Only by the grace of God, says Ray. Download the free myCBN app. 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. When the very people that you been taught to believe in the police, the D.A., these are the people that are supposed to stand for justice and when you know that they lied to you, its hard for you to have trust in anybody, he said. 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. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and wrongfully charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. He was 29 years old at the time. The arresting officer told him chilling words he would never forget when authorities arrested him. 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. Watch a trailer here. They had every intention of executing me for something I didn't do. 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. Now a Community Educator with EJI, Ray is doing what he can to bring reform to the justice system. 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. The legislature has resisted approval of this payment, as state authorities say that he did not prove his innocence. 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. 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. See Innocence and Race. Stunned, confused, and only 29 years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity . Anthony Hinton (left) with attorney Bryan Stevenson following a hearing at which EJI argued all charges against Mr. Hinton must be dismissed immediately. 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. 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. Hinton spent 30 years on Alabama's death row for crimes he didn't commit. Hinton knew it was a case of mistaken identity and naively believed that the truth would prove his innocence and set him free. 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. [4] Hinton was portrayed by O'Shea Jackson Jr. in the 2019 film Just Mercy. This was contested by another expert,a civil engineer with visual impairments hired by Hintons public defender. 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. In the first two robberies, the managers were killed and there were no witnesses or physical evidence . Introductions: Anthony Ray Hinton May 2, 2019. 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. And youre going to take the rap. EJI lawyer Charlotte Morrison explains. 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. Ray had a message, and he taught that message to his neighbor Henry, though they only had one thing in common. Number three, youre gonna have a white district attorney. Ray Hinton's story is astounding on so many levels. Anthony Ray Hinton, age 61, now lives as a free man in the state of Alabama, where he was born and raised. Despite Rays ironclad alibi for at least one of the robberies, and the lack of solid evidence, prosecutors pushed for a conviction. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital . 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. Join Washington Post senior critic-at-large Robin . Despite the new evidence, the courts still refused to reopen Rays case. The Equal Justice Initiative assisted Hinton so that he could cast a ballot for Doug Jones in the 2017 special Senate election. A jury found him guilty, a judge sentenced him to death. No fingerprints or eyewitness testimony were introduced. AMY GOODMAN: Anthony Ray Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast-food managers in separate robberies in 1985. 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. 2. Now, at 58, after spending decades behind bars, Hinton is free. "Number one, you're black. 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. On July 31, 1985, the police arrested Anthony Ray Hinton for murder. [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. Anthony was a man who loved God and followed the example of Jesus Christ. "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. 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, The Guardian reports. Why was it important for a white ballistics expert to be hired? By Christina Gould, SAL Patron Services Manager. Error: There was an internal error submitting your form. 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. 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 Macmillan Speakers Bureau. Love your enemy. The only way that we will ever conquer hate is love.. Anthony Ray Hinton. Mr. Hinton was appointed a lawyer who mistakenly thought he could not get enough money to hire a qualified firearms examiner. (You will need to make a copy of the document to edit it.). Wrongly convicted, he was on death row for decades. 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.. Then he found hope in sharing Christ during his nearly 30 years on death row. One of those people was Henry Hays, a KKK member on death row for lynching a Black teenager. So I believe in the promise of hope alive, he said. "[unreliable source?] Your natural reaction was it-it's over. . Tim Smyth teaches 10th and 11th grade social studies at Wissahickon High School in Ambler, Pennsylvania. 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. 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 29 when was convicted and sentenced to die in the state's electric chair. Death Row Exonoree Wednesday, April 12, 2023 8pm. 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. 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. [4] Finally, Hinton was the last prisoner left on death row. Biden enlists potential rivals as advisers ahead of 2024, Their toddler took a nap in an Airbnb and fentanyl killed her. 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. Rays mother, Buhlar, and his best friend, Lester Bailey, were crushed by the outcome. 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. We vacate the lower court's judgment and remand the case . I witnessed other inmates time run out, he said, and Id be lying if I said you dont ask yourself, Wow, is that going to happen to me?. How was the case finally overturned? Discover God's peace now. Students will examine the challenges faced by individuals wrongfully convicted of felonies. 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. They were both convicts on death row. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. On July 25, 1985, a restaurant in Bessemer was robbed and the manager was shot but not seriously wounded. YOU HAVE 20,000 FOLLOWERS: $100 per post at a $5/CPM. (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. Four, youre gonna have a white judge. 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. Write the Vision, Make It Plain, Run With It. This lesson uses a video segment from PBS NewsHours Searching for Justice series. I dont think the society nor the men that did this to me realized what they took from me, says Ray. 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. What were the charges brought against Hinton? I write mainly, not to express myself, but to encourage and bless people through writing. 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. Anthony Ray Hinton, an inmate on Alabama's death row, asks us to decide whether the Alabama courts correctly applied Strickland to his case. This is the state of Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat and we changed things through legislation and the vote. In this lesson, students meet. In 1985, Hinton was arrested and charged with two capital murders based solely on the assertion that a dusty revolver taken from his mother's home was the gun used in both murders and in a third uncharged crime. On Friday, Mr. Hinton was presented with some of the modern conveniences that emerged during his decades in prison, including an iPhone. [5], While on death row, Hinton spent much of his time reading. Birmingham, Alabama, 1985. What are the mistakes in the case against Mr. Hinton? Mr. Hintons application was approved by the committee, and this session,State Senator Paul Bussman sponsored a bill to appropriate the funds to compensateMr. Hinton. Prosecutors dropped the case against Anthony Ray Hinton, 58, when new . The civil engineer testified that the ballistics test did not link the gun authorities found to either of the shootings. CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. [emailprotected]. In April 2015, the state of Alabama dismissed all charges when state ballistics experts were unable to match the bullets to the handgun. [2] Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years before his 2015 release. Perhacs hired a civil engineer who had impaired vision and didnt have any forensic experience. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Dont miss reporting and analysis from the Hill and the White House. 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast food restaurant managers and sentenced to death at the age of 29. Hear Marc Meros reflection on life inside the ring, what knocked him out and A woman is diagnosed with cancer and its spreading quickly. Hinton was exonerated in 2015, when he was 59 years old, according to NBC News. 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. Discuss as an entire class. Hinton would smell burning flesh from the electric chair, also called Yellow Mama, because it was close to his cell. 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. 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. It only takes the first two pages of the introduction by the authors equally remarkable lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, to make the reader appalled. [4], Hinton's initial appeals continued to be handled by his public defender, Sheldon C. Perhacs, who lost each of Hintons cases. Anthony Ray Hinton spent three decades on Alabama's death row for crimes he did not commit. Gonna have a white D.A. It hurts so bad, says Ray. [citation needed] Hinton's mother died in 2002. And so it was not until Friday at 9:30 a.m., one day after a Circuit Court judge ordered his release, that Mr. Hinton exited the jail to hugs, tears and wails of Thank you, Lord!, The State of Alabama let me down tremendously, Mr. Hinton said in his first interview after his release. 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. 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. His peaceful morning was quickly interrupted when police officers - with a warrant for Hinton's arrest - taunted, handcuffed and arrested the teenage Hinton. The engineer said that there wasnt any connection between the weapon and the shooting. Read this article and answer the following questions. I dont have a choice., Alabama Man Freed After Decades on Death Row, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/04/us/anthony-ray-hinton-alabama-prison-freed-murder.html. The reality is much worse as doctors find a large brain tumor behind Hes known as Johnny B. Badd from the World Wrestling Federation. Smyth maintains a comprehensive website and blog on all things comics in education at TeachingWithComics.com. 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. Moving forward, he chose to pray for those men who set him up instead. 1. Understanding The Holy Of Holies Inside The Temple. What do you do when you tell a lawyer that youre innocent and he looks at you and says, The problem with that statement. Hinton wasnt eligible to vote in the 2016 presidential election. "[16] Kirkus Reviews calls the book, "a heart-wrenching yet ultimately hopeful story about truth, justice, and the need for criminal justice reform. What was the turning point in prison for Hinton? [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. [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]. Anthony Ray Hinton (born June 1, 1956) is an American activist, writer, and author who was wrongly convicted of the 1985 murders of two fast food restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama. 4. After 28 years of living in a cell that was five . Published: Apr. March 22, 20185:57 AM. Men indicted on separate officer assault charges. I asked God to remove this hatred, says Ray. Hinton mug shot. Adam Desiderio/ABC. But, Hinton was still convicted and sentenced to death. The only evidence that the state ever had claimed, connected Mr. Hinton, did not exist.. Number two, a white is gonna say you shot him whether you shot him or not.. three, youre going to have a white prosecutor. However, the jury disregarded his testimony because of his poor eyesight and inability to use the microscope correctly. Despite his innocence, Anthony Ray Hinton lingered on death row for nearly 30 years for crimes he did not commit. But Hinton was ultimately convicted due to a gun that was discovered in his mothers home, where he lived. [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. The two Harriets were termed abolitionists because they wanted slavery to be abolished. 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. They didn't care. A man released from prison after nearly 30 years on death row in Alabama has blamed his conviction on being black and poor. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! After 30 years in custody for crimes he did not commit, Mr. Hintons release is bittersweet. Mar 30, 2016 Updated Mar 31, 2016. The gun belonged to his mother, but forensics experts hired by the state of Alabama claimed that it was the murder weapon. Anthony Ray Hinton Exonerated After 30 Years 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. Thirty years ago, Mr. Hinton was arrested and charged with two capital murders based solely on the assertion that a revolver taken from his mothers home was the gun used in both murders and in a third uncharged crime. If you could speak with anyone interviewed in the video, what are two questions you would ask them? When life is unjust, turn your pain into purpose. 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. Subjects: U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, Estimated time: One or two 50-minute class periods. The court was unable to affirm the forensic evidence of a gun, which was the only evidence in the first trial. 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 . Explore Anthony Ray Hinton Wiki Age, Height, Biography as Wikipedia, Wife, Family relation. (334) 269-1803 0. 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. Im going to bring the best out of everybody that come in touch with me, says Ray. Pain and terror: America's history of racism, Let sleeping dogs lie: Lynching memorial angers some.