Organization of Exonerees

Ten years ago today, 12-year-old Tamir Rice was shot by #Cleveland police while holding a toy gun, sparking national protests for police reform. Today, a #Detroit man who spent nine years wrongfully imprisoned has turned his own experience into a force for change. Eric Anderson, wrongfully convicted of armed robbery in 2010 at age 20, was exonerated in 2019. He's now cofounder of the?Organization of Exonerees, a nonprofit supporting those who are wrongfully convicted. Anderson said his own testimony helps train police officers. "With the hope that them hearing our stories, they can approach their job cautiously," Anderson explained. "We also let them know, 'If y'all do nefarious things, it's going to come back and bite y'all.' Keep it clean across the board. Don't plant evidence, don't lie, don't try to take away stuff in order to get a conviction." At the time of the crime he was accused of, evidence revealed Anderson was more than 10 miles away at a restaurant, where he'd been shot in the foot as a bystander to an altercation. Experts believe 1% to 3% of people in prison nationwide could be innocent, which may mean up to 1,000 people in Michigan are wrongfully incarcerated. After a four-year effort, Anderson and other advocates for safer policing are making a final push in Michigan's lame-duck legislative session, for the?Police Improvement and Community Relations Bill Package, which includes guidelines for police use of force, would boost transparency in investigations and improve training on de-escalation and bias. Anderson loves the proposals, mainly for their focus on officer training and de-escalation. "Being an officer of the law and a person that's here to serve and protect us, you're supposed to be fluent in the skills of de-escalation," Anderson contended. "Trying to calm somebody down so you can come to the conclusion about what's really going on and the next course of action." As of 2023, #Michigan's compensation fund has given more than $50 million to exonerees, although delays persist for some in getting support.

It is such a great honor to do work that will have a lasting impact. The opportunity to be apart of the University of Illinois and Illinois Innocence Project Wrongful Conviction's Avoidance and Awareness Training is such a great thing. Thousands of young cadets answer the call to serve communities all over the country. But it is Illinois that is leading in making sure that those we depend on is better prepared. My life was directly impacted by a wrongful conviction and now I have the opportunity to invest in the future in such a way. The best part is when a cadet comes up and say, "I will never forget your story."

I’m happy to share that I’ve been involved as a Volunteer with Detroit Branch NAACP. It's a great organization - please comment below or message me if you would like to learn more or get involved. https://lnkd.in/g9ZuSBBb

On September 25th, I had the privilege of being a panelist at the University of Detroit Mercy’s Innocence Lost: Deconstructing a Wrongful Conviction event. It was an honor to sit alongside exoneree Eric Anderson and the Honorable Chief Judge Donald L. Knapp Jr. The panel delved into Mr. Anderson’s wrongful conviction, emphasizing the critical importance of integrity and justice in our legal system, and the immense efforts needed to correct such miscarriages of justice. While I wasn’t directly involved in Mr. Anderson’s case, I was grateful to share insights from my role as a student intern and project consultant, where I work on DNA and forensic cases at the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) under the guidance of Deputy Chief and Director Valerie Newman. I’m incredibly thankful to be part of the CIU, learning from the experiences of those directly impacted by wrongful convictions and having the opportunity to contribute to this important conversation. A heartfelt thanks to Valerie Newman and Director Beth Greenberg Morrow of the Oakland County CIU for the opportunity to participate in this event and for organizing and moderating such a important discussion. #WrongfulConvictions #CriminalJustice #CIU #ForensicScience #Innocence #CriminalJustice #LawStudent #2L #UDMLaw #WindsorUniversityLaw

Our team had a fantastic time working with Chicago PD to end #wrongfulconviction by training their recruits on the prevalence of wrongful conviction in our system today and the most common contributing factors that lead to wrongful conviction. They were also able to hear from Kenneth Nixon and Eric Anderson who shared their personal stories of wrongful conviction in the State of Michigan.

Meet the new faculty: Professor Elizabeth Cole joins the College of Law as the director of the newly established Nebraska Innocence Clinic. Prof. Cole’s passion for innocence work stems from her drive to address the big-picture injustices she’s witnessed in the criminal legal system. “This is exactly what I wanted to do, which is teach students how to right the wrongs and how to fight injustices that we see, but also the very practical aspects of being an attorney,” she said. For more from Professor Cole and the Nebraska Innocence Clinic, visit https://go.unl.edu/esv5. #InnocenceClinic #NELaw

From a Life sentence in prison to a Lifetime Achievement Award from The White House. I spent 20 years in prison for a crime I didn't commit. It's amazing how circumstances can change from YOU being on the bottom to YOU being on top. God is Good!!

What an incredible honor to meet and have a conversation with our current VP and next President of the United States, Kamala Harris! ?? We discussed the importance of amplifying the voices of justice-impacted people in politics and dove deep into the urgent need for criminal justice reform. ?? A huge shoutout to the Detroit vs Everybody team for making this moment possible. And, as always, endless gratitude to my big brother, mentor, friend, and fellow justice warrior Darryl Woods for your guidance and unwavering commitment to change. Let’s continue breaking down doors and dismantling the corrupt power structures and barriers that hold our communities back. #IfNotUsThenWho #OrganizationofExonerees #SafeandJustMi #CriminalJusticeReform #Leadership #Change @organizationofexonerees Marvin Cotton Jr Eric Anderson Dani Hourani Wayne State University

From a life sentence to top leadership in less than four years. Sounds like destiny to me????