Hes also written a book about his journey of forgiveness and redemption, hoping his story will inspire change and healing. The police turned up one day while Hinton, then 29, was mowing his mother's lawn; they. Despite the new evidence, the courts still refused to reopen Rays case. Despite providing a solid alibi, Anthony Ray Hinton was still sentenced to death by the state of Alabama. 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. [4] Hinton's book received extremely positive reviews. Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. I couldnt vote at one time in the state of Alabama, you couldnt marry outside of your race, you had to go to the back to get something to eat. and "Y'all blacks always sticking up for each other."[who?] He organized a book club that was allowed to meet in the prison's law library. A year ago, almost to the day, I traveled to Montgomery, Alabama for the Equal Justice Initiative's unveiling of the Legacy Museum: From Enslavement to Mass Incarceration and The National Memorial for Peace and Justice.. 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. The arresting officer told him chilling words he would never forget when authorities arrested him. Anthony Ray Hinton - amazon.com From Death Row to a Life of Freedom: Anthony Ray Hinton ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Copyright 2021 NewsHour Production LLC. Anyone can read what you share. We vacate the lower court's judgment and remand the case . What evidence was given? On July 31, 1985, the police arrested Anthony Ray Hinton for murder. The court was unable to affirm the forensic evidence of a gun, which was the only evidence in the first trial. Davidson was still alive when an exterminator came to the restaurant and found him in the restaurant cooler . Death row survivor Anthony Ray Hinton to keynote Bona's 159th Commencement Hinton told 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley about a conversation he had with a police lieutenant after having been arrested: I said, You got the wrong guy. And he said, I dont care whether you did it or dont. He said, But you gonna be convicted for it. Prosecutors dropped the case against Anthony Ray Hinton, 58, when new . By Christina Gould, SAL Patron Services Manager. Hinton knew it was a case of mistaken identity and naively believed that the truth would prove his innocence and set him free. WATCH LIVE: Former death row prisoner Anthony Ray Hinton - YouTube Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Experiencing freedom after 30 years on death row | News | The Law Ray began to realize the person he had become wasnt the one his mother had raised him to bea man who loved God and followed the example of Jesus Christ. 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 becamethe 152nd person exonerated from death row since 1983 when he wasreleased on April 3, 2015. official, to review the forensic evidence. Anthony Ray Hinton spent decades in jail for crimes he did not commit. It was an overwhelming day, and it should never have taken that long, says Charlotte. Committed Christian Anthony Ray Hinton doesn't use the word "hell" lightly; nevertheless, that's what three decades of solitary confinement in William C. Holman Correctional Facility in Alabama, was like, he says. Number one, youre black. Why was it important for a white ballistics expert to be hired? EJI attorneys engaged three of the nations top firearms examiners who testified in 2002 that the revolver could not be matched to crime evidence. After every level of the Alabama court system had rejected Hintons appeals multiple times, his lawyer decided to take his case directly to the US supreme court. "[unreliable source?] This was contested by another expert,a civil engineer with visual impairments hired by Hintons public defender. On July 25, 1985, a restaurant in Bessemer was robbed and the manager was shot but not seriously wounded. 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 managers who worked at different places, and who were killed months apart that year, NBC News reports. [4], Additionally, Hintons boss testified that Hinton was working at the time of the incident, and that he was cleaning the supermarket; despite this, the jury still convicted him. I am passionate in sharing Gods love to the world through the skills and talents God has blessed me with. 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. 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. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. If you could speak with anyone interviewed in the video, what are two questions you would ask them? 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. We have a system that is compromised by racial bias, and his case proves it., Weve gotten into a culture, he said in a separate interview, where the pressure to convict and to achieve these outcomes is so great that owning up to mistakes is less frequent than youd like to imagine.. The books are still passed around from cell to cell, but the meetings in the prison library are over. [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. I truly believe God sent me to death row to meet Henry Francis Hays, says Ray. Hinton speaks about his 30 years on death row - Yale Daily News He has also guest lectured at multiple universities and travels the country giving professional development on comics as engaging literature. In 2018, Alabama residents who were previously convicted of felonies were able to register to vote under the Moral Turpitude Act of 2017. The Lost Books Of The Bible: Should We Accept Or Reject? Ray still remembers one of their last conversations before Henrys execution in 1997. For your mom not to be here the day that you are released, to run into her arms and say, Im home, Mom isI try my best to be the son that she brought me up to be, says Ray. In the interview, Hinton described how issues of race permeated his case. Hear Marc Meros reflection on life inside the ring, what knocked him out and A woman is diagnosed with cancer and its spreading quickly. Innocent on death row, former inmate joins Germanna 'Community When Hinton convinces the prison warden about halfway through his three decades of imprisonment to allow him to receive books besides the Bible so that he can form a book club, the reader shares the exhilaration of Hinton and half a dozen of his fellow prisoners as they are finally able to travel outside the walls of the prison, through the words of James Baldwin and Harper Lee. So I believe in the promise of hope alive, he said. Dick Kearns, Fr. Hence, he asked God to remove the hatred and bitterness in his heart. In his book, The Awe of God, pastor and author, John Bevere describes the many ways having a genuine and holy fear of God enhances the good in one A man who makes a vow to the LORD or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. The only thing reportedly linking Hinton to the crime was the word of a fast food worker who picked Hinton out of a line-up, leading to his arrest. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Mr. Hinton is the 152nd person exonerated from an American death row since 1973. Stunned, confused, and only twenty-nine years . Pain and terror: America's history of racism, Let sleeping dogs lie: Lynching memorial angers some. There is no question A [emailprotected]. What do you think can be done to change these racial disparities and to keep cases like that of Mr. Hinton from happening. All the while, Mr. Hinton remained at a prison in south Alabama, awaiting his execution. The students had been so inspired by his earlier address that over 100 of them submitted a petition to the university administration, asking that he be invited to speak at commencement.[19]. Streamed live on Jun 15, 2022 29 Dislike Share Save Washington Post Live 54.1K subscribers Anthony Ray Hinton was sentenced to death and held in solitary confinement for 28 years on Alabama's. But Hinton was ultimately convicted due to a gun that was discovered in his mothers home, where he lived. Hinton was convicted of each of the two murders and sentenced to death. YOU HAVE 20,000 FOLLOWERS: $100 per post at a $5/CPM. Alabama inmate Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of prison Friday as a free man after 30 years on death row. He said, Everybody that played a part in sending me to death row, you will answer to God.[5][13] Hinton filed a claim for nearly $1.5 million in compensation for his time in jail due to the wrongful conviction. He also works with the U.S. State Department in a global online exchange program teaching educators and students to use comics to find their voice and to solve pressing global issues. On Death Row for 28 Years. Here's How Anthony Ray Hinton Stayed Joyful Police seized an old revolver belonging to Mr. Hinton's mother, and state firearm examiners said that was the gun used in all three crimes. "30 Years in Hell": Anthony Ray Hinton delivers powerful lecture And I say that not with malice in my heart. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and wrongfully charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. There were no eyewitnesses or fingerprint evidence; police had no suspects and pressure to solve the murders grew as similar crimes continued. American activist, writer, and author (born 1956), List of wrongful convictions in the United States, "Anthony Ray Hinton Spent Almost 30 Years on Death Row. [11] Hinton's original defense lawyer had wrongly thought he had only $1,000 available to hire a ballistics expert to rebut the states case on evidence. At Holman Correctional Facility, Rays cell was a mere 30 feet from the execution chair they called Yellow Mama. But it would be a single piece of evidence that held the key to proving Rays innocence. I write mainly, not to express myself, but to encourage and bless people through writing. Ray would spend his time fighting not only a legal system that would block every one of his appeals, but the bitterness in his heart. The credibility of his ballistics expert - the only one the attorney thought he could hire with the funds available - was discredited by the prosecutor due to the expert's physical limitations and lack of experience. Harriet Beecher Stowe and Harriet Tubman were two of the most well-known abolitionists.. Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs were both able to free themselves from slavery. Anthonys mother and best friend also were crushed by the outcome. What did I do? 5. Winner of the 2019 Moore Prize Finalist, Dayton Peace Prize, 2019 "An amazing and heartwarming story, it restores our faith in the inherent goodness of humanity." - Archbishop Desmond Tutu A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, and justice. Ray Hinton's story is astounding on so many levels. But in order for me to be free, I had no choice but to pray for those men that did this to me. So, Ray made a decision. During their unlikely friendship, Ray saw God change Henry from a man full of hatred, to one who knew Gods love and had found redemption in Jesus Christ. Discuss as an entire class. Tennessee Lawmakers Lynching Comment Sparks Outrage, Compared to Neighboring Tennessee, Alabamas Execution Review Falls Short, Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Man Sentenced to Death in Arizona, Alabama Man Allegedly Held in Jail Freezer Dies of Hypothermia, 122 Commerce Street Montgomery, AL 36104 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. You gonna have a white jury more than likely. And he said, All of that spell conviction, conviction, conviction. I said, Well, does it matter that I didnt do it? He said, Not to me. Hinton went on to explain how he felt about the racial bias in his case: I cant get over the fact that just because I was born black and someone that had the authority who happened to be white felt the need to send me to a cage and try to take my life for something that they knew that I didnt do. Bryan Stevenson, Hintons attorney and the executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative, joined Hinton for the interview, and spoke about the systemic issues surrounding the case. 'I went to death row for 28 years through no fault of my own' When he was 29 . $140 per post at $7/CPM. 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. 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. Managers John Davidson and Thomas. Jacobs was afraid to publish or write her tale, but Douglass was not, and her story was published in many variations. Justice Served After 30-Year Prison Sentence | CBN.com Now He Has a Message for White America", "Anthony Ray Hinton, Alabama Man Who Spent 30 Years on Death Row, Has Case Dismissed", "Alabama man off death row after 28 years to jailers: You will answer to God", "I went to death row for 28 years through no fault of my own", "Alabama inmate free after three decades on death row. Anthony Ray Hinton was sentenced to death and held in solitary confinement for 28 years on Alabama's death row before he was exonerated in 2015. Anthony Ray Hinton - Equal Justice Initiative 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. 3. In 2020, all of the candidates he voted for were Democrats. I even asked God, What did I do so bad?. Alabama death row inmate freed after 30 years - BBC News Anthony Ray Hinton: 'I spent 30 years on death row for a crime I didn't 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. Ive got to forgive, he said. Since his release, Hinton has spoken in various venues about the injustices of the Alabama judicial system and other issues related to his conviction and imprisonment. [4], After Hinton's arrest, his public defense attorney did not provide adequate counsel. After 12 more years of litigation, theU.S. Supreme Court reversedthe lower courts, and a new trial was granted. 'Racist cops framed me for murder and left me on Death Row for 30 years 60 Minutes Profiles Life After Death Row for Exoneree Anthony Ray Hinton He was convicted of two murders in 1985. The prosecutorwho had a documented history of racial bias and said he could tell Mr. Hinton was guilty and evil solely from his appearancetold the court that the States experts asserted match between Mrs. Hintons gun and the bullets from all three crimes was the only evidence linking Mr. Hinton to the Davidson and Vason murders. Wrongly convicted, he was on death row for decades. Only by the grace of God, says Ray. He talked about his wrongful conviction, his decades in prison, and the lingering effects he has experienced after leaving prison. The only evidence linking Hinton to the. with his arrest in one shooting that occurred while witnesses said he was at work miles away. 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. Alabaman on death row for 30 years vows to vote out Trump Two days later, after serving 30 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit, Ray was released. 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 . CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. Disclamer: the number about Anthony Ray Hinton's Instagram salary income and Anthony Ray Hinton's Instagram net worth are just estimation based on publicly available information about Instagram's monetization programs, it is by . Police arrest Anthony Ray Hintonthe man they believe committed three armed robberies that left two restaurant managers dead, and a third wounded. You want to know why?, Number one, youre black. EJI attorneys engaged three of the nation's top firearms . Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Read this article and answer the following questions. At the same time, Republican lawmakers introduced the Fair Justice Act. As Mr. Hinton wrote in an op-ed, had the Fair Justice Act been in place when he was convicted, I would have been executed despite my innocence. Like other men and women sentenced to death in Alabama, where there is no state-funded office to provide counsel for postconviction proceedings,it took years to find volunteer lawyers willing and able to provide the legal assistance Mr. Hinton needed to prove his innocence. 1. They had every intention of executing me for something I didn't do. Jesus didnt say, Hey, when an enemy come across you, I want you to hate him, says Ray. Anthony Ray Hinton found his calling on death row, but it's our job to "Just Mercy" opens in limited release on Christmas Day, and hits theaters everywhere on Jan. 10. His claims of innocence would fall on deaf ears, including those of his court-appointed lawyer. Hintons public defender was roundly criticized for his work hetried to appeal his case and routinely failed, according to The Guardian. Anthony Ray Hinton, Exonerated Alabama Death Row Inmate - NBC News Mr. Hinton wrote: Because the so called Fair Justice Actnow pending before the state legislatureputs time restrictions on how long death row prisoners have to prove their innocence or a wrongful conviction, this legislation increases the risk of executing innocent people and makes our system even less fair. The judge finally dismissed the charges after prosecutors said that scientists at the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences tested the evidence and confirmed that the crime bullets cannot be matched to the Hinton weapon. Introductions: Anthony Ray Hinton May 2, 2019. Then, another crushing setback. #ElectionDay #Vote2020 pic.twitter.com/J2eFOWnheD. Ala. Hinton's case was taken up by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. Anthony Ray Hinton speaks to students on November 13, 2018, in the . The 29-year-old found himself helpless and questioned God what he did so wrong for it to happen to him. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital . Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years, and was later released in 2015. Nightline profiles Mr. Hintons release and his first days of freedom. Deputies escort Mr. Hinton in the courthouse during his trial. Founded by a lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, it had a track record of overturning unjust convictions and in winning a. "Thirty years ago, the . What was the turning point in prison for Hinton? Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. BY DEBORAH McKEON | TELEGRAM STAFF. 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. "They Couldn't Take My Soul": Anthony Ray Hinton on His Exoneration Instead, They Want to Speed Up Executions. State prosecutors never questioned the new findings but nonetheless refused to re-examine the case or concede error.
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