Innocence Project New Orleans

This morning at 9AM CT, the Supreme Court of the United States will hear oral argument about whether Oklahoma must execute Richard Glossip even though the attorney general?has conceded that his trial was unfair and has joined Mr. Glossip’s attorneys in asking that his sentence and conviction be vacated. The attorney general and Mr. Glossip will ask the Court to allow him to have a new, fair trial. Mr. Glossip was convicted of hiring a man to kill the owner of the hotel where he was a manager. The man that did the killing admitted, in exchange for avoiding the death penalty himself, testified that Mr. Glossip paid him to do so. No other direct evidence has ever implicated Mr. Glossip and he has maintained his innocence. After trial, it came to light that the witness had severe mental illness, and that prosecutors knew this and allowed him to lie at trial to cover it up.?Since then, independent investigations by Oklahoma legislators and the attorney general have revealed further errors in the prosecution of Mr. Glossip. The attorney general has petitioned the courts to ask for Mr. Glossip’s conviction and sentence to be thrown out, declaring that the rule of law requires as much. But the Oklahoma Board of Pardons denied Mr. Glossip’s clemency application and the Oklahoma Court of Criminal Appeals has refused to allow his conviction to be vacated. The Supreme Court of the United States has agreed to hear the case, but, in a concerning turn, has asked for special argument on whether or not they have any authority even to review the Oklahoma court’s decision. Oklahoma may be forced to execute Richard Glossip because of the senseless way in which our legal system prioritizes maintaining a conviction above all else. This is why Marcellus Williams was executed in Missouri fewer than 2 weeks ago, despite obvious flaws in his conviction. This is why Robert Roberson may be executed one week from today, despite significant evidence of his innocence. Our legal system protects convictions purportedly to give us confidence in the judicial process. But we cannot have confidence in a system that protects convictions even where evidence lays bare how the judicial process failed. We cannot have confidence in a system that is supposed to reveal the truth but cannot acknowledge the truth. You can listen to the argument before the Supreme Court live at 9AM CT, and read more about Mr. Glossip’s case here: https://lnkd.in/dsPxVZYm https://lnkd.in/gRnAkC5G https://lnkd.in/gJMGJAGX

Last night, Missouri executed Marcellus Williams. No reliable evidence connected him to the crime and even the St. Louis County Prosecuting Attorney had sought to have his conviction overturned, conceding that his trial was infected by racism, state misconduct, and a lawyer who had done an inexcusably poor job protecting Mr. Williams from the ultimate penalty. Mr. Williams maintained his innocence until the end. Missouri law allows the attorney general to interfere with a local prosecutor’s determination about vacating a conviction. Missouri’s attorney general ensured that Mr. Williams was killed last night, overriding not just the prosecutor, but the wishes of the victim’s widower who did not want Mr. Williams to die. Just as in Missouri, laws passed in Louisiana this year allow the attorney general to interfere with local prosecutorial discretion to do the right thing after a person is convicted. What’s more, our governor has promised to restart executions during his term, having won the legislative battle to expand methods of execution and shroud the proceedings in secrecy. But Louisiana has a shocking history of getting it wrong when it comes to the death penalty. Ninety-five percent of our death sentences have been overturned. Nearly half as many people have been fully exonerated from Louisiana’s death row as have been put to death here. Making it easier to execute people will only mean that Louisiana will kill more people who deserve to live. Mr. Williams’s execution is a devastating reminder of how our racist criminal legal system prioritizes keeping a flawed conviction in place over justice and fairness. Our thoughts are with all of those who cared for Mr. Williams, and who fought for him. Mr. Williams was represented by the Midwest Innocence Project. You can read more about his case in the article links below. https://lnkd.in/gtpcpKND https://lnkd.in/gq6QUYwc

We are excited to announce the launch of the National Police Index! NPI is a project and data tool showing police employment history data across the country. IPNO collaborated with the Invisible Institute and the Human Rights Data Analysis Group to build the data tool and process and clean state data, based on our experience developing the Louisiana Law Enforcement Accountability Database (LLEAD), which data is linked in the NPI under "Louisiana." The data was obtained from state police training and certification boards across the U.S. All but one state has such a system. In total, 27 states have released centralized employment history data, 17 of which are currently represented on the data tool. NPI will continue to update available state data as it is processed. Access to this employment data helps show potential “wandering officers”—those who repeatedly leave law enforcement jobs because of misconduct allegations and are rehired by other agencies, never facing accountability for the ways they have abused their power. The tool is intended for use by residents, journalists, researchers, attorneys, and other stakeholders. Much like NPI, LLEAD is a public tool that catalogues officer employment data across Louisiana, as well as misconduct complaints and discipline from over 600 law enforcement agencies in the state. IPNO built LLEAD because we recognized the connection between police misconduct and wrongful conviction, and believe in the importance of transparency about who is policing our neighborhoods. We are thrilled that NPI is now available to help people in other states identify information about their own officers and compare data and trends across states. We look forward to continuing to work the with Invisible Institute and HRDAG as the index grows. The National Police Index holds the promise of enhancing police accountability throughout the country. Learn more and explore the data at national.cpdp.co. You can search the Louisiana Law Enforcement Accountability Database at llead.co

See you all TONIGHT at our 23rd Anniversary "Oh, Freedom" Gala!!! ?? (Tickets can be purchased at the door via check, cash, or debit or credit card.)

We cannot wait to see you all tomorrow night! It is going to be such an extraordinary and memorable evening! Please be aware that all online ticket sales will end tonight at 11:59pm. Starting tomorrow all ticket purchases can be made at the door via check, cash, or debit or credit card. ?

Our Gala auction is live! We have amazing items for everyone. A Bradley Sabin & Karoline Schleh mixed media piece, Erika Goldring prints, Saints vs. Broncos tickets, Orpheum and Saenger tickets, a jazz cruise, jewelry, restaurant gift cards, and so much more. Bidding is now open to everyone and ends this Saturday, September 14th at 9:15pm. Let the bidding begin! https://lnkd.in/gVYG8D3y

We hope that you all made it safely through Hurricane Francine, and we hope to still see you all at our 23rd Anniversary "Oh, Freedom!" Gala this Saturday, September 14th. https://lnkd.in/ghQs52gT

Thank you to our 23rd Anniversary "Oh, Freedom!" Gala food and beverage sponsors! ?????

Shoutout to our “Oh, Freedom!” Gala sponsors! We appreciate you all! ????

We can't believe it's almost here! Just ONE MORE WEEK until we all get to celebrate together. Be sure to get your tickets TODAY! You don't want to miss out on this incredible night! ????? P.S. If you're interested in volunteering at the event, please email [email protected] for more information. https://lnkd.in/g8sjPXQa