Organization of Exonerees

Last week I visited Thumb Correctional Facility in my home State of Michigan. I've had the opportunity to visit several prisons in the past, but each time is always filled with deep emotion, internal conflict, and a conviction to see it through. After spending 19 years, 7 months, and 12 days in the Michigan Department of Corrections for a crime I didn't commit, it drums up a host of feelings, experiences, lost, and extremely hard days. I remember it all. It wasn't yesterday, but my wrongful conviction feels like it on most days. I carried on my back the heaviness of a natural life sentence without the possibility of parole. Enough to make most people's legs buckle under the weight. So anytime I can go back inside and deliver a message, some light, hope, and conviction... I go.

Pleasure catching up with Detroit Exoneree Kenneth Nixon at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill this evening! Ken shared the details of his wrongful conviction and the work he and the Organization of Exonerees are doing in Michigan and across the nation to combat wrongful convictions and promote criminal justice reform. Honored to have had a front row seat in the jam packed student filled auditorium ???? Super proud of you bro for educating the masses and turning trauma into triumph ????

My brother and I are unveiling a revolutionary app designed to support exonerees as they rebuild their lives after wrongful incarceration. This innovative project stems from a friendship that began during an episode of the?Simple Questions Podcast?and has since evolved into a national initiative. I first connected with Dr. Marvin Cotton Jr., an exoneree who spent 19 years, 7 months, and 12 days in prison for a crime he did not commit through LinkedIn for a podcast. Our initial conversation blossomed into a friendship. Through Dr. Cotton, my brother and I were introduced to the?Organization of Exonerees. During our first meeting, we realized we were speaking with individuals—Dr. Marvin Cotton Jr., Kenneth Nixon, Eric Anderson, Anthony Legion (“Ace Law”), and Darrell Siggers —who had collectively endured over 97 years of wrongful incarceration. Inspired by the insights gained from this collaboration, we worked tirelessly with the organization and exonerees themselves to design a mobile app tailored to meet the unique challenges exonerees face. This app is the first of its kind, offering tools to streamline reentry and provide critical wrap-around support services. The app’s features include: ? Streamlined service requests?for?exonerees to request services from local organizations—such as housing, transportation, and emotional support—and monitor the fulfillment of those requests in real-time. ? Educational Information?to help exonerees navigate modern technology, financial systems, and other life skills. ? AI-powered assistance?to answer questions and provide customized guidance for reintegration. This app wouldn’t exist without the friendship I built with Marvin and the trust that followed with the Organization of Exonerees. The stories and needs of exonerees inspired every element of this project. This app was built for them and with their voices guiding us. The app’s first public unveiling will take place on Tuesday, February 11th, 2025, at 5:00 PM ET, at the Detroit Branch of the NAACP. The event will bring together exonerees, including Dr. Marvin Cotton Jr., alongside lawyers, family members, local officials, and media.

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!!