$200 per post at $10/CPM. 30-Year Alabama Death Row Inmate Uses Computer, ATMs for First Time When Ray was arrested for crimes he didn't commit, he remembers telling the police officers that he didn't do it. [5], While on death row, Hinton spent much of his time reading. That aint what He said. HINTON v. ALABAMA | Supreme Court | US Law | LII / Legal Information Police arrived at the house near Birmingham, Alabama, and arrested him for. What do you think can be done to change these racial disparities and to keep cases like that of Mr. Hinton from happening. Hinton speaks about his 30 years on death row - Yale Daily News It was 1986. Anthony Ray Hinton: Alabama death row inmate freed | CNN Hinton was assigned an incompetent lawyer who was paid $1,000 by the state and then proceeded to hire an incompetent ballistics expert who guaranteed his conviction on fake evidence. Allegheny's Student Alliance for Prison Reform Hosts Anthony Ray Hinton 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. But, Hinton was still convicted and sentenced to death. 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 say it because they took 30 years from me.. I said, Henry, I truly believe that you are going to Heaven, says Ray. Under the Fair Justice Act, I'd be dead. Copyright 2022 GOD TV, Simco Media LLC. 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. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. If this is where God intends for me to be and die, this is where I die. 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. Introductions: Anthony Ray Hinton May 2, 2019. Hintons luck changed, however, when Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer with the Equal Justice Initiative, took on his case. Instead, They Want to Speed Up Executions. 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.. They began, he said, with his arrest in one shooting that occurred while witnesses said he was at work miles away. [12] On April 1, 2015 the Jefferson County district attorneys office moved to drop the case. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Copyright 2021 NewsHour Production LLC. But as a poor black man in the South, Hinton was sentenced to death by electrocution. Hinton was freed on the morning Friday, April 3, 2015, the 152nd death row inmate exonerated since 1983, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. Hinton was convicted of each of the two murders and sentenced to death. The arresting officer told him chilling words he would never forget when authorities arrested him. Former death row inmate to share story at Germanna - Fredericksburg.com He has also guest lectured at multiple universities and travels the country giving professional development on comics as engaging literature. Exonerated death row inmate tells his story at Legacy Museum A retired police officer in Essex County working as a private investigator and bounty hunter has sued officials in East Orange, claiming he spent four nights in jail after they arrested him on a . "[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. Anthony Ray Hinton, on death row for decades, casts vote in 2020 [18] He had previously spoken to the students of the Class of 2019, six months after his release, in 2015. 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 . Anthony Ray Hinton blames racism for wrongful jailing - BBC News After 30 years on death row, Anthony Ray Hinton was exonerated over two years ago. 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?. Death Row Exonoree Wednesday, April 12, 2023 8pm. What were the charges brought against Hinton? This article was published more than2 years ago. In Alabama, he writes, judges are elected based on how many people they send to death row, not on how many people they let off., Hintons lawyer provides this ghastly statistic: With 34 executions and seven exonerations in Alabama since 1975, one innocent person has been identified on Alabamas death row for every five executions.. (You will need to make a copy of the document to edit it.). Despite Rays ironclad alibi for at least one of the robberies, and the lack of solid evidence, prosecutors pushed for a conviction. We have a system that is compromised by racial bias, and his case proves it., Weve gotten into a culture, he said in a separate interview, where the pressure to convict and to achieve these outcomes is so great that owning up to mistakes is less frequent than youd like to imagine.. Anthony Ray Hinton Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family Alabama tried to kill a man who never should have been on death row The panel questioned the findings of the Alabama authorities, but the state remained steadfast. Seattle Arts & Lectures \ Introductions: Anthony Ray Hinton The legislature has resisted approval of this payment, as state authorities say that he did not prove his innocence. Anthony Ray Hinton: 'We abandoned our prison system' - al.com But for all yall thats snapping the cameras, I want you to know there is a God.. After 28 years of living in a cell that was five . [emailprotected]. Two days later, after serving 30 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit, Ray was released. But it would be a single piece of evidence that held the key to proving Rays innocence. 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. On Friday, Mr. Hinton was presented with some of the modern conveniences that emerged during his decades in prison, including an iPhone. And youre going to take the rap. The court was unable to affirm the forensic evidence of a gun, which was the only evidence in the first trial. In "True Justice" one of Mr. Stevenson's clients Anthony Ray Hinton Moving forward, he chose to pray for those men who set him up instead. Anthony Ray Hinton's story of being wrongfully convicted and serving almost thirty years on Death Row is one of gargantuan unfairness. After 30 years in custody for crimes he did not commit, Mr. Hintons release is bittersweet. 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. In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with the murders of two restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama. 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. 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. On July 25, 1985, a restaurant in Bessemer was robbed and the manager was shot but not seriously wounded. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life, Freedom, and Justice, Rekindling the Power of God Within to Effect Change. On Tuesday, he cast a vote for president. This has everything to do with the way we treat those who are vulnerable in our criminal justice system.. Today, as EJI Community Educator, hes a tireless and powerful advocate for abolition of the death penalty. "To be accused of murder, itto me, it-it don't get no worse than that," says Anthony. We hired three of the nations best firearms experts, says Charlotte. This isnt luck, this was a system, this was actually our justice system, it was our tax dollars who paid for the police officers who arrested Mr. Hinton. Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years, and was later released in 2015. 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. There is no question A One of those people was Henry Hays, a KKK member on death row for lynching a Black teenager. What evidence was given? [2] Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years before his 2015 release.[2][3][4][5][6]. 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. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. Hence, he asked God to remove the hatred and bitterness in his heart. The only evidence that the state ever had claimed, connected Mr. Hinton, did not exist.. Having spent 30 years on. Im Christel Berns. [10] The Court ruled that Hinton's original defense lawyer had provided "constitutionally deficient" ineffective assistance of counsel, and remanded his case to the Alabama state court for retrial. Hinton, 58, looked up, took in the sunshine and thanked God and his lawyers Friday morning outside the county jail in Birmingham, minutes after taking his first steps as a free man since 1985. official, to review the forensic evidence. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. So I believe in the promise of hope alive, he said. It hurts so bad, says Ray. 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. Check out never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Mr. Hinton hugs EJI lawyer Charlotte Morrison. After a few years, the club grew as the news spread quickly in the prison that reading was a good escape. Smyth maintains a comprehensive website and blog on all things comics in education at TeachingWithComics.com. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital . Fourteen months later, the district attorney in Alabama finally abandoned the case, and Hinton went free. [4] After being released, Hinton wrote and published a memoir The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row (2018). 2. Ray was arrested, convicted, imprisoned, and sentenced to death for a crime he didn't commit. Wrongly jailed for 30 years, Black Alabaman says justice requires voting Hinton's case was taken up by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. BY DEBORAH McKEON | TELEGRAM STAFF. 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. Falsely Convicted Of Murder, Man Spends 30 Years In Prison Sharing And I say that not with malice in my heart. Stunned, The sun does shine, he said as he was embraced by family and friends. This morning, he arrived at the polls and exercised his right to vote. He spent 30 years in prison until, with the help of. It only takes the first two pages of the introduction by the authors equally remarkable lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, to make the reader appalled. In 2018, Alabama residents who were previously convicted of felonies were able to register to vote under the Moral Turpitude Act of 2017. Anthonys mother and best friend also were crushed by the outcome. On February 24, 2014, the Supreme Court today unanimously granted relief to Anthony Hinton, finding that his trial lawyer was constitutionally deficient. Jesus didnt say, Hey, when an enemy come across you, I want you to hate him, says Ray. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! I dont think the society nor the men that did this to me realized what they took from me, says Ray. They were both convicts on death row. Anthony Ray Hinton. Now a Community Educator with EJI, Ray is doing what he can to bring reform to the justice system. Biden enlists potential rivals as advisers ahead of 2024, Their toddler took a nap in an Airbnb and fentanyl killed her. 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. Subjects: U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, Estimated time: One or two 50-minute class periods. Anthony Ray Hinton Exonerated After 30 Years on Death Row. 30 Years on Death Row: Wrongfully Convicted Man Offers Forgiveness Bryan Stevenson told media this is a textbook example of injustice.. To be accused of murder, itto me, it-it dont get no worse than that, says Anthony. EJI lawyer Charlotte Morrison explains. His peaceful morning was quickly interrupted when police officers - with a warrant for Hinton's arrest - taunted, handcuffed and arrested the teenage Hinton. See Innocence and Race. This has nothing to do with luck. Number two, a white is gonna say you shot him whether you shot him or not.. three, youre going to have a white prosecutor. Mr. Hinton walked out of the Jefferson County Jail a free man. Then, another crushing setback. YOU HAVE 20,000 FOLLOWERS: $100 per post at a $5/CPM. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. There was no evidence at all to tie Hinton to two of the three murders he was accused of, and he was locked in a supermarket warehouse cleaning floors when a restaurant manager 15 miles away was abducted, robbed and shot. As for Ray, the courts would continue to block his appeals for a retrial. Discuss as an entire class. 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. 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. Men indicted on separate officer assault charges - tdtnews.com And you know why? I said, No. He said, You got a white man. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row - Goodreads Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. He also wrote a book about his time in prison called The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row, which has since been selected for . Stunned, confused, and only 29 years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity . If you have an immediate prayer need, please call our 24-hour prayer line at 800-700-7000. 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.. 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. Hinton speaks about racism's role in conviction | Local News He said, Number three, youre gonna have a white prosecutor. I dont believe the God that I serve is gonna let me die for a crime He knows I didnt commit.. YouTube | 700 Club Interactive "There's five things they're going to convict you to," the officer told him. 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. Experiencing freedom after 30 years on death row | News | The Law In 2014 the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously overturned his conviction on appeal, after which the state dropped all charges against him. Mr. Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. If you could speak with anyone interviewed in the video, what are two questions you would ask them? In the interview, Hinton described how issues of race permeated his case. Pain and terror: America's history of racism, Let sleeping dogs lie: Lynching memorial angers some. 4 years after death row exoneration, Anthony Ray Hinton is a voice for Firearms experts convened by an Equal Justice Initiative attorney testified in 2002 that the revolver was not the weapon used in the murders of the two fast-food managers. The bill never even made it out of committee. (Teacher Tip the three charts in the article can be shared and analyzed without having to read the entire article.). 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 Alabamas death row. Managers John Davidson and Thomas. Anthony Hinton. I finally looked at you as a human being.. Hinton speaks about racism's role in conviction. and "Y'all blacks always sticking up for each other."[who?] In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. In April 2015, the state of Alabama dismissed all charges when state ballistics experts were unable to match the bullets to the handgun. From Death Row to a Life of Freedom: Anthony Ray Hinton What was the turning point in prison for Hinton? Now, at 58, after spending decades behind bars, Hinton is free. BELTON Two Bell County men were indicted by a grand . Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! Ala. And to show him what real love felt like and real love had no color. And Henry said, Well, you know, Ray, Ive been reading the Bible. Number two, a white man is gonna say you shot him, whether you shot him or not, believe, me I dont care, says Ray. 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. Although he spent nearly three decades on death row and solitary confinement for a crime that he didnt commit, Hinton said he still feels a kinship with returning citizens whose ballots represent another step in the direction of freedom and contributing to society as a free citizen of the United States. This is the state of Rosa Parks who refused to give up her seat and we changed things through legislation and the vote. 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. 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. Mr. Hinton thanked his supporters and legal team. Harriet Beecher Stowe and Harriet Tubman were two of the most well-known abolitionists.. Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs were both able to free themselves from slavery. 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 He has one message for everyone who will listen: Our system is broken, and its time to put a stop to the death penalty. No fingerprints or eyewitness testimony were introduced. Ask students: What would you do if you or a loved one was arrested for a crime they did not commit? The Profile Dossier: Anthony Ray Hinton, the Innocent Man on Death Row Instead, he retained a visually-impaired civil engineer with no expertise in firearms identification who admitted he could not operate the machinery necessary to examine the evidence. (334) 269-1803 That paid to keep him on death row for 30 years for a crime he didnt commit. Dont miss reporting and analysis from the Hill and the White House. And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury.. On Death Row for 28 Years. Here's How Anthony Ray Hinton Stayed Joyful For Ray, it was a bittersweet moment. Birmingham, Alabama, 1985. FLORENCE -- Anthony Ray Hinton was mowing the grass outside the house he . He has become an inspirational speaker, traveling the country and the world. [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. Mar 27, 2019 . 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.