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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. Officers had retrieved . 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. Discover God's peace now. That paid for the experts who got it wrong. In 2020, all of the candidates he voted for were Democrats. CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. Anthony Ray Hinton Exonerated After 30 Years on Death Row. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. By Christina Gould, SAL Patron Services Manager. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. It hurts so bad, says Ray. Read this article and answer the following questions. What challenges do you think theyd face once home after a long prison stay? Anthony Hinton. Mr. Hinton, 29 then, was indigent, and the Supreme Court said last year that the lawyer appointed to represent him, Sheldon C. Perhacs, had mistakenly believed he had only $1,000 to hire an expert witness for the proceedings. But for all yall thats snapping the cameras, I want you to know there is a God.. Soon after, prosecutors pushed for conviction upon him, and his appeal for innocence was defeated. 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. His book is a harrowing masterpiece. 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. At Holman Correctional Facility, Rays cell was a mere 30 feet from the execution chair they called Yellow Mama. On July 31, 1985, the police arrested Anthony Ray Hinton for murder. As for Ray, the courts would continue to block his appeals for a retrial. What were the charges brought against Hinton? 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. Then, another crushing setback. But as a poor black man in the South, Hinton was sentenced to death by electrocution. Only by the grace of God, says Ray. Still, even though Stevenson had new ballistics tests performed on Hintons behalf, the Alabama courts denied the appeal, after taking two years to deliberate. Hinton mug shot. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Copyright 2021 NewsHour Production LLC. 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. But something deep inside his character made it possible for him to make friends of everyone near him, from the white man next to him on death row who had lynched a black teenager to almost every single prison guard who met him. This article was published more than2 years ago. You want to know why?, Number one, youre black. On July 25, 1985, a restaurant in Bessemer was robbed and the manager was shot but not seriously wounded. When Hinton was done eating, about half past six, he drove to the polling location where he would cast his first vote in a presidential election since he was released from Alabamas death row. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. 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. Police arrived at the house near Birmingham, Alabama, and arrested him for. Stunned, confused, and only twenty-nine years . In 1985 Hinton was charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of two fast-food restaurant managers in Birmingham, Ala., with the charges hinging on a revolver that had belonged to his mother. (You will need to make a copy of the document to edit it.). 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. Our tax dollars that paid for the judge and the prosecutor that prosecuted him. 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 "I woke up like I do every morning I knew that my mother was cooking," Hinton recounted. The refusal of state prosecutors to re-examine this case despite persuasive and reliable evidence of innocence is disappointing and troubling.. 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. What are the mistakes in the case against Mr. Hinton? 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. Hinton was freed on the morning Friday, April 3, 2015, the 152nd death row inmate exonerated since 1983, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Id., at 687-688, 694. (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. Despite his innocence, Anthony Ray Hinton lingered on death row for nearly 30 years for crimes he did not commit. [emailprotected]. By making the state postconviction process even more complicated and arbitrary, the law increases the likelihood that clients on death row will not receive full and fair review of their cases. The books are still passed around from cell to cell, but the meetings in the prison library are over. Two days later, after serving 30 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit, Ray was released. And I say that not with malice in my heart. In the first two robberies, the managers were killed and there were no witnesses or physical evidence . Since then, Hinton has been able to forgive everyone responsible for his imprisonment, because thats how my mother raised me and because I have a God who forgives. The civil engineer testified that the ballistics test did not link the gun authorities found to either of the shootings. "[unreliable source?] 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. I said, Henry, I truly believe that you are going to Heaven, says Ray. 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. It took almost a decade for Mr. Hinton and his lawyers to recruit a panel of experts, including a former F.B.I. 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.. His claims of innocence would fall on deaf ears, including those of his court-appointed lawyer. At the time of Mr. Hintons initial trial, his lawyer used a visually impaired civil engineer with little expertise in firearms to rebut prosecutors whose case hinged on linking the handgun found in Mr. Hintons home to a string of shootings in and around Birmingham. That aint what He said. For a Google doc version of this lesson, click here. 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. Students will examine the challenges faced by individuals wrongfully convicted of felonies. Ray still remembers one of their last conversations before Henrys execution in 1997. Biden enlists potential rivals as advisers ahead of 2024, Their toddler took a nap in an Airbnb and fentanyl killed her. March 22, 20185:57 AM. 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 February 24, 2014, the Supreme Court today unanimously granted relief to Anthony Hinton, finding that his trial lawyer was constitutionally deficient. He-he-he's going to be executed, says Lester. In the interview, Hinton described how issues of race permeated his case. If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. He woke up at 5 a.m., showered, brewed himself some coffee and, not knowing how long he would have to wait, made himself breakfast that would stick to his ribs. 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. Plus, two long lost cousins Hooked on drugs before he was a teen, a meth addict has only one goal in life. A man released from prison after nearly 30 years on death row in Alabama has blamed his conviction on being black and poor. What do you notice about the racial differences of incarceration in the United States. This has nothing to do with luck. Hinton declined to sign it. [4], After Hinton's arrest, his public defense attorney did not provide adequate counsel. He . Number two, a white man gonna say you shot him. When he was 29 . There were no eyewitnesses or fingerprint evidence; police had no suspects and pressure to solve the murders grew as similar crimes continued. Among the authors whom the prisoners read and discussed were James Baldwin and Harper Lee. He has become an inspirational speaker, traveling the country and the world. So Ive got to forgive. Smyth maintains a comprehensive website and blog on all things comics in education at TeachingWithComics.com. 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. Start your day together with God and the GOD TV team. Click here for more stories in the series and watch for more NewsHour EXTRA lesson content based on Searching for Justice stories. By unanimous vote, the court ruled to grant Ray a new trial. The only potential evidence that proves Mr. Hinton committed the murders depends upon an absolute, conclusive determination that the bullets recovered from their bodies were in fact fired through the barrel of the firearm taken from the defendants home, prosecutors wrote in their court filing on Wednesday. That paid to keep him on death row for 30 years for a crime he didnt commit. 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. His book is a harrowing masterpiece 'Let sleeping dogs lie': Lynching memorial angers some Anthony Ray Hinton. So I believe in the promise of hope alive, he said. We hired three of the nations best firearms experts, says Charlotte. Your natural reaction was it-it's over. Anthony Ray Hinton leaves the Jefferson County jail in Birmingham, Alabama in April 2015, after nearly 30 years on death row. The lesson asks students to consider what it would be like to be convicted of a crime you didnt commit, or be a family member of someone convicted of a crime even though they are innocent. Though a 29-year-old Anthony Hinton was working at a locked warehouse 15 miles away at the time of the second crime, and although there were no eyewitness accounts of the first incident, he was arrested one evening while cutting the grass outside of his mother's house . [4] Hinton's book received extremely positive reviews. Anthony Ray Hinton, an inmate on Alabama's death row, asks us to decide whether the Alabama courts correctly applied Strickland to his case. [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. Mr. Hinton thanked his supporters and legal team. Anthony Ray Hinton Equal Justice Initiative. 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. Smyth has spoken about how he uses comics in his classroom at numerous conferences including Comic Cons in San Diego, New York and Chicago as well as at the Pennsylvania and National Council for the Social Studies conferences. Mr. Hinton was appointed a lawyer who mistakenly thought he could not get enough money to hire a qualified firearms examiner. 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. Do You Know These 14 Hebrew Names of God? . The engineer said that there wasnt any connection between the weapon and the shooting. If you could speak with anyone interviewed in the video, what are two questions you would ask them? 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. 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. Some 300,000 Alabamians had completed sentences but still didnt have the ballot, according to the Sentencing Project, a nonprofit group working to create more fairness in the criminal justice system. -- Anthony Ray Hinton spent more than half his life on death row in southern Alabama. Number one, youre black. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. "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. [4], After Hinton had been on death row for about a decade, Bryan Stevenson at the Equal Justice Initiative (EJI), a non-profit based in Montgomery, Alabama, picked up his case,[4] handling his defense for 16 years. This has everything to do with the way we treat those who are vulnerable in our criminal justice system.. The evidence against Hinton was scant: There were no fingerprints at the scenes and no witnesses who placed him there, according to the outlet. Love your enemy. The only way that we will ever conquer hate is love.. Write the Vision, Make It Plain, Run With It. Watch a trailer. Hear Marc Meros reflection on life inside the ring, what knocked him out and A woman is diagnosed with cancer and its spreading quickly. 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]. "Thirty years ago, the . Explore Anthony Ray Hinton Wiki Age, Height, Biography as Wikipedia, Wife, Family relation. 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. Number two, a white is gonna say you shot him whether you shot him or not.. three, youre going to have a white prosecutor. 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. You dont know freedom until its taken from you, Hinton told The Washington Post on Tuesday night. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. [9], Hinton was sent to death row, where he was held in solitary confinement for nearly three decades. [8] In June 1989, that judgment was affirmed by the unanimous Supreme Court of Alabama. by Anthony Ray Hinton with Lara Love Hardin The Sun Does Shine is a powerful examination of both our flawed justice system and of one man's personal resilience and faith. 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. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! In the interview, Hinton described how issues of race permeated his case. His peaceful morning was quickly interrupted when police officers - with a warrant for Hinton's arrest - taunted, handcuffed and arrested the teenage Hinton. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! YouTube | 700 Club Interactive "There's five things they're going to convict you to," the officer told him. 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. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. It only takes the first two pages of the introduction by the authors equally remarkable lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, to make the reader appalled. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. "Just Mercy" opens in limited release on Christmas Day, and hits theaters everywhere on Jan. 10. The cop was right. He was convicted because hes poor, Mr. Stevenson said. He must do exactly what he said he would do. 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. Anthony Ray Hinton spent three decades on Alabama's death row for crimes he did not commit. 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. And you know why? I said, No. He said, You got a white man. Police arrest Anthony Ray Hintonthe man they believe committed three armed robberies that left two restaurant managers dead, and a third wounded. Breaking Free From The Voice Of Perfection: How Gods Word For You Today: Jesus Is Your Friend, Remarkable Miracles That Are Available For You Too, Turn Down The Noise And Find God In Your Stillness, Prayer Is A Powerful Weapon 5 Effective Strategies For Breakthrough, What I Learned From The Chosen: God Loves Us Enough To Protect Us, Woman In Wheelchair Miraculously Takes Off Running During A Revival Service In Brazil. Hinton was freed in 2015 after spending 28 years on death row for two 1985 murders that occurred during separate robberies of fast-food restaurants in Birmingham. But while Im here, everything around me gonna live. 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. "If God hadn't intervened and sent me his best lawyer, within two years I would . 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. The legislature has resisted approval of this payment, as state authorities say that he did not prove his innocence. See Innocence and Race. with his arrest in one shooting that occurred while witnesses said he was at work miles away. Anthony Ray Hinton speaks to students on November 13, 2018, in the . (334) 269-1803 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. Alabama inmate Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of prison Friday as a free man after 30 years on death row. Number two, a white man is gonna say you shot him, whether you shot him or not, believe, me I dont care, says Ray. Introductions: Anthony Ray Hinton May 2, 2019. [18] He had previously spoken to the students of the Class of 2019, six months after his release, in 2015. Despite pleas by Mr. Hintons lawyers, who cited conclusions by newly enlisted specialists, the state refused for years to reconsider the evidence. Coverage of the latest true crime stories and famous cases explained, as well as the best TV shows, movies and podcasts in the genre. Hinton would smell burning flesh from the electric chair, also called Yellow Mama, because it was close to his cell. What are your thoughts about the death penalty after reading this article? 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. And Henry said, Well, you know, Ray, Ive been reading the Bible. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Nearly 30 years after the Alabama authorities relied on analyses of a handgun and bullets to send him to death row, Anthony Ray Hinton was freed on Friday after experts undermined the states case. How have you felt the cost of life's unfairness? 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. Hinton was 29 when was convicted and sentenced to die in the state's electric chair. [5], In November 2014, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals closed Hinton's case. A jury found him guilty, a judge sentenced him to death. Anthony Hinton (left) with attorney Bryan Stevenson following a hearing at which EJI argued all charges against Mr. Hinton must be dismissed immediately. 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. He has received no compensation. Watch a trailer here. EJI lawyer Charlotte Morrison explains. Having spent 30 years on Alabama's death row as an innocent man, the now-freed 64-year-old knows about confinement. 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. [4] Finally, Hinton was the last prisoner left on death row. But it would all fall on deaf ears, including his court-appointed lawyer. He was convicted of two murders in 1985. 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. [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. Join Washington Post senior critic-at-large Robin . Students will look at the ways race and other factors play a role in wrongful convictions.