And youre going to take the rap. -- Anthony Ray Hinton spent more than half his life on death row in southern Alabama. [12] On April 1, 2015 the Jefferson County district attorneys office moved to drop the case. In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with the murders of two restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama. Two days later, after serving 30 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit, Ray was released. AMY GOODMAN: Anthony Ray Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast-food managers in separate robberies in 1985. [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. Four, youre gonna have a white judge. Anthony Ray, then a 29-year-old warehouseman, was mowing his mum's lawn when his life was torn apart in July 1985. 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. You want to know why?, Number one, youre black. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. Now a Community Educator with EJI, Ray is doing what he can to bring reform to the justice system. On February 24, 2014, the Supreme Court today unanimously granted relief to Anthony Hinton, finding that his trial lawyer was constitutionally deficient. EJIs probe into Rays trial was disturbing; among their findings: witnesses had been manipulated, Rays defense counsel was inept, and the surviving victims initial description of the assailant bore little resemblance to Ray. Get daily or weekly highlights from The 700 Club delivered to your inbox. Our tax dollars that paid for the judge and the prosecutor that prosecuted him. This lesson uses a video segment from PBS NewsHours Searching for Justice series. 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. 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. Hintonstarted a book club while he was incarcerated, and went on to write a memoir about his experience, called, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. Since its publication in 2018, the book has been widely praised, with Oprah Winfrey selecting it for her official book club last June and applauding Hinton in a string of interviews, according to CBS This Morning. Anthony Ray Hinton was a man wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit back in the year 1985 and what happened was that two fast food restaurants in Birmingham Alabama were robbed and both Mangers were shot dead named Thomas Vason and John Davidson and on a later date of July 25th on the same year another restaurant was robbed in Bessemer [emailprotected]. Ala. Love your enemy. The only way that we will ever conquer hate is love.. When he was 29 . For 30 years, Anthony Ray Hinton sat on death row for a crime he didn't commit 30 years of "pure hell," as he described it. 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. Today, as EJI Community Educator, hes a tireless and powerful advocate for abolition of the death penalty. But he was innocent. 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. Anthony Ray Hinton was a man wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit back in the year 1985 and what happened was that two fast food restaurants in Birmingham Alabama were robbed and both Mangers were shot dead named Thomas Vason and John Davidson and on a later date of July 25th on the same year another restaurant was robbed in Bessemer If you didnt do it, one of your brothers did. (334) 269-1803 For Ray, it was a bittersweet moment. 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. "To be accused of murder, itto me, it-it don't get no worse than that," says Anthony. Ray has a strong alibi for one of the incidents, and the supposed murder weapon, Ray's mom's gun, hasn't been fired in years, but the authorities refuse to consider this. Mar 27, 2019 . 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 was convicted of two murders in 1985. Discuss as an entire class. State prosecutors never questioned the new findings but nonetheless refused to re-examine the case or concede error. (334) 269-1803 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. He . Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. If you think there is no reason for another book about a grave miscarriage of American justice, think again. with his arrest in one shooting that occurred while witnesses said he was at work miles away. We are here to help and encourage you! Jesus didnt say, Hey, when an enemy come across you, I want you to hate him, says Ray. God made it possible for you to know. 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. And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury.. Have students write a personal response summarizing the video How do you feel after seeing Hintons struggle with the criminal justice system? 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. 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. Under the Fair Justice Act, I'd be dead. 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. The legislature has resisted approval of this payment, as state authorities say that he did not prove his innocence. The New York Times bestseller and Oprah's Book Club 2018 Selection. 5. I write mainly, not to express myself, but to encourage and bless people through writing. At Holman Correctional Facility, Rays cell was a mere 30 feet from the execution chair they called Yellow Mama. When he was arrested the police officer told him that he would have a white judge, a white jury and a white man was going to testify that Mr. Hinton killed a man. He said, Number three, youre gonna have a white prosecutor. A man released from prison after nearly 30 years on death row in Alabama has blamed his conviction on being black and poor. About $2,100 was missing from the safe. After 12 more years of litigation, theU.S. Supreme Court reversedthe lower courts, and a new trial was granted. 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. 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 . 1. What happened to make him stop accepting defeat and start fighting back? Dick Kearns, Fr. [3], In February 2014, the Supreme Court of the United States vacated the state court conviction in a unanimous per curiam decision. However, the jury disregarded his testimony because of his poor eyesight and inability to use the microscope correctly. His claims of innocence would fall on deaf ears, including those of his court-appointed lawyer. Get more than a Sunday sermon. When life is unjust, turn your pain into purpose. Overview: The struggle to adapt to life after conviction is a major challenge, especially for those who were innocent of the crime that led to a prison sentence. Anthony Ray Hinton, an inmate on Alabama's death row, asks us to decide whether the Alabama courts correctly applied Strickland to his case. What are the mistakes in the case against Mr. Hinton? . Mr. Hinton was appointed a lawyer who mistakenly thought he could not get enough money to hire a qualified firearms examiner. All Rights Reserved, U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies. He has also guest lectured at multiple universities and travels the country giving professional development on comics as engaging literature. Following his release, Hinton famously remarked, The sun do shine., Thirty years ago, the prosecution seemed deemed to take my life from me, he continued, according to an NPR report. By Jennifer Edwards Staff Writer. Overview: The struggle to adapt to life after conviction is a major challenge, especially for those who were innocent of the crime that led to a prison sentence. How have you felt the cost of life's unfairness? [4], Doug Acker, a detective, attempted to persuade Hinton to sign a blank sheet of paper telling him [Hinton] that it was just to confirm that he had already read his rights. Hinton speaks about racism's role in conviction. 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. [2] During the appeals, EJI introduced evidence from three forensic experts, including one from the FBI, showing that the bullets from the crime scenes did not match Hinton's mother's gun. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. Im Christel Berns. They just didn't take me from my family and friends. Anthony, or Ray, still remembers the arresting officer's chilling words. But as a poor black man in the South, Hinton was sentenced to death by electrocution. In 2020, all of the candidates he voted for were Democrats. 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. Anthony Ray Hinton Exonerated 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. Mr. Hinton hugs EJI lawyer Charlotte Morrison. Legislators Wont Compensate Innocent Man for 30 Years on Death Row. In "True Justice" one of Mr. Stevenson's clients Anthony Ray Hinton discusses his arrest. It hurts so bad, says Ray. 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. 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. An Alabama man has been freed after spending nearly 30 years on death row. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! [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]. Sen. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman, has proposed legislation to grant Anthony Ray Hinton $1.5 million over three years. 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. Subjects: U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, Estimated time: One or two 50-minute class periods. Yes, Im going to write and spread His love because I love Him and His people, and my heart is to live for Him. Mar 30, 2016 Updated Mar 31, 2016. 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 was exonerated in 2015, when he was 59 years old, according to NBC News. He has one message for everyone who will listen: Our system is broken, and its time to put a stop to the death penalty. 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. Death Penalty Information Center | 1701 K Street NW Suite 205 Washington, DC 20006, Phone: 202-289-2275 | Email: [emailprotected], Privacy Policy | 2023 Death Penalty Information Center. What evidence was given? A total of 54 men walked past Hinton's cell on their way to execution. Mr. Hintons words were among the starkest reminders that, despite the joyous atmosphere surrounding his release, the case against him had spurred another reckoning for Alabama and a legal system that critics said appeared troubled by obstinacy and arrogance. He said to Hinton, "All of y'all blacks always say you didnt do something. Somehow, he's not enraged", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Anthony_Ray_Hinton&oldid=1136681327, Overturned convictions in the United States, 21st-century American non-fiction writers, Short description is different from Wikidata, Articles lacking reliable references from June 2022, All articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases, Articles with specifically marked weasel-worded phrases from June 2022, Articles with unsourced statements from June 2022, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 31 January 2023, at 16:12. What did I do? BY DEBORAH McKEON | TELEGRAM STAFF. Convicted, he was sentenced to death and held in solitary confinement on Alabamas death row for 28 years, before being exonerated. 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. But Hinton was ultimately convicted due to a gun that was discovered in his mothers home, where he lived. Jacobs was afraid to publish or write her tale, but Douglass was not, and her story was published in many variations. Ray was arrested, convicted, imprisoned, and sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit. 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.. Anthony Ray Hinton spent decades in jail for crimes he did not commit. This lesson is part of NewsHours Searching for Justice series on criminal justice reform. Anthony, or Ray, still remembers the arresting officers chilling words There are five things that gonna convict you. The gun belonged to his mother, but forensics experts hired by the state of Alabama claimed that it was the murder weapon. One of his arresting officers explained his fate this way, after the prisoner told him he could prove he had been working at the time of one of the murders: You know, I dont even care whether you did or didnt do it In fact, I believe you didnt do it. The arresting officer told him chilling words he would never forget when authorities arrested him. It was there on a panel discussion, Reforming Criminal Justice in America . We have a system that treats you better if youre rich and guilty than if youre poor and innocent, and his case proves it. But it doesnt matter. Students will examine the challenges faced by individuals wrongfully convicted of felonies. This is my Yes to Papa God. They didn't care. The engineer said that there wasnt any connection between the weapon and the shooting. 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. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital . 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. Men indicted on separate officer assault charges. 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. Anthony Ray Hinton is an American activist, writer, and author who was wrongly convicted of the 1985 murders of two fast food restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama. But for all yall thats snapping the cameras, I want you to know there is a God.. "[14] He completed a memoir entitled The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row (2018), and has given readings and talks around the country about the book and his experiences. Download the free myCBN app. Founded by a lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, it had a track record of overturning unjust convictions and in winning a. It only takes the first two pages of the introduction by the authors equally remarkable lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, to make the reader appalled. Why was it important for a white ballistics expert to be hired? After a few years, the club grew as the news spread quickly in the prison that reading was a good escape. Hinton was 29 when was convicted and sentenced to die in the state's electric chair. Mr. Hinton thanked his supporters and legal team. Join Washington Post senior critic-at-large Robin . Despite pleas by Mr. Hintons lawyers, who cited conclusions by newly enlisted specialists, the state refused for years to reconsider the evidence. Ray had a message, and he taught that message to his neighbor Henry, though they only had one thing in common. Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years, and was later released in 2015. But it would be a single piece of evidence that held the key to proving Rays innocence. Here's his story. 3. SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. Have students pair/share with a partner. What do you notice about the racial differences of incarceration in the United States. [5], In November 2014, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals closed Hinton's case. I am passionate in sharing Gods love to the world through the skills and talents God has blessed me with. I dont believe the God that I serve is gonna let me die for a crime He knows I didnt commit.. 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. Police arrest Anthony Ray Hintonthe man they believe committed three armed robberies that left two restaurant managers dead, and a third wounded. Despite the new evidence, the courts still refused to reopen Rays case. Number two, a white man gonna say you shot him. 2. [3][4], In June 1988, the unanimous Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Hinton's conviction and death sentence. The panel questioned the findings of the Alabama authorities, but the state remained steadfast. [2] Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years before his 2015 release. Only by the grace of God, says Ray. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. What are your thoughts about the death penalty after reading this article? It took almost a decade for Mr. Hinton and his lawyers to recruit a panel of experts, including a former F.B.I. Anthony Ray Hinton, who was on death row for nearly 30 years, had been charged and convicted in the 1985 murders of two Birmingham area fast-food managers. Because he was convicted of something, he didnt even do. What was the turning point in prison for Hinton? On Tuesday, he cast a vote for president. There were no eyewitnesses or fingerprint evidence; police had no suspects and pressure to solve the murders grew as similar crimes continued. Alabama inmate Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of prison Friday as a free man after 30 years on death row. To be accused of murder, itto me, it-it dont get no worse than that, says Anthony. 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. 4. Smyth maintains a comprehensive website and blog on all things comics in education at TeachingWithComics.com. See her moment of surrender, and the miracle of life. We conclude that they did not and hold that Hinton's trial attorney rendered constitutionally deficient performance. Perhacs hired a civil engineer who had impaired vision and didnt have any forensic experience. I lived in hell for 30 years, so I dont want to die and go to hell. 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. 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.
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