Ive always felt that I have the Supreme Lawyer, says Ray. This has everything to do with the way we treat those who are vulnerable in our criminal justice system.. I finally looked at you as a human being.. Number two, a white man gonna say you shot him. Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. But on July 31, 1985, 29-year-old Ray's life changes drastically when the police arrest him for a series of murders that Ray didn't commit. Anthony Ray Hinton, an inmate on Alabama's death row, asks us to decide whether the Alabama courts correctly applied Strickland to his case. He has received no compensation. After 12 more years of litigation, theU.S. Supreme Court reversedthe lower courts, and a new trial was granted. Anthony Ray Hinton attends "True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight For Equality" New York Screening at SVA Theater on June 24, 2019. 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. Hinton was exonerated in 2015, when he was 59 years old, according to NBC News. 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. 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. 1. On February 25, 1985, and July 2, 1985, two fast food managers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vason, were killed in separate incidents during armed robberies at their fast food restaurants in Birmingham. "[unreliable source?] Stunned, Hes also written a book about his journey of forgiveness and redemption, hoping his story will inspire change and healing. Mr. Hinton walked out of the Jefferson County Jail a free man. His book is a harrowing masterpiece 'Let sleeping dogs lie': Lynching memorial angers some Anthony Ray Hinton. 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. 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. [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. Watch a trailer here. 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. They had every intention of executing me for something I didn't do. The lecture began with Hinton recounting the day of his arrest in extreme detail. 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. After 30 years on death row, Anthony Ray Hinton was exonerated over two years ago. [15] Writing for The Guardian, Tim Adams described the book as, "a story of forgiveness and struggle"[16] and concludes that, "his wonderful memoir recreates the ways he escaped from his cell in his head had tea with the Queen of England, married Halle Berry and how he shared that possibility with his fellow death row inmates. #ElectionDay #Vote2020 pic.twitter.com/J2eFOWnheD. 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.. In this lesson, students meet. His claims of innocence would fall on deaf ears, including those of his court-appointed lawyer. Share your prayer requests, receive prayer and pray for others! FLORENCE -- Anthony Ray Hinton was mowing the grass outside the house he . Casting a ballot represents a culmination of Mr. Hintons victory over that system., Voting for the first time was like a breath of fresh air. Their forensics experts were unable to match crime-scene bullets to Hinton's mother's gun. 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, NBC News reports. Mr. Stevenson said it was unclear whether Mr. Hinton would ever receive any compensation from the state. Death Row Exonoree Wednesday, April 12, 2023 8pm. "Real Love had no Color" - Falsely Convicted Black Man Encounters Jesus on Death Row, Falsely Convicted Of Murder, Man Spends 30 Years In Prison Sharing Jesus, Bob Marley Turned To Christ Before His Death Professing, Jesus Take Me, Jewish Woman Hears Gods Voice While Being Revived, Youre Not Dying Here. Birmingham, Alabama, 1985. He added that from the outset, this case exhibited many of the classic signs of innocence.. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. Students will look at the ways race and other factors play a role in wrongful convictions. After 28 years of living in a cell that was five . Understanding The Holy Of Holies Inside The Temple. The Sun Does Shine is an extraordinary testament to the power of hope sustained through the darkest times, now adapted for younger readers, with a revised foreword by Just Mercy author Bryan Stevenson. 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. I write mainly, not to express myself, but to encourage and bless people through writing. Alabama inmate Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of prison Friday as a free man after 30 years on death row. On July 25, 1985, a restaurant in Bessemer was robbed and the manager was shot but not seriously wounded. 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. Despite the new evidence, the courts still refused to reopen Rays case. That victim survived and then misidentified Hinton as his assailant; then the state completed this travesty by providing completely fake ballistic evidence to tie a gun found in Hintons mothers home to all three murders. Authorities arrested Hinton in 1985, after a string of robberies at restaurants in Birmingham. "To be accused of murder, itto me, it-it don't get no worse than that," says Anthony. 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. Dont miss reporting and analysis from the Hill and the White House. I am passionate in sharing Gods love to the world through the skills and talents God has blessed me with. [5], In November 2014, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals closed Hinton's case. Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast food restaurant managers and sentenced to death at the age of 29. 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 Anthony Ray Hinton was released from prison in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday. A total of 54 men walked past Hinton's cell on their way to execution. EJI attorneys engaged three of the nations top firearms examiners who testified in 2002 that the revolver could not be matched to crime evidence. Anthony, or Ray, still remembers the arresting officer's chilling words. He was going to be convicted anyway. During his decades in prison, he was supported by his mother's faith in his innocence, as well as that of a longtime friend, Lester Bailey, who visited him monthly. Hinton would smell burning flesh from the electric chair, also called Yellow Mama, because it was close to his cell. EJI attorneys engaged three of the nation's top firearms . Number two, a white is gonna say you shot him whether you shot him or not.. three, youre going to have a white prosecutor. Alabama law provides that compensation may be awarded to a wrongfully incarcerated person if the Committee on Compensation for Wrongful Incarceration finds that hemeets the eligibility criteria, but applying for compensation is often a meaningless exercise because the statute requires alegislative enactment toappropriate the necessary funds. A woman suspects a stroke as her eyes twitch and she experiences slurred speech. Anthony Ray Hinton. They just didn't take me from my family and friends. Despite providing a solid alibi, Anthony Ray Hinton was still sentenced to death by the state of Alabama. However, the number of members also gradually became smaller when book club members were executed. 5. He . Smyth maintains a comprehensive website and blog on all things comics in education at TeachingWithComics.com. On July 31, 1985, the police arrested Anthony Ray Hinton for murder. But the book club is short-lived, after the prisoners who are left out of it convince the warden it is unfair to allow only some of them to become readers. The only evidence linking Hinton to the. Hinton began his talk by explaining the context of his arrest, where he was charged with first-degree robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder. Number two, a white man is gonna say you shot him, whether you shot him or not, believe, me I dont care, says Ray. So Ive got to forgive. Hinton spent 30 years on Alabama's death row for crimes he didn't commit. 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. I dont believe the God that I serve is gonna let me die for a crime He knows I didnt commit.. On Friday, Mr. Hinton was presented with some of the modern conveniences that emerged during his decades in prison, including an iPhone. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice, Rekindling the Power of God Within to Effect Change. Get daily or weekly highlights from The 700 Club delivered to your inbox. And looked at the evidence and they said this is, you know, there is no match here. March 22, 20185:57 AM. 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. Our tax dollars that paid for the judge and the prosecutor that prosecuted him. I was released from death row. As it concerns Alabama, however, a representative from the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama said that Hinton has yet to receive an official apology or any restitution due him from the state of Alabama. Watch a trailer. In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with the murders of two restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. Anthony Hinton, 29 years old with no history of violent crime, steadfastly maintained his innocence. [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. 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. Hinton wasnt eligible to vote in the 2016 presidential election. [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. Ray still remembers one of their last conversations before Henrys execution in 1997. Soon after, prosecutors pushed for conviction upon him, and his appeal for innocence was defeated. 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. 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 want to know why?, Number one, youre black. Now a Community Educator with EJI, Ray is doing what he can to bring reform to the justice system. Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. 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.. Send a prayer request now, or call 18007007000. Link your TV provider to stream full episodes and live TV. What do you think can be done to change these racial disparities and to keep cases like that of Mr. Hinton from happening. [18] He had previously spoken to the students of the Class of 2019, six months after his release, in 2015. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. (S. Pelley, Life After Death Row, 60 Minutes, January 10, 2016.) Start your day together with God and the GOD TV team. Police seized an old revolver belonging to Mr. Hintons mother, and state firearm examiners said that was the gun used in all three crimes. This has nothing to do with luck. He left Notre Dame Law students with a challenge to serve justice. I asked God to remove this hatred, says Ray. But the state court of Alabama refused to overturn his convictions or grant a new trial. Mar 27, 2019 . But last year, the Supreme Court said that Mr. Hintons defense had been unacceptable, setting up a new trial and essentially forcing prosecutors to review the evidence for a case in which they acknowledged the forensic studies were paramount. We hired three of the nations best firearms experts, says Charlotte. [2] Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years before his 2015 release. 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. [5], While on death row, Hinton spent much of his time reading. Subjects: U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, Estimated time: One or two 50-minute class periods. This was contested by another expert,a civil engineer with visual impairments hired by Hintons public defender. At Holman Correctional Facility, Rays cell was a mere 30 feet from the execution chair they called Yellow Mama. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years in prison 28 on death row for a crime he didn't commit, and he has been busy since his 2015 exoneration. His lawyer writes: Never have more guards, correctional staff and prison workers pulled me aside to offer assistance during the many years I have worked with Ray. I truly believe God sent me to death row to meet Henry Francis Hays, says Ray. Joe Nangle will also be honored May 19 Anthony Ray Hinton will deliver the keynote address May 19 at St. Bonaventure University's 159 th Commencement ceremony, almost four years after he left an indelible impression on the class about to graduate.. Hinton was released from prison in April 2015 after spending 30 years on Alabama's death row for a crime he did . Gonna have a white D.A. A man released from prison after nearly 30 years on death row in Alabama has blamed his conviction on being black and poor. The sun does shine, he said as he was embraced by family and friends. In 2014, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned his conviction based on his attorneys deficient representation, and Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Laura Petro ordered a new trial. A polygraph test given by police exonerated him, but the judge (now-retired Circuit Judge James Garrett) refused to admit it at trial. Hinton was convicted of each of the two murders and sentenced to death. We gonna have a white judge. Ray Hinton's story is astounding on so many levels. 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 . [4] Hinton was portrayed by O'Shea Jackson Jr. in the 2019 film Just Mercy. The only expert willing to testify at that price was a civil engineer with very little ballistics training and limited by having one eye; he admitted in court to having trouble in operating the microscope. 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. 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. 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. No one. But rather than pass reforms to prevent another innocent person from being wrongfully convicted and condemned to death, Mr. Hinton cautioned, Alabama is moving in the opposite direction. This is the state of Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat and we changed things through legislation and the vote. [3], On April 3, 2015, Hinton was released from prison after Laura Petro, a Jefferson County Circuit Court judge, overturned his conviction and the state dropped all charges against him.[2][6]. In the summer of 1985 in Birmingham, Alabama, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested, tried, and convicted of the murders of two restaurant workers earlier that year; two crimes he was innocent of. The first three years, I was in a stage of hating, says Ray. With the help of his co-author Lara Love Hardin, Hinton conveys all the horror of his years in solitary confinement, barely able to breath in 120F (49C) summer heat, eating food that tasted like dust. Then in 1998, the Equal Justice Initiative, or EJI, decided to take Rays case. I even asked God, What did I do so bad?. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. Love your enemy. The only way that we will ever conquer hate is love.. According to Hinton, the officer who carried out his arrest said that he "didn't care whether I did it or not," guaranteeing he would be convicted. 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. YOU HAVE 20,000 FOLLOWERS: $100 per post at a $5/CPM. I have no respect for the prosecutors, the judges. 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. But it doesnt matter. 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. 1. Deputies escort Mr. Hinton in the courthouse during his trial. Hinton spent 28 years on death row for two robbery-murders in the Birmingham, Ala., area in the mid-1980s. Cases like Anthony Ray Hintons give the public pause about the death penalty, said Robert Dunham, the centers executive director. Mar 30, 2016 Updated Mar 31, 2016. But then, soon, he realized he became the person his mother didnt raise him to be. He spent 30 years in prison until, with the help of. $200 per post at $10/CPM. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital . In the first two robberies, the managers were killed and there were no witnesses or physical evidence . Instead, They Want to Speed Up Executions. 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. After a few years, the club grew as the news spread quickly in the prison that reading was a good escape. They were both convicts on death row. Read this article and answer the following questions. Anyone can read what you share. And, haltingly, he began to talk about mercy. [emailprotected].
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