolished. Anthony Ray Hinton's wrongful conviction and time on death row is featured in the upcoming drama, Just Mercy. The film, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx, follows attorney. On Sunday, January 10, 60 Minutes aired an interview with Anthony Ray Hinton, who was exonerated on April 3, 2015 after spending nearly 30 years on Alabamas death row. So I believe in the promise of hope alive, he said. Gonna have a white D.A. State prosecutors never questioned the new findings but nonetheless refused to re-examine the case or concede error. I dont have a choice., Alabama Man Freed After Decades on Death Row, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/04/us/anthony-ray-hinton-alabama-prison-freed-murder.html. And Anthony made a decision to accept the reality and still allow God to use him while in prison. They gonna say you shot him. By Christina Gould, SAL Patron Services Manager. He must do exactly what he said he would do. This lesson is part of NewsHours Searching for Justice series on criminal justice reform. It took almost a decade for Mr. Hinton and his lawyers to recruit a panel of experts, including a former F.B.I. In 2018, Alabama residents who were previously convicted of felonies were able to register to vote under the Moral Turpitude Act of 2017. March 22, 20185:57 AM. Mr. Hintons application was approved by the committee, and this session,State Senator Paul Bussman sponsored a bill to appropriate the funds to compensateMr. Hinton. Yes, Im going to write and spread His love because I love Him and His people, and my heart is to live for Him. Anthony Hinton, 29 years old with no history of violent crime, steadfastly maintained his innocence. "Just Mercy" opens in limited release on Christmas Day, and hits theaters everywhere on Jan. 10. Instead, They Want to Speed Up Executions. Hinton was a special guest and speaker at 442 Orange St. on Tuesday evening for an event honoring the innocent on death row hosted by Jewish society Shabtai. (334) 269-1803 But that isnt what makes this a genuine spiritual experience: that comes from the nearly biblical capacity of the author to endure, to forgive, and finally to triumph. What evidence was given? Under the Fair Justice Act, I'd be dead. Jacobs was afraid to publish or write her tale, but Douglass was not, and her story was published in many variations. Among the authors whom the prisoners read and discussed were James Baldwin and Harper Lee. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice, Rekindling the Power of God Within to Effect Change. Since Anthony Ray Hinton was exonerated and released from death row over two years ago, Alabama lawmakers have not only refused to compensate him for the three decades he spent on death row for a crime he did not commit, but also passed legislation changing the appeals process in death penalty cases so that innocent people like Mr . Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Since Anthony Ray Hinton was exonerated and released from death row over two years ago, Alabama lawmakers have not only refused to compensate him for the three decades he spent on death row for a crimehe did not commit, but also passed legislation changing the appeals process in death penalty cases so that innocent people like Mr. Hinton now face aneven greater risk of being executed. It hurts so bad, says Ray. In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with the murders of two restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama. In the interview, Hinton described how issues of race permeated his case. If this is where God intends for me to be and die, this is where I die. I dont believe the God that I serve is gonna let me die for a crime He knows I didnt commit.. Warm-up activity: Think, write, and share with a partner (virtual option create a Google doc or online discussion have students write their answers and respond to at least one other students answer). Anthony was a man who loved God and followed the example of Jesus Christ. Despite his innocence, Anthony Ray Hinton lingered on death row for nearly 30 years for crimes he did not commit. Have students write a personal response summarizing the video How do you feel after seeing Hintons struggle with the criminal justice system? Despite pleas by Mr. Hintons lawyers, who cited conclusions by newly enlisted specialists, the state refused for years to reconsider the evidence. [4], Hinton's initial appeals continued to be handled by his public defender, Sheldon C. Perhacs, who lost each of Hintons cases. It only takes the first two pages of the introduction by the authors equally remarkable lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, to make the reader appalled. But in order for me to be free, I had no choice but to pray for those men that did this to me. So, Ray made a decision. [4], The prosecution's only evidence at the trial was a statement that ballistics tests showed four crime scene bullets matched Hinton's mother's gun, which was discovered at her house during the investigation. In 2015, Hintons 30 years of unbroken prayers were answered and the nations highest court ruled unanimously in his favor. Im going to bring the best out of everybody that come in touch with me, says Ray. [3], In February 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States vacated the state court conviction in a unanimous per curiam decision. Anthony, or Ray, still remembers the arresting officers chilling words There are five things that gonna convict you. Then he found hope in sharing Christ during his nearly 30 years on death row. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and wrongfully charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. To be accused of murder, itto me, it-it dont get no worse than that, says Anthony. Hinton (portrayed in the movie by O'Shea Jackson Jr.) was arrested and convicted in Alabama in 1985 for the murders of two fast food restaurant managerswho worked at different places, and who were killed months apart that year. This has nothing to do with luck. (What were the five reasons given by the white police officer that guaranteed Mr. Hintons supposed guilt?) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence. Anthony Ray Hinton was released from prison in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday. Hinton wasnt eligible to vote in the 2016 presidential election. [4], After Hinton had been on death row for about a decade, Bryan Stevenson at the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a non-profit based in Montgomery, Alabama, picked up his case,[4] handling his defense for 16 years. Write the Vision, Make It Plain, Run With It. There was no evidence at all to tie Hinton to two of the three murders he was accused of, and he was locked in a supermarket warehouse cleaning floors when a restaurant manager 15 miles away was abducted, robbed and shot. Anthony Ray Hinton, an innocent man, spent 30 years on death row in Alabama because, he says, he was "black and poor." His name finally cleared, he now campaigns for justice -- which he says. I dont think the society nor the men that did this to me realized what they took from me, says Ray. Anthony Ray Hinton's story of being wrongfully convicted and serving almost thirty years on Death Row is one of gargantuan unfairness. Join Washington Post senior critic-at-large Robin . Why me? Number three, youre gonna have a white district attorney. [10] The Court ruled that Hinton's original defense lawyer had provided "constitutionally deficient" ineffective assistance of counsel, and remanded his case to the Alabama state court for retrial. And Henry said, Well, you know, Ray, Ive been reading the Bible. He went on tospend 28 years on death row 30 yearsin all, without his freedom. #ElectionDay #Vote2020 pic.twitter.com/J2eFOWnheD. But Hinton was ultimately convicted due to a gun that was discovered in his mothers home, where he lived. official, to review the forensic evidence. Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast food restaurant managers and sentenced to death at the age of 29. Deputies escort Mr. Hinton in the courthouse during his trial. Start your day together with God and the GOD TV team. A man released from prison after nearly 30 years on death row in Alabama has blamed his conviction on being black and poor. Hintons public defender was roundly criticized for his work hetried to appeal his case and routinely failed, according to The Guardian. St. Bonaventure University in New York awarded Hinton an honorary doctorate degree in May. "To be accused of murder, itto me, it-it don't get no worse than that," says Anthony. 4. Rays mother, whod visited him almost every week since his incarceration, died in 2002. On July 25, 1985, a restaurant in Bessemer was robbed and the manager was shot but not seriously wounded. It was an overwhelming day, and it should never have taken that long, says Charlotte. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. When Hinton was done eating, about half past six, he drove to the polling location where he would cast his first vote in a presidential election since he was released from Alabamas death row. [2] Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years before his 2015 release.[2][3][4][5][6]. Convicted, he was sentenced to death and held in solitary confinement on Alabamas death row for 28 years, before being exonerated. If you could speak with anyone interviewed in the video, what are two questions you would ask them? Death Row Exonoree Wednesday, April 12, 2023 8pm. Hintons luck changed, however, when Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer with the Equal Justice Initiative, took on his case. But it would be a single piece of evidence that held the key to proving Rays innocence. Having spent 30 years on Alabama's death row as an innocent man, the now-freed 64-year-old knows about confinement. [4] Finally, Hinton was the last prisoner left on death row. The legislature has resisted approval of this payment, as state authorities say that he did not prove his innocence. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. . The bill never even made it out of committee. Ray Hinton's story is astounding on so many levels. Mr. Hinton thanked his supporters and legal team. One of his arresting officers explained his fate this way, after the prisoner told him he could prove he had been working at the time of one of the murders: You know, I dont even care whether you did or didnt do it In fact, I believe you didnt do it. Hinton told 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley about a conversation he had with a police lieutenant after having been arrested: I said, You got the wrong guy. And he said, I dont care whether you did it or dont. He said, But you gonna be convicted for it. Love your enemy. The only way that we will ever conquer hate is love.. We are here to help and encourage you! Executions are carried out in the name of the people of Alabama and we should all be concerned if we make oursystem less reliable and the execution of innocent people more likely. Mr. Hinton, during an interview in which he sometimes cried and buried his head in his hands, lashed out at the officials whose decisions he said had kept him wrongly imprisoned. Students will look at the ways race and other factors play a role in wrongful convictions. He has one message for everyone who will listen: Our system is broken, and its time to put a stop to the death penalty. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! With no credible expert to challenge the States assertion of a match, Mr. Hinton was convicted and sentenced to death. In the summer of 1985 in Birmingham, Alabama, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested, tried, and convicted of the murders of two restaurant workers earlier that year; two crimes he was innocent of. EJI attorneys engaged three of the nation's top firearms . The only evidence that the state ever had claimed, connected Mr. Hinton, did not exist.. Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. [2] During the appeals, EJI introduced evidence from three forensic experts, including one from the FBI, showing that the bullets from the crime scenes did not match Hinton's mother's gun. The 29-year-old found himself helpless and questioned God what he did so wrong for it to happen to him. Hinton was 29 when was convicted and sentenced to die in the state's electric chair. He was going to be convicted anyway. Hinton declined to sign it. 24, 2019, 2:11 p.m. Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent nearly 30 years on Alabama's death row, was freed this morning after prosecutors told a judge they won't re-try him for the 1985 . YouTube | 700 Club Interactive "There's five things they're going to convict you to," the officer told him. Joe Nangle will also be honored May 19 Anthony Ray Hinton will deliver the keynote address May 19 at St. Bonaventure University's 159 th Commencement ceremony, almost four years after he left an indelible impression on the class about to graduate.. Hinton was released from prison in April 2015 after spending 30 years on Alabama's death row for a crime he did . Despite the new evidence, the courts still refused to reopen Rays case. SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. (You will need to make a copy of the document to edit it.). When he was arrested the police officer told him that he would have a white judge, a white jury and a white man was going to testify that Mr. Hinton killed a man. Mr. Hinton wrote: Because the so called Fair Justice Actnow pending before the state legislatureputs time restrictions on how long death row prisoners have to prove their innocence or a wrongful conviction, this legislation increases the risk of executing innocent people and makes our system even less fair. It was 1986. See Innocence and Race. Smyth maintains a comprehensive website and blog on all things comics in education at TeachingWithComics.com. Officers had retrieved a handgun from Mr. Hintons home and, after analyzing it and the recovered bullets, concluded that the shootings were tied. This is the state of Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat and we changed things through legislation and the vote. There were no eyewitnesses or fingerprint evidence; police had no suspects and pressure to solve the murders grew as similar crimes continued. Discover steps to bring you closer to Christ. You dont know freedom until its taken from you, Hinton told The Washington Post on Tuesday night. Hinton speaks about racism's role in conviction. Alabama On Sunday, January 10, 60 Minutes aired an interview with Anthony Ray Hinton, who was exonerated on April 3, 2015 after spending nearly 30 years on Alabama 's death row. He has become an inspirational speaker, traveling the country and the world.
How To Make A Bullet Point On A Chromebook, Articles A