Death row exoneree to present keynote address
The WMU-Cooley Law School Innocence project has screened over 5,900 cases and is responsible for the exoneration of eight men, including the most recent, George DeJesus on March 22. In recognition of the 20th anniversary of WMU-Cooley’s Innocence Project, a gala will be held at the Country Club of Lansing on May 6.
During the gala celebration, Anthony Ray Hinton, who was wrongly convicted of the 1985 murders of two fast food restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama, will be the keynote presenter. Hinton was one of the longest serving death row prisoners in Alabama and the longest-serving condemned prisoner to be freed. He was the 152nd person exonerated from death row since 1983. Today, Hinton is an author and serves as community educator for the Equal Justice Initiative, where he is an advocate for abolition of the death penalty.
The WMU-Cooley Law School Innocence Project is part of the Innocence Network, which has been credited with the release of over 375 wrongfully accused prisoners through the use of DNA testing. Those exonerated through the work of WMU-Cooley’s project include: Kenneth Wyniemko (2003), Nathaniel Hatchett (2008), Donya Davis (2014) LeDura Watkins (2017) Kenneth Nixon (2021), Gilbert Poole (2021), Corey McCall (2021), and George DeJesus (2022). The WMU-Cooley Innocence Project supported the exonerations of Ramon Ward and Lacino Hamilton by contributing its DNA expertise and grant resources to obtain testing. The project is staffed by WMU-Cooley Law School students, who work under the supervision of WMU-Cooley Innocence Project attorneys. Those interested in donating and supporting the work of the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project can do so at cooley.edu/academics/experiential-learning/innocence-project.
The cost to attend the WMU-Cooley Innocence Project 20th Anniversary Celebration is $100 per guest. Those interested in attending will need to make reservations at www.cooley.edu/events by April 24, or by emailing advancement@cooley.edu.
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