[18] He had previously spoken to the students of the Class of 2019, six months after his release, in 2015. official, to review the forensic evidence. The panel questioned the findings of the Alabama authorities, but the state remained steadfast. The evidence against Hinton was scant: There were no fingerprints at the scenes and no witnesses who placed him there, according to the outlet. 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. Anthony Hinton, 29 years old with no history of violent crime, steadfastly maintained his innocence. It was 1986. He talked about his wrongful conviction, his decades in prison, and the lingering effects he has experienced after leaving prison. And you know why? I said, No. He said, You got a white man. (Teacher Tip the three charts in the article can be shared and analyzed without having to read the entire article.). The only evidence that the state ever had claimed, connected Mr. Hinton, did not exist.. He left Notre Dame Law students with a challenge to serve justice. 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. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. At the time, Hinton worked at a supermarket warehouse and lived with his mother, Buhlar Hinton, at her home in rural Alabama, about half an hour north of Birmingham. By AFP Reporters Alabaman Anthony Ray Hinton, an African American spent 30 years on death row because, he says, he was "black and poor." His name finally cleared in Alabama, he now campaigns for justice which he says can only be achieved by beating Donald Trump at the ballot box. Anthony Ray Hinton, 58, was convicted of murdering two restaurant managers in Birmingham in 1985, but was granted a new . He was going to be convicted anyway. Stunned, confused, and only twenty-nine years . Stunned, confused, and only 29 years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity . 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 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. Hence, he asked God to remove the hatred and bitterness in his heart. This lesson uses a video segment from PBS NewsHours Searching for Justice series. Anthony Ray Hinton attends "True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight For Equality" New York Screening at SVA Theater on June 24, 2019. 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. It only takes the first two pages of the introduction by the authors equally remarkable lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, to make the reader appalled. 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. After a new round of analysis, prosecutors wrote, state experts found that they could not conclusively determine that any of the six bullets were or were not fired through the same firearm or that they were fired through the firearm recovered from the defendants home.. I dont think the society nor the men that did this to me realized what they took from me, says Ray. 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. . See her moment of surrender, and the miracle of life. 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. As for Ray, the courts would continue to block his appeals for a retrial. (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. Ive always felt that I have the Supreme Lawyer, says Ray. 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. 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 And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury.. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. But then, soon, he realized he became the person his mother didnt raise him to be. Why was it important for a white ballistics expert to be hired? In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with the murders of two restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama. In the first two robberies, the managers were killed and there were no witnesses or physical evidence . What were the charges brought against Hinton? A man released from prison after nearly 30 years on death row in Alabama has blamed his conviction on being black and poor. But it doesnt matter. "[17], On May 19, 2019, Hinton spoke at St. Bonaventure University's commencement exercises and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree. 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. 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. Why me? 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. EJI attorneys engaged three of the nation's top firearms . [4] Hinton's book received extremely positive reviews. The New York Times bestseller and Oprah's Book Club 2018 Selection. I dont believe the God that I serve is gonna let me die for a crime He knows I didnt commit.. The prosecutors who filed the motion to dismiss the case did not respond to messages seeking comment, and, through a spokesman, the Alabama attorney general declined to be interviewed. Start your day together with God and the GOD TV team. And I say that not with malice in my heart. [2] Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years before his 2015 release. I have no respect for the prosecutors, the judges. Ray Hinton's story is astounding on so many levels. 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. That aint what He said. Pain and terror: America's history of racism, Let sleeping dogs lie: Lynching memorial angers some. Mar 27, 2019 . A jury found him guilty, a judge sentenced him to death. This was contested by another expert,a civil engineer with visual impairments hired by Hintons public defender. According to what we discussed this year the Ray still remembers one of their last conversations before Henrys execution in 1997. [emailprotected]. 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 . EJI attorneys engaged three of the nations top firearms examiners who testified in 2002 that the revolver could not be matched to crime evidence. The arresting officer told him chilling words he would never forget when authorities arrested him. 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. 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. By Jennifer Edwards Staff Writer. Mr. Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. A Christian man was falsely convicted of murder for 30 years, but he spent his time sharing Jesus inside the cells. 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.. He was wrongfully convicted of two murders and served nearly three decades in jail before being released in 2015. 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. He said, Number three, youre gonna have a white prosecutor. Anthony Ray Hinton Exonerated After 30 Years on Death Row. $200 per post at $10/CPM. Convicted, he was sentenced to death and held in solitary confinement on Alabamas death row for 28 years, before being exonerated. Hinton was freed on the morning Friday, April 3, 2015, the 152nd death row inmate exonerated since 1983, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. When Ray was arrested for crimes he didn't commit, he remembers telling the police officers that he didn't do it. 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. "[16] Kirkus Reviews calls the book, "a heart-wrenching yet ultimately hopeful story about truth, justice, and the need for criminal justice reform. Send a prayer request now, or call 18007007000. 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. Gonna have a white D.A. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! Hinton was 29 when was convicted and sentenced to die in the state's electric chair. He told a gathering of family and supporters that "the sun does shine." Hinton, 59, wiped . Anthony Ray Hinton Awarded Honorary Doctorate Degree, Alabama Man Freed After Decades on Death Row, Freed Death Row Inmate: Humor Saved Me from Satan, 122 Commerce Street Montgomery, AL 36104 [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. Anthony Ray Hinton. 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. 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. [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. Among the authors whom the prisoners read and discussed were James Baldwin and Harper Lee. 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. Anthony, or Ray, still remembers the arresting officer's chilling words. Anthony Ray Hinton. Anthony Ray Hinton's story of being wrongfully convicted and serving almost thirty years on Death Row is one of gargantuan unfairness. Winner of the 2019 Moore Prize Finalist, Dayton Peace Prize, 2019 "An amazing and heartwarming story, it restores our faith in the inherent goodness of humanity." - Archbishop Desmond Tutu A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, and justice. And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury., Anthony fought to claim his innocence. Hinton was exonerated in 2015, when he was 59 years old, according to NBC News. Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years, and was later released in 2015. On February 24, 2014, the Supreme Court today unanimously granted relief to Anthony Hinton, finding that his trial lawyer was constitutionally deficient. Anthony Hinton. Anthony Ray Hinton found it easier to adjust than most people, when the pandemic first halted society a year ago, with its mandated lockdowns and widespread closures. And youre going to take the rap. 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. 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. I asked God to remove this hatred, says Ray. Birmingham, Alabama, 1985. Watch a trailer here. Discover the book that broke his thirty-year habit on todays 700 Club. Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. However, the jury disregarded his testimony because of his poor eyesight and inability to use the microscope correctly. 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. Anthony was a man who loved God and followed the example of Jesus Christ. AMY GOODMAN: Anthony Ray Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast-food managers in separate robberies in 1985. 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. Im Christel Berns. Anthony Ray Hinton was released from prison in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday. Despite pleas by Mr. Hintons lawyers, who cited conclusions by newly enlisted specialists, the state refused for years to reconsider the evidence. [4], After Hinton's arrest, his public defense attorney did not provide adequate counsel. He was 29 years old at the time. We gonna have a white judge. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] He was convicted of two murders in 1985. "[unreliable source?] I said, Henry, I truly believe that you are going to Heaven, says Ray. 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. I am passionate in sharing Gods love to the world through the skills and talents God has blessed me with. 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. Have your students watch the video and answer the questions below. Copyright 2022 GOD TV, Simco Media LLC. What are your thoughts about the death penalty after reading this article? Hinton was granted a new trial, and the charges were dismissed after prosecutors said that the Alabama Department of Forensic Sciences determined that the bullets that killed the restaurant managers could not have been used with Hintons mothers gun. So Ive got to forgive. Among their efforts for criminal justice reform, the non-profit provides legal aid to those whove been imprisoned unjustly. 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 . He also works with the U.S. State Department in a global online exchange program teaching educators and students to use comics to find their voice and to solve pressing global issues. Nominee for Best Memoir & Autobiography (2018) A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, justice, and the power of reading by a man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice, Rekindling the Power of God Within to Effect Change. 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.

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