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How the case against him unraveled", "Alabama death row inmate freed after 30 years", "Book Marks reviews of The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton, co-written with Lara Love Hardin", "The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton with Lara Love Hardin review", "Death row survivor returns to address #Bonas seniors", "Death row survivor Anthony Ray Hinton to keynote Bona's 159th Commencement", "They Couldnt Take My Soul": Anthony Ray Hinton on His Exoneration After 30 Years on Death Row, "How to Survive Death Row: Anthony Ray Hinton served 30 years in prison for murders he didn't commit. He also wrote a book about his time in prison called The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row, which has since been selected for . Instead, he retained a visually-impaired civil engineer with no expertise in firearms identification who admitted he could not operate the machinery necessary to examine the evidence. 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 was the 152nd person exonerated from death row since 1983. He said, Number three, youre gonna have a white prosecutor. But that isnt what makes this a genuine spiritual experience: that comes from the nearly biblical capacity of the author to endure, to forgive, and finally to triumph. Still, even though Stevenson had new ballistics tests performed on Hintons behalf, the Alabama courts denied the appeal, after taking two years to deliberate. The prosecutors who filed the motion to dismiss the case did not respond to messages seeking comment, and, through a spokesman, the Alabama attorney general declined to be interviewed. But, Hinton was still convicted and sentenced to death. Anthony Ray Hinton was released from prison in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday. [5][7] The jury disregarded the testimony of Hinton's boss, who testified that he was at work during the time of the alleged crimes. Anthony Ray Hinton speaks to students on November 13, 2018, in the . A retired police officer in Essex County working as a private investigator and bounty hunter has sued officials in East Orange, claiming he spent four nights in jail after they arrested him on a . Stunned, confused, and only twenty-nine years . [emailprotected]. We conclude that they did not and hold that Hinton's trial attorney rendered constitutionally deficient performance. In 1985 Hinton was charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of two fast-food restaurant managers in Birmingham, Ala., with the charges hinging on a revolver that had belonged to his. 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.. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. I realized I was there because the wrong people were in office and I had a chance to begin to put men and women that are going to uphold the Constitution.. We are thrilled that Mr. Hinton will finally be released because he has unnecessarily spent years on Alabamas death row when evidence of his innocence was clearly presented, said his lead attorney, Bryan Stevenson. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Nearly 30 years after the Alabama authorities relied on analyses of a handgun and bullets to send him to death row, Anthony Ray Hinton was freed on Friday after experts undermined the states case. In 1985 Hinton was charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of two fast-food restaurant managers in Birmingham, Ala., with the charges hinging on a revolver that had belonged to his mother. (What were the five reasons given by the white police officer that guaranteed Mr. Hintons supposed guilt?) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence. A polygraph test given by police exonerated him, but the judge (now-retired Circuit Judge James Garrett) refused to admit it at trial. Hinton knew it was a case of mistaken identity and naively believed that the truth would prove his innocence and set him free. Watch a trailer. Published: Apr. Though a 29-year-old Anthony Hinton was working at a locked warehouse 15 miles away at the time of the second crime, and although there were no eyewitness accounts of the first incident, he was arrested one evening while cutting the grass outside of his mother's house . All rights reserved. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. The civil engineer testified that the ballistics test did not link the gun authorities found to either of the shootings. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. BY DEBORAH McKEON | TELEGRAM STAFF. In "True Justice" one of Mr. Stevenson's clients Anthony Ray Hinton discusses his arrest. Hinton speaks about racism's role in conviction. Anthony Ray Hinton's wrongful conviction and time on death row is featured in the upcoming drama, Just Mercy. The film, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx, follows attorney Brian Stevenson as he fights for the wrongly imprisoned including Hinton. Mr. Hinton will speak at Notre Dame Law School about his wrongful conviction in 1985, his years on Alabama's death row, and the experience of freedom. This has nothing to do with luck. Write the Vision, Make It Plain, Run With It. I am passionate in sharing Gods love to the world through the skills and talents God has blessed me with. The books are still passed around from cell to cell, but the meetings in the prison library are over. 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. Soon after, prosecutors pushed for conviction upon him, and his appeal for innocence was defeated. Discuss as an entire class. Anthony Ray, then a 29-year-old warehouseman, was mowing his mum's lawn when his life was torn apart in July 1985. You dont know freedom until its taken from you, Hinton told The Washington Post on Tuesday night. Hinton wasnt eligible to vote in the 2016 presidential election. The legislature has resisted approval of this payment, as state authorities say that he did not prove his innocence. Anthony Ray Hinton, age 61, now lives as a free man in the state of Alabama, where he was born and raised. Mr. Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. Jesus didnt say, Hey, when an enemy come across you, I want you to hate him, says Ray. Officers had retrieved . In Alabama, he writes, judges are elected based on how many people they send to death row, not on how many people they let off., Hintons lawyer provides this ghastly statistic: With 34 executions and seven exonerations in Alabama since 1975, one innocent person has been identified on Alabamas death row for every five executions.. And, haltingly, he began to talk about mercy. with his arrest in one shooting that occurred while witnesses said he was at work miles away. Sen. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman, has proposed legislation to grant Anthony Ray Hinton $1.5 million over three years. If you didnt do it, one of your brothers did. (Teacher Tip the three charts in the article can be shared and analyzed without having to read the entire article.). Hinton's case was taken up by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. And you know why? I said, No. He said, You got a white man. [18] He had previously spoken to the students of the Class of 2019, six months after his release, in 2015. Prosecutors admitted that they could not match four bullets found at the crime scene with Hinton's mother's gun, and that this was the only evidence offered in the original murder trial. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Get to know others seeking Gods guidance and wisdom for life. No fingerprints or eyewitness testimony were introduced. $200 per post at $10/CPM. In recent days leading up to the vote, Hinton had been thinking more about his grandparents and his parents, who he said werent allowed to vote because of voter suppression such as literacy tests, polls taxes and intimidation. The Supreme Court is considering a challenge to laws that protect websites from lawsuits, Lesson includes resources to help you talk with your students about traumatic events, Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech and explore themes such as the social conditions in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement. The court was unable to affirm the forensic evidence of a gun, which was the only evidence in the first trial. Number two, a white man gonna say you shot him. 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. [8] In June 1989, that judgment was affirmed by the unanimous Supreme Court of Alabama. In 1985 he was convicted of the murders of two restaurant workers in Birmingham, Ala. Thirty years later . That paid for the experts who got it wrong. 24, 2019, 2:11 p.m. Anthony Ray Hinton, who spent nearly 30 years on Alabama's death row, was freed this morning after prosecutors told a judge they won't re-try him for the 1985 . Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! To me this was a day of freedom dedicated to them, and all of the people who have been lynched, oppressed, or intimidated or disenfranchised from voting., From a symbolic perspective, it is deeply meaningful that Mr. Hinton voted today in Alabama, said Blair Bowie, legal counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, which focuses on voting rights restoration. Smyth maintains a comprehensive website and blog on all things comics in education at TeachingWithComics.com. Some 300,000 Alabamians had completed sentences but still didnt have the ballot, according to the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit group working to create more fairness in the criminal justice system. Warm-up activity: Think, write, and share with a partner (virtual option create a Google doc or online discussion have students write their answers and respond to at least one other students answer). The Exoneration Project, American Constitution Society, Federalist Society, and Klau Center welcome Anthony Ray Hinton, an Alabama man who spent 30 years on death row for crimes he did not commit. Anthony Ray Hinton spent decades in jail for crimes he did not commit. And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury.. [citation needed] Hinton's mother died in 2002. But while Im here, everything around me gonna live. Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. Perhacs hired a civil engineer who had impaired vision and didnt have any forensic experience. An all-white jury would find Ray guilty of two counts of capital murder and sentence him to death by electric chair. Mr. Hintons release from the Jefferson County jail, where he was being held awaiting a new trial that was ordered last year, came close to three decades after a court-appointed lawyer mounted such a feeble defense that the United States Supreme Court ruled it was constitutionally deficient.. 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 dont think the society nor the men that did this to me realized what they took from me, says Ray. Theres five things theyre going to convict you to, the officer told him. Since Anthony Ray Hinton was exonerated and released from death row over two years ago, Alabama lawmakers have not only refused to compensate him for the three decades he spent on death row for a crimehe did not commit, but also passed legislation changing the appeals process in death penalty cases so that innocent people like Mr. Hinton now face aneven greater risk of being executed. 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. Under the Fair Justice Act, I'd be dead. I truly believe God sent me to death row to meet Henry Francis Hays, says Ray. On parole for petty theft, the 29-year-old was living with his mom and working as a day laborer. He has become an inspirational speaker, traveling the country and the world. Introductions: Anthony Ray Hinton May 2, 2019. The only potential evidence that proves Mr. Hinton committed the murders depends upon an absolute, conclusive determination that the bullets recovered from their bodies were in fact fired through the barrel of the firearm taken from the defendants home, prosecutors wrote in their court filing on Wednesday. About $2,100 was missing from the safe. [4], The prosecution's only evidence at the trial was a statement that ballistics tests showed four crime scene bullets matched Hinton's mother's gun, which was discovered at her house during the investigation. Nominee for Best Memoir & Autobiography (2018) A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, justice, and the power of reading by a man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. The engineer said that there wasnt any connection between the weapon and the shooting. For more than 15 years, EJI attorneys repeatedly asked state officials to re-examine the evidence in this case, but former Jefferson County District Attorney David Barber, and Attorneys General from Troy King to Luther Strange, all failed to do so. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. Hes also written a book about his journey of forgiveness and redemption, hoping his story will inspire change and healing. He was 29 years old at the time. God made it possible for you to know. But something deep inside his character made it possible for him to make friends of everyone near him, from the white man next to him on death row who had lynched a black teenager to almost every single prison guard who met him. Their key piece of evidenceexpert testimony claiming the ballistics report of the bullets pulled from the victims matched a handgun found in Rays home. Bryan Stevenson told media this is a textbook example of injustice.. But then, soon, he realized he became the person his mother didnt raise him to be. Living the Christian life is a journey. "If God hadn't intervened and sent me his best lawyer, within two years I would . The bill never even made it out of committee. Deputies escort Mr. Hinton in the courthouse during his trial. The refusal of state prosecutors to re-examine this case despite persuasive and reliable evidence of innocence is disappointing and troubling.. And I say that not with malice in my heart. Hinton was assigned an incompetent lawyer who was paid $1,000 by the state and then proceeded to hire an incompetent ballistics expert who guaranteed his conviction on fake evidence. 1. Ask students: What would you do if you or a loved one was arrested for a crime they did not commit? We hired three of the nations best firearms experts, says Charlotte. Executions are carried out in the name of the people of Alabama and we should all be concerned if we make oursystem less reliable and the execution of innocent people more likely. Because he was convicted of something, he didnt even do. Your natural reaction was it-it's over. Watch a trailer here. Anthony Ray Hinton (born June 1, 1956) is an American man who was wrongly convicted of the 1985 murders of two fast food restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama, sentenced to death, and held on the state's death row for 28 years. "[16] Kirkus Reviews calls the book, "a heart-wrenching yet ultimately hopeful story about truth, justice, and the need for criminal justice reform. by Anthony Ray Hinton with Lara Love Hardin The Sun Does Shine is a powerful examination of both our flawed justice system and of one man's personal resilience and faith. This lesson is part of NewsHours Searching for Justice series on criminal justice reform. Breaking Free From The Voice Of Perfection: How Gods Word For You Today: Jesus Is Your Friend, Remarkable Miracles That Are Available For You Too, Turn Down The Noise And Find God In Your Stillness, Prayer Is A Powerful Weapon 5 Effective Strategies For Breakthrough, What I Learned From The Chosen: God Loves Us Enough To Protect Us, Woman In Wheelchair Miraculously Takes Off Running During A Revival Service In Brazil. Despite his innocence, Anthony Ray Hinton lingered on death row for nearly 30 years for crimes he did not commit. When Hinton told the arresting detective that he had the wrong man, the detective told him that he didn't care whether he did it or not. Anthony Ray Hinton found it easier to adjust than most people, when the pandemic first halted society a year ago, with its mandated lockdowns and widespread closures. After a new round of analysis, prosecutors wrote, state experts found that they could not conclusively determine that any of the six bullets were or were not fired through the same firearm or that they were fired through the firearm recovered from the defendants home.. Anthony Ray Hinton, an innocent man, spent 30 years on death row in Alabama because, he says, he was "black and poor." His name finally cleared, he now campaigns for justice -- which he says. Get more than a Sunday sermon. On July 25, 1985, a restaurant in Bessemer was robbed and the manager was shot but not seriously wounded. Mr. Perhacss choice a man later described by a prosecutor as a one-eyed charlatan did little to help the defense, and Mr. Hinton was convicted and sentenced to death. They just didn't take me from my family and friends. [5], While on death row, Hinton spent much of his time reading. Hear Marc Meros reflection on life inside the ring, what knocked him out and A woman is diagnosed with cancer and its spreading quickly. Click here for more stories in the series and watch for more NewsHour EXTRA lesson content based on Searching for Justice stories. Since Anthony Ray Hinton was exonerated and released from death row over two years ago, Alabama lawmakers have not only refused to compensate him for the three decades he spent on death row for a crime he did not commit, but also passed legislation changing the appeals process in death penalty cases so that innocent people like Mr . Among the authors whom the prisoners read and discussed were James Baldwin and Harper Lee. 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. First, have students answer the following questions, either in class discussion or as written answers. Nightline profiles Mr. Hintons release and his first days of freedom. The arresting officer told him chilling words he would never forget when authorities arrested him. 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. Now a Community Educator with EJI, Ray is doing what he can to bring reform to the justice system. New York Times bestselling book by Anthony Ray Hinton. He went on tospend 28 years on death row 30 yearsin all, without his freedom. But it would be a single piece of evidence that held the key to proving Rays innocence. The first three years, I was in a stage of hating, says Ray. Anthony Hinton (left) with attorney Bryan Stevenson following a hearing at which EJI argued all charges against Mr. Hinton must be dismissed immediately. An all-white jury sentenced him guilty of two counts of capital murder and to death by electric chair.. We are here to help and encourage you! Today, as EJI Community Educator, hes a tireless and powerful advocate for abolition of the death penalty. What were the charges brought against Hinton? Anthony, or Ray, still remembers the arresting officer's chilling words. 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. He was going to be convicted anyway. However, the jury disregarded his testimony because of his poor eyesight and inability to use the microscope correctly. It was 1986. Then he found hope in sharing Christ during his nearly 30 years on death row. He organized a book club that was allowed to meet in the prison's law library. Mr. Hinton walked out of the Jefferson County Jail a free man. Hinton is the 152nd person since 1973 to be exonerated from death row in the United States, and the sixth in the state of Alabama. 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. He has one message for everyone who will listen: Our system is broken, and its time to put a stop to the death penalty. And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury., Anthony fought to claim his innocence. The lecture began with Hinton recounting the day of his arrest in extreme detail. 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. A total of 54 men walked past Hinton's cell on their way to execution. In this lesson, students meet Anthony Ray Hinton, one of hundreds of people who were exonerated, or had charges against him dropped after hed been convicted and sent to prison. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. [2] Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years before his 2015 release. Anthony Ray Hintons memoir of his wrongful imprisonment for 30 years for three murders he did not commit is a riveting account of the multiple outrages of the criminal justice system of Alabama. Davidson was still alive when an exterminator came to the restaurant and found him in the restaurant cooler . Anthony Hinton. But for all yall thats snapping the cameras, I want you to know there is a God.. . Anthony Hinton was arrested after the manager identified him from a photo lineup, even though he was working in a locked warehouse fifteen miles away at the time of the crime. "Thirty years ago, the . State prosecutors never questioned the new findings but nonetheless refused to re-examine the case or concede error. As she desperately prays for healing, hear the message she receives from God on todays A woman receives an answer to a prayer she never wanted to pray. Read the Sixth Amendment of the U.S. Constitution below and determine which of the five reasons from the second question of activity 1 were unconstitutional. Woman In Wheelchair Miraculously Takes Off Running During A Revival Service In Megachurch Pastor Who Left Ministry For A Time Returns Refreshed, Renewed, The Whosoevers Ryan Ries Kill The Noise, Finland Is Ending Homelessness With This Ingenious Idea, Why Friendships Are Vital to a Healthy Spiritual Life, Another Campus Revival Breaks Out At Cedarville University. Dont miss reporting and analysis from the Hill and the White House. 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. #ElectionDay #Vote2020 pic.twitter.com/J2eFOWnheD. There is no question A On July 31, 1985, the police arrested Anthony Ray Hinton for murder. Birmingham, Alabama, 1985. 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 Alabamas death row. After 30 years on death row, Anthony Ray Hinton was exonerated over two years ago. This morning, he arrived at the polls and exercised his right to vote. Gonna have a white D.A. 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. Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years, and was later released in 2015. 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. 1. "Number one, you're black. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Mr. Hinton was appointed a lawyer who mistakenly thought he could not get enough money to hire a qualified firearms examiner. On Friday, Mr. Hinton was presented with some of the modern conveniences that emerged during his decades in prison, including an iPhone. The sun does shine, he said as he was embraced by family and friends. and "Y'all blacks always sticking up for each other."[who?] Alabama inmate Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of prison Friday as a free man after 30 years on death row. [3] A survivor of a third restaurant robbery picked a photo of Anthony Ray Hinton, then age 29, from a lineup, and the police investigated him. By AFP Reporters Alabaman Anthony Ray Hinton, an African American spent 30 years on death row because, he says, he was "black and poor." His name finally cleared in Alabama, he now campaigns for justice which he says can only be achieved by beating Donald Trump at the ballot box. He was wrongfully convicted of two murders and served nearly three decades in jail before being released in 2015. Anthony Ray Hinton was convicted and sentenced to the most extreme penalty for a crime he did not do because of the color of his skin. 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. It hurts so bad, says Ray. It was an overwhelming day, and it should never have taken that long, says Charlotte. When Ray was arrested for crimes he didn't commit, he remembers telling the police officers that he didn't do it.