Friday, January 27, 2012

Justice Greets the New Year in Chicago and Texas

From The Innocence Project: www.innocenceproject.org

Michael Saunders, Terrill Swift, Harold Richardson and Vincent Thames were officially exonerated today when prosecutors decided to drop the charges against them for a 1994 murder in the Englewood neighborhood of Chicago. The so-called “Englewood Four” were wrongfully convicted as teenagers based on their false confessions although DNA evidence always demonstrated that they could not have been the perpetrators.  Read more about the case here.



Just days into 2012, a Texas judge released Rickey Dale Wyatt and recommended that his rape conviction be vacated after he had served nearly 31 years. Working closely with the Dallas District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit, the Innocence Project secured Wyatt’s release through DNA and other evidence, including eyewitness misidentification evidence that the original prosecutors failed to turn over to Wyatt’s defense.  Read news coverage of his release here.  Read background on the case here.

Help prevent future injustice. Join the Innocence Project’s online community to receive regular updates and action alerts.

1 comment:

  1. It's so sad to see how bad our justice system fails. Whenever I read articles on wrongfully convicted individuls, it makes me cringe to know that it's more times than not because of evidence being held; or the lack of integrity by the prosecutors who just want a conviction. I can't imagine all the things this innocent man has lost in the time he spent rotting in a cell for someone else's crime

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