At 2 p.m. on September 21, 2012, John Smith will hear the words he has been longing to hear for 19 years! ”Your conviction is vacated and you are free to go home.”
JOIN US on Friday, September 21, 2012 @ 2 p.m. Clara Shortridge Foltz Criminal Justice Center Honorable Patricia M. Schnegg Dept. 100, 13-307 210 W. Temple St., 13th floor Los Angeles, CA 90012
The Los Angeles County District Attorney’s office will submit on the habeas petition Innocence Matters filed on Mr. Smith’s behalf. This comes after Deputy District Attorney Marc St. Hippolyte painstakingly reviewed John’s habeas petition and conducted his own investigation, all of which corroborated John’s innocence. If the proceeding goes as expected, John will walk out of court and into the arms of his father, brothers, sister, and grandmother. Of course, I will be standing nearby with the many law students, law graduates and interns who together dedicated thousands of hours to help John gain his rightful freedom.
I will be beaming with pride for all the hard work that these students and young lawyers put in to free John.
All of us at Innocence Matters are excited to witness what John will accomplish once free. Our immediate plans are to have a few laughs and some pizza with John. After that, we’ll need to dig in and help John get on his feet. Maybe you can help.
Perhaps after you learn more about our work on John’s case, you will be moved to donate to the Welcome Home John Fund.
Pingback: A Case of Short Cuts: Innocence Matters Expects Client’s Release Monday | Wrongful Convictions Blog