Have students write a personal response summarizing the video How do you feel after seeing Hintons struggle with the criminal justice system? Feb 24, 2017 Updated Feb 24, 2017. At the time of Mr. Hintons initial trial, his lawyer used a visually impaired civil engineer with little expertise in firearms to rebut prosecutors whose case hinged on linking the handgun found in Mr. Hintons home to a string of shootings in and around Birmingham. In the interview, Hinton described how issues of race permeated his case. BELTON Two Bell County men were indicted by a grand . In 1985, two Birmingham area fast-food restaurants were robbed and the managers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vason, were fatally shot. How was the case finally overturned? The States evidence of a match was wholly discredited by three highly qualified firearms examiners, including the former chief of the FBIs firearm and toolmarks unit, who testified in 2002 that the bullets from all three crimes could not be matched to a single gun at all, much less to Mrs. Hintons gun, and found that her gun could not have fired the bullets from the third uncharged robbery. This lesson uses a video segment from PBS NewsHours Searching for Justice series. "Number one, you're black. . Searching for Justice explores criminal justice reforms unfolding across the country, as the leaders from both sides of the political aisle attempt to end mass incarceration by rethinking laws that some say have become barriers to work, housing, and economic stability. [12] On April 1, 2015 the Jefferson County district attorneys office moved to drop the case. The panel questioned the findings of the Alabama authorities, but the state remained steadfast. Anthony Ray Hinton was released from prison in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday. 07.31.17. Among their efforts for criminal justice reform, the non-profit provides legal aid to those whove been imprisoned unjustly. Gonna have a white D.A. Anthony Ray Hinton, US, Speaker | 365 Christian Men EJIs probe into Rays trial was disturbing; among their findings: witnesses had been manipulated, Rays defense counsel was inept, and the surviving victims initial description of the assailant bore little resemblance to Ray. New York Times bestselling book by Anthony Ray Hinton. Adam Desiderio/ABC. Anthony Ray Hinton Equal Justice Initiative. The gun belonged to his mother, but forensics experts hired by the state of Alabama claimed that it was the murder weapon. By not voting, you allow people to get into the drivers seat that allows them to oppress you even more., For 30 years, Mr. Hinton was stripped of all his rights while he sat on Alabama's death row for a crime he didn't commit. [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. I asked God to remove this hatred, says Ray. Today, as EJI Community Educator, hes a tireless and powerful advocate for abolition of the death penalty. The only thing reportedly linking Hinton to the crime was the word of a fast food worker who picked Hinton out of a line-up, leading to his arrest. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Mr. Hinton is the 152nd person exonerated from an American death row since 1973. Falsely Convicted Of Murder, Man Spends 30 Years In Prison Sharing Jesus didnt say, Hey, when an enemy come across you, I want you to hate him, says Ray. Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of the Jefferson County Jail in Birmingham, Alabama, a free man for the first time in 30 years at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, April 3, 2015. 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. But as a poor black man in the South, Hinton was sentenced to death by electrocution. No fingerprints or eyewitness testimony were introduced. The lecture began with Hinton recounting the day of his arrest in extreme detail. The students had been so inspired by his earlier address that over 100 of them submitted a petition to the university administration, asking that he be invited to speak at commencement.[19]. [3], On April 3, 2015, Hinton was released from prison after Laura Petro, a Jefferson County Circuit Court judge, overturned his conviction and the state dropped all charges against him.[2][6]. Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast food restaurant managers and sentenced to death at the age of 29. He was going to be convicted anyway. Experiencing freedom after 30 years on death row | News | The Law An all-white jury would find Ray guilty of two counts of capital murder and sentence him to death by electric chair. At Holman Correctional Facility, Rays cell was a mere 30 feet from the execution chair they called Yellow Mama. The credibility of his ballistics expert - the only one the attorney thought he could hire with the funds available - was discredited by the prosecutor due to the expert's physical limitations and lack of experience. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 60 Minutes Profiles Life After Death Row for Exoneree Anthony Ray Hinton Love your enemy. The only way that we will ever conquer hate is love.. Despite the new evidence, the courts still refused to reopen Rays case. EJI attorneys engaged three of the nations top firearms examiners who testified in 2002 that the revolver could not be matched to crime evidence. According to Hinton, the officer who carried out his arrest said that he "didn't care whether I did it or not," guaranteeing he would be convicted. As for Ray, the courts would continue to block his appeals for a retrial. Somehow, he's not enraged", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anthony_Ray_Hinton&oldid=1136681327, Overturned convictions in the United States, 21st-century American non-fiction writers, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking reliable references from June 2022, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from June 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 16:12. Under the Fair Justice Act, I'd be dead. But on July 31, 1985, 29-year-old Ray's life changes drastically when the police arrest him for a series of murders that Ray didn't commit. I couldnt vote at one time in the state of Alabama, you couldnt marry outside of your race, you had to go to the back to get something to eat. I have never experienced anything like it.. Do You Know These 14 Hebrew Names of God? Ask students: What would you do if you or a loved one was arrested for a crime they did not commit? The lesson asks students to consider what it would be like to be convicted of a crime you didnt commit, or be a family member of someone convicted of a crime even though they are innocent. EJI lawyer Charlotte Morrison explains. 30-Year Alabama Death Row Inmate Uses Computer, ATMs for First Time When the very people that you been taught to believe in the police, the D.A., these are the people that are supposed to stand for justice and when you know that they lied to you, its hard for you to have trust in anybody, he said. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. Your natural reaction was it-it's over. By Jennifer Edwards Staff Writer. Legislators Wont Compensate Innocent Man for 30 Years on Death Row. The arresting officer told him chilling words he would never forget when authorities arrested him. 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). During their unlikely friendship, Ray saw God change Henry from a man full of hatred, to one who knew Gods love and had found redemption in Jesus Christ. 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, NBC News reports. HINTON v. ALABAMA | Supreme Court | US Law | LII / Legal Information Following his release, Hinton famously remarked, The sun do shine., Thirty years ago, the prosecution seemed deemed to take my life from me, he continued, according to an NPR report. I hated those men that did this to me.. He was wrongfully convicted of two murders and served nearly three decades in jail before being released in 2015. Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. During his decades in prison, he was supported by his mother's faith in his innocence, as well as that of a longtime friend, Lester Bailey, who visited him monthly. Anthony Ray Hinton - amazon.com "I Spent 30 YEARS In Prison For A Crime I DIDN'T COMMIT!" | Anthony Ray Anthony Ray Hinton spoke at Allegheny College on Thursday, Sept. 20. . by Anthony Ray Hinton with Lara Love Hardin The Sun Does Shine is a powerful examination of both our flawed justice system and of one man's personal resilience and faith. SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. Innocent on death row, former inmate joins Germanna 'Community Because he was convicted of something, he didnt even do. I mean ONLY.. A retired police officer in Essex County working as a private investigator and bounty hunter has sued officials in East Orange, claiming he spent four nights in jail after they arrested him on a . BY DEBORAH McKEON | TELEGRAM STAFF. Stunned, Hinton spent 30 years on Alabama's death row for crimes he didn't commit. A year ago, almost to the day, I traveled to Montgomery, Alabama for the Equal Justice Initiative's unveiling of the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice.. Alabama inmate Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of prison Friday as a free man after 30 years on death row. Casting a ballot represents a culmination of Mr. Hintons victory over that system., Voting for the first time was like a breath of fresh air. $140 per post at $7/CPM. Get to know others seeking Gods guidance and wisdom for life. As my good friend Bryan Stevenson says, the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice but justice needs help., How I got 30 years on death row for someone else's crime, 'I went to death row for 28 years through no fault of my own', Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. The first three years, I was in a stage of hating, says Ray. March 22, 20185:57 AM. [emailprotected]. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! And I have changed my views on so many things. Then, another crushing setback. Anthony Ray Hinton, age 61, now lives as a free man in the state of Alabama, where he was born and raised. Mr. Hinton will speak at Notre Dame Law School about his wrongful conviction in 1985, his years on Alabama's death row, and the experience of freedom. Pain and terror: America's history of racism, Let sleeping dogs lie: Lynching memorial angers some. Anthony Ray Hinton spent decades in jail for crimes he did not commit. Im going to bring the best out of everybody that come in touch with me, says Ray. 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 Brian Stevenson as he fights for the wrongly imprisoned including Hinton. Anthony Ray Hinton. The two Harriets were termed abolitionists because they wanted slavery to be abolished. "[14] He completed a memoir entitled The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row (2018), and has given readings and talks around the country about the book and his experiences. In the first two robberies, the managers were killed and there were no witnesses or physical evidence . Get more than a Sunday sermon. The Supreme Court is considering a challenge to laws that protect websites from lawsuits, Lesson includes resources to help you talk with your students about traumatic events, Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech and explore themes such as the social conditions in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement. AMY GOODMAN: Anthony Ray Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast-food managers in separate robberies in 1985. There is no question A Anthony Ray Hinton Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Family, Net Worth In 2014, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned his conviction based on his attorneys deficient representation, and Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Laura Petro ordered a new trial. Anthony Ray Hinton Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family . This has everything to do with the way we treat those who are vulnerable in our criminal justice system.. Smyth has spoken about how he uses comics in his classroom at numerous conferences including Comic Cons in San Diego, New York and Chicago as well as at the Pennsylvania and National Council for the Social Studies conferences. "[17], On May 19, 2019, Hinton spoke at St. Bonaventure University's commencement exercises and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree. The New York Times bestseller and Oprah's Book Club 2018 Selection. What challenges do you think theyd face once home after a long prison stay? And Anthony made a decision to accept the reality and still allow God to use him while in prison. In "True Justice" one of Mr. Stevenson's clients Anthony Ray Hinton Anthony, or Ray, still remembers the arresting officers chilling words There are five things that gonna convict you. Ray stayed on death row until the US Supreme Court overturned his sentence in 2015nearly thirty years later. Hinton speaks about racism's role in conviction. Anthony Ray Hinton: 'We abandoned our prison system' - al.com [4], After Hinton's arrest, his public defense attorney did not provide adequate counsel. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. Arrested for a series of capital murders in his home town with no corroborating evidence, and with no history of violent crime, Mr. Hinton was convicted on the basis of testimony that a gun owned by his mother - which had not been fired in 25 years - was the gun used in all three murders. What was the turning point in prison for Hinton? A jury found him guilty, a judge sentenced him to death. Pastor Glen Berteau wants to reignite the fire of God within believers that have allowed their faith to become dormant. His lawyer writes: Never have more guards, correctional staff and prison workers pulled me aside to offer assistance during the many years I have worked with Ray. 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. The reality is much worse as doctors find a large brain tumor behind Hes known as Johnny B. Badd from the World Wrestling Federation. My only crime was being born black in Alabama, Hinton writes, his prosecution nothing less than a lynching in which the white robes of the Ku Klux Klan were replaced by the black robes of justice. Plus, two long lost cousins Hooked on drugs before he was a teen, a meth addict has only one goal in life. Stunned, confused, and only 29 years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity . Alabama Refuses Compensation to Innocent Man Who Spent 30 Years on "Thirty years ago, the . God made it possible for you to know. Mr. Hinton walked out of the Jefferson County Jail a free man. The refusal of state prosecutors to re-examine this case despite persuasive and reliable evidence of innocence is disappointing and troubling.. So Ive got to forgive. Discuss as an entire class.