Hintons public defender was roundly criticized for his work hetried to appeal his case and routinely failed, according to The Guardian. Founded by a lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, it had a track record of overturning unjust convictions and in winning a. Pastor Glen Berteau wants to reignite the fire of God within believers that have allowed their faith to become dormant. 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. What evidence was given? 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. . The first three years, I was in a stage of hating, says Ray. Hinton also had an alibi he was employedata warehouse at the time of the murders, and his boss said on the stand that Hinton was at work at the time of at least one of the murders, The Guardian reports. Number three, youre gonna have a white district attorney. Alabama inmate Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of prison Friday as a free man after 30 years on death row. 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. After 12 more years of litigation, theU.S. Supreme Court reversedthe lower courts, and a new trial was granted. [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. That paid for the experts who got it wrong. 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. Tennessee Lawmakers Lynching Comment Sparks Outrage, Compared to Neighboring Tennessee, Alabamas Execution Review Falls Short, Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Man Sentenced to Death in Arizona, Alabama Man Allegedly Held in Jail Freezer Dies of Hypothermia, 122 Commerce Street Montgomery, AL 36104 Hinton also had an alibi he was employedata warehouse at the time of the murders, and his boss said on the stand that Hinton was at work at the time of at least one of the murders, Twelve years after the new ballistics tests were ignored by an appeals court in 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court finally overturned Hintons conviction and granted him a new trial, at which point a new judge promptly dismissed the charges, according to a release from the, Hinton was exonerated in 2015, when he was 59 years old, according to, Thirty years ago, the prosecution seemed deemed to take my life from me, he continued, according to an NPR, Hintonstarted a book club while he was incarcerated, and went on to write a memoir about his experience, called, , Hinton has also found success as a motivational speaker and fierce advocate for prison reform, having been invited to dozens of universities and conferences to share his story since his release, according to the, "Just Mercy" opens in limited release on Christmas Day, and hits theaters everywhere on Jan. 10. 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. After 28 years of living in a cell that was five . By unanimous vote, the court ruled to grant Ray a new trial. I even asked God, What did I do so bad?. 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. Anthony Ray Hinton (born June 1, 1956) is an American activist, writer, and author who was wrongly convicted of the 1985 murders of two fast food restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama. (S. Pelley, Life After Death Row, 60 Minutes, January 10, 2016.) 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. If you didnt do it, one of your brothers did. Number one, youre black. That victim survived and then misidentified Hinton as his assailant; then the state completed this travesty by providing completely fake ballistic evidence to tie a gun found in Hintons mothers home to all three murders. 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. Hinton, 58, looked up, took in the sunshine and thanked God and his lawyers Friday morning outside the county jail in Birmingham, minutes after taking his first steps as a free man since 1985. 3. His peaceful morning was quickly interrupted when police officers - with a warrant for Hinton's arrest - taunted, handcuffed and arrested the teenage Hinton. 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. Overview: The struggle to adapt to life after conviction is a major challenge, especially for those who were innocent of the crime that led to a prison sentence. In 2020, all of the candidates he voted for were Democrats. We conclude that they did not and hold that Hinton's trial attorney rendered constitutionally deficient performance. All the while, Mr. Hinton remained at a prison in south Alabama, awaiting his execution. Anthony Ray Hinton. Anthony, or Ray, still remembers the arresting officers chilling words There are five things that gonna convict you. An all-white jury sentenced him guilty of two counts of capital murder and to death by electric chair.. "Real Love had no Color" - Falsely Convicted Black Man Encounters Jesus on Death Row, Falsely Convicted Of Murder, Man Spends 30 Years In Prison Sharing Jesus, Bob Marley Turned To Christ Before His Death Professing, Jesus Take Me, Jewish Woman Hears Gods Voice While Being Revived, Youre Not Dying Here. He was convicted because hes poor, Mr. Stevenson said. This lesson uses a video segment from PBS NewsHours Searching for Justice series. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. "To be accused of murder, itto me, it-it don't get no worse than that," says Anthony. But Hinton was ultimately convicted due to a gun that was discovered in his mothers home, where he lived. The civil engineer testified that the ballistics test did not link the gun authorities found to either of the shootings. 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. 0. Among the authors whom the prisoners read and discussed were James Baldwin and Harper Lee. [5], While on death row, Hinton spent much of his time reading. Theres five things theyre going to convict you to, the officer told him. Do You Know These 14 Hebrew Names of God? Alabama law provides that compensation may be awarded to a wrongfully incarcerated person if the Committee on Compensation for Wrongful Incarceration finds that hemeets the eligibility criteria, but applying for compensation is often a meaningless exercise because the statute requires alegislative enactment toappropriate the necessary funds. And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury.. One of the longest serving death row prisoners in Alabama history and among the longest serving condemned prisoners to be freed after presenting evidence of innocence, Mr. Hinton becamethe 152nd person exonerated from death row since 1983 when he wasreleased on April 3, 2015. The only evidence linking Hinton to the. Living the Christian life is a journey. Hinton was freed in 2015 after spending 28 years on death row for two 1985 murders that occurred during separate robberies of fast-food restaurants in Birmingham. "[unreliable source?] Officers had retrieved . In 1985, two Birmingham area fast-food restaurants were robbed and the managers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vason, were fatally shot. 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. What did I do? All of yall always doing something and the moment you get caught, you say you didnt do it. What do you do with that? asks Ray. Mr. Hinton was appointed a lawyer who mistakenly thought he could not get enough money to hire a qualified firearms examiner. Ray has a strong alibi for one of the incidents, and the supposed murder weapon, Ray's mom's gun, hasn't been fired in years, but the authorities refuse to consider this. Today, as EJI Community Educator, hes a tireless and powerful advocate for abolition of the death penalty. (Teacher Tip the three charts in the article can be shared and analyzed without having to read the entire article.). State prosecutors never questioned the new findings but nonetheless refused to re-examine the case or concede error. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. Anthony Ray Hinton spent decades in jail for crimes he did not commit. Hinton declined to sign it. The bill never even made it out of committee. Feb 24, 2017 Updated Feb 24, 2017. 2. In 2015, Hintons 30 years of unbroken prayers were answered and the nations highest court ruled unanimously in his favor. [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. Bryan Stevenson, one of Mr. Hintons lawyers and the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, said Mr. Hintons right to justice had been limited as an impoverished black man. No one knows the hardship created by our inefficient system more than I do, Mr. Hinton wrote. They had every intention of executing me for something I didn't do. The two Harriets were termed abolitionists because they wanted slavery to be abolished. 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. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. In "True Justice" one of Mr. Stevenson's clients Anthony Ray Hinton discusses his arrest. $140 per post at $7/CPM. 2. 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. As it concerns Alabama, however, a representative from the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama said that Hinton has yet to receive an official apology or any restitution due him from the state of Alabama. and "Y'all blacks always sticking up for each other."[who?] Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Former death row inmate Anthony Ray Hinton, who was exonerated in 2015 after spending nearly 30 years behind bars in Alabama, says he has forgiven the state for its decades-long injustice. Copyright 2022 GOD TV, Simco Media LLC. Hes also written a book about his journey of forgiveness and redemption, hoping his story will inspire change and healing. He spent 30 years in prison until, with the help of. They were both convicts on death row. Hinton's case was taken up by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. Hinton was convicted of each of the two murders and sentenced to death. The legislature has resisted approval of this payment, as state authorities say that he did not prove his innocence. I mean ONLY.. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and wrongfully charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. Wrongly convicted, he was on death row for decades. Dick Kearns, Fr. A jury found him guilty, a judge sentenced him to death. If this is where God intends for me to be and die, this is where I die. 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. Mr. Stevenson said it was unclear whether Mr. Hinton would ever receive any compensation from the state. Mar 30, 2016 Updated Mar 31, 2016. Then in 1998, the Equal Justice Initiative, or EJI, decided to take Rays case. YOU HAVE 20,000 FOLLOWERS: $100 per post at a $5/CPM. Winner of the 2019 Moore Prize Finalist, Dayton Peace Prize, 2019 "An amazing and heartwarming story, it restores our faith in the inherent goodness of humanity." - Archbishop Desmond Tutu A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, and justice. Anthony Ray Hinton did not sleep very well the night before Tuesdays presidential election. But the state court of Alabama refused to overturn his convictions or grant a new trial. We vacate the lower court's judgment and remand the case . I have never experienced anything like it.. Hinton was 29 when was convicted and sentenced to die in the state's electric chair. [3], In February 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States vacated the state court conviction in a unanimous per curiam decision. You want to know why?, Number one, youre black. We have a system that treats you better if youre rich and guilty than if youre poor and innocent, and his case proves it. Im Christel Berns. 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. Gonna have a white D.A. He said to Hinton, "All of y'all blacks always say you didnt do something. Ray was arrested, convicted, imprisoned, and sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit. In 2003, for instance, the Alabama attorney general said, The experts did not prove Mr. Hintons innocence, and the state does not doubt his guilt.. Then, another crushing setback. He was wrongfully convicted of two murders and served nearly three decades in jail before being released in 2015. After 30 years on death row, Anthony Ray Hinton was exonerated over two years ago. We are here to help and encourage you! "[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. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Copyright 2021 NewsHour Production LLC. 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. The Lost Books Of The Bible: Should We Accept Or Reject? For your mom not to be here the day that you are released, to run into her arms and say, Im home, Mom isI try my best to be the son that she brought me up to be, says Ray. Stunned, Still, even though Stevenson had new ballistics tests performed on Hintons behalf, the Alabama courts denied the appeal, after taking two years to deliberate. 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. I finally looked at you as a human being.. Twelve years after the new ballistics tests were ignored by an appeals court in 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court finally overturned Hintons conviction and granted him a new trial, at which point a new judge promptly dismissed the charges, according to a release from the Equal Justice Initiative. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice, Rekindling the Power of God Within to Effect Change. AMY GOODMAN: Anthony Ray Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast-food managers in separate robberies in 1985. I dont believe the God that I serve is gonna let me die for a crime He knows I didnt commit.. But then, soon, he realized he became the person his mother didnt raise him to be. Under the Fair Justice Act, I'd be dead. According to what we discussed this year the Anthony Ray Hinton, who was on death row for nearly 30 years, had been charged and convicted in the 1985 murders of two Birmingham area fast-food managers. Despite pleas by Mr. Hintons lawyers, who cited conclusions by newly enlisted specialists, the state refused for years to reconsider the evidence. So Ive got to forgive. 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. I am passionate in sharing Gods love to the world through the skills and talents God has blessed me with. Four, youre gonna have a white judge. Id., at 687-688, 694. [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. Ray stayed on death row until the US Supreme Court overturned his sentence in 2015nearly thirty years later. 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. Hinton was freed on the morning Friday, April 3, 2015, the 152nd death row inmate exonerated since 1983, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. St. Bonaventure University in New York awarded Hinton an honorary doctorate degree in May. When Ray was arrested for crimes he didn't commit, he remembers telling the police officers that he didn't do it. Anthony Ray Hinton. [4], Additionally, Hintons boss testified that Hinton was working at the time of the incident, and that he was cleaning the supermarket; despite this, the jury still convicted him. Police arrest Anthony Ray Hintonthe man they believe committed three armed robberies that left two restaurant managers dead, and a third wounded. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Anthony Hinton. 4. With the help of his co-author Lara Love Hardin, Hinton conveys all the horror of his years in solitary confinement, barely able to breath in 120F (49C) summer heat, eating food that tasted like dust. 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. He organized a book club that was allowed to meet in the prison's law library. Officers had retrieved a handgun from Mr. Hintons home and, after analyzing it and the recovered bullets, concluded that the shootings were tied. -- Anthony Ray Hinton spent more than half his life on death row in southern Alabama. "Thirty years ago, the . Start your day together with God and the GOD TV team. For Ray, it was a bittersweet moment. [15] Writing for The Guardian, Tim Adams described the book as, "a story of forgiveness and struggle"[16] and concludes that, "his wonderful memoir recreates the ways he escaped from his cell in his head had tea with the Queen of England, married Halle Berry and how he shared that possibility with his fellow death row inmates. He woke up at 5 a.m., showered, brewed himself some coffee and, not knowing how long he would have to wait, made himself breakfast that would stick to his ribs. Ray would spend his time fighting not only a legal system that would block every one of his appeals, but the bitterness in his heart. This isnt luck, this was a system, this was actually our justice system, it was our tax dollars who paid for the police officers who arrested Mr. Hinton. Introductions: Anthony Ray Hinton May 2, 2019. Ray began to realize the person he had become wasnt the one his mother had raised him to bea man who loved God and followed the example of Jesus Christ.
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