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. I lived in hell for 30 years, so I dont want to die and go to hell. Read this article and answer the following questions. 2. [18] He had previously spoken to the students of the Class of 2019, six months after his release, in 2015. 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 . I truly believe God sent me to death row to meet Henry Francis Hays, says Ray. Two days later, after serving 30 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit, Ray was released. -- Anthony Ray Hinton spent more than half his life on death row in southern Alabama. And to show him what real love felt like and real love had no color. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. The bill never even made it out of committee. Four, youre gonna have a white judge. Perhacs hired a civil engineer who had impaired vision and didnt have any forensic experience. What challenges do you think theyd face once home after a long prison stay? 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. Discuss as an entire class. But on July 31, 1985, 29-year-old Ray's life changes drastically when the police arrest him for a series of murders that Ray didn't commit. 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. Being locked up for 30 years made me realize how important the vote was, He added. Start your day together with God and the GOD TV team. Among their efforts for criminal justice reform, the non-profit provides legal aid to those whove been imprisoned unjustly. Im Christel Berns. He has one message for everyone who will listen: Our system is broken, and its time to put a stop to the death penalty. Bryan Stevenson told media this is a textbook example of injustice.. Anthony Ray Hinton. 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. Mr. Hinton hugs EJI lawyer Charlotte Morrison. Having spent 30 years on Alabama's death row as an innocent man, the now-freed 64-year-old knows about confinement. Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. Published: Apr. Joe Nangle will also be honored May 19 Anthony Ray Hinton will deliver the keynote address May 19 at St. Bonaventure University's 159 th Commencement ceremony, almost four years after he left an indelible impression on the class about to graduate.. Hinton was released from prison in April 2015 after spending 30 years on Alabama's death row for a crime he did . I realized I was there because the wrong people were in office and I had a chance to begin to put men and women that are going to uphold the Constitution.. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Mr. Hinton is the 152nd person exonerated from an American death row since 1973. But Hinton was ultimately convicted due to a gun that was discovered in his mothers home, where he lived. 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. If this is where God intends for me to be and die, this is where I die. And, haltingly, he began to talk about mercy. He organized a book club that was allowed to meet in the prison's law library. Have students pair/share with a partner. There were no eyewitnesses or fingerprint evidence; police had no suspects and pressure to solve the murders grew as similar crimes continued. But while Im here, everything around me gonna live. 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. Have students write a personal response summarizing the video How do you feel after seeing Hintons struggle with the criminal justice system? He has also guest lectured at multiple universities and travels the country giving professional development on comics as engaging literature. And I say that not with malice in my heart. Anthony Ray Hinton, an inmate on Alabama's death row, asks us to decide whether the Alabama courts correctly applied Strickland to his case. 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. As my good friend Bryan Stevenson says, the moral arc of the universe bends toward justice but justice needs help., How I got 30 years on death row for someone else's crime, 'I went to death row for 28 years through no fault of my own', Original reporting and incisive analysis, direct from the Guardian every morning. A polygraph test given by police exonerated him, but the judge (now-retired Circuit Judge James Garrett) refused to admit it at trial. [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. 07.31.17. 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. Copyright 2022 GOD TV, Simco Media LLC. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. Mr. Hinton walked out of the Jefferson County Jail a free man. Discover God's peace now. Alabamas Jim Crow-era constitution openly intended felony disenfranchisement and the biased criminal legal system that ensnared Mr. Hinton to work hand in hand to squash Black political power, she added. I asked God to remove this hatred, says Ray. 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. Hinton's case was taken up by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. 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 sun does shine, he said as he was embraced by family and friends. Ray stayed on death row until the US Supreme Court overturned his sentence in 2015nearly thirty years later. Gonna have a white D.A. What evidence was given? There is no question A The panel questioned the findings of the Alabama authorities, but the state remained steadfast. He said, Number three, youre gonna have a white prosecutor. Then Anthony spent the first three years in the prison full of bitterness in his heart. The gun belonged to his mother, but forensics experts hired by the state of Alabama claimed that it was the murder weapon. 0. Watch a trailer. Your natural reaction was it-it's over. Pain and terror: America's history of racism, Let sleeping dogs lie: Lynching memorial angers some. and "Y'all blacks always sticking up for each other."[who?] [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. What were the charges brought against Hinton? Hinton was freed on the morning Friday, April 3, 2015, the 152nd death row inmate exonerated since 1983, according to the Equal Justice Initiative. 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. Deputies escort Mr. Hinton in the courthouse during his trial. Anthony was a man who loved God and followed the example of Jesus Christ. One of those people was Henry Hays, a KKK member on death row for lynching a Black teenager. Mr. Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. Understanding The Holy Of Holies Inside The Temple. Sen. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman, has proposed legislation to grant Anthony Ray Hinton $1.5 million over three years. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! [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. That aint what He said. 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. 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. 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. 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. [2] [3] [4] [5] [6] Feb 24, 2017 Updated Feb 24, 2017. 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. They began, he said, with his arrest in one shooting that occurred while witnesses said he was at work miles away. (334) 269-1803 5. What do you notice about the racial differences of incarceration in the United States. Despite Rays ironclad alibi for at least one of the robberies, and the lack of solid evidence, prosecutors pushed for a conviction. 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. 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 . In 2015, Hintons 30 years of unbroken prayers were answered and the nations highest court ruled unanimously in his favor. Hi. 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. Police seized an old revolver belonging to Mr. Hintons mother, and state firearm examiners said that was the gun used in all three crimes. Hinton began his talk by explaining the context of his arrest, where he was charged with first-degree robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder. I hated those men that did this to me.. Managers John Davidson and Thomas. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! The 29-year-old found himself helpless and questioned God what he did so wrong for it to happen to him. Mr. Hinton, 58, argued for decades that Alabama officials including the judge who oversaw his trial and is now retired had made a series of compounding mistakes after three shootings in 1985 that left two men dead and another wounded. Get daily or weekly highlights from The 700 Club delivered to your inbox. Hinton told 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley about a conversation he had with a police lieutenant after having been arrested: I said, You got the wrong guy. And he said, I dont care whether you did it or dont. He said, But you gonna be convicted for it. 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. What do you do when you tell a lawyer that youre innocent and he looks at you and says, The problem with that statement. BELTON Two Bell County men were indicted by a grand . Anthony Ray Hinton spent decades in jail for crimes he did not commit. Mr. Hinton was appointed a lawyer who mistakenly thought he could not get enough money to hire a qualified firearms examiner. [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. This has everything to do with the way we treat those who are vulnerable in our criminal justice system.. Mr. Stevenson said it was unclear whether Mr. Hinton would ever receive any compensation from the state. An all-white jury sentenced him guilty of two counts of capital murder and to death by electric chair.. 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 . His book is a harrowing masterpiece 'Let sleeping dogs lie': Lynching memorial angers some Anthony Ray Hinton. Discover steps to bring you closer to Christ. Oxygen Insider is your 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]. [emailprotected]. Rays mother, whod visited him almost every week since his incarceration, died in 2002. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Copyright 2021 NewsHour Production LLC. 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. And looked at the evidence and they said this is, you know, there is no match here. 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. On Friday, Mr. Hinton was presented with some of the modern conveniences that emerged during his decades in prison, including an iPhone. First, have students answer the following questions, either in class discussion or as written answers. He told a gathering of family and supporters that "the sun does shine." Hinton, 59, wiped . "[16] Kirkus Reviews calls the book, "a heart-wrenching yet ultimately hopeful story about truth, justice, and the need for criminal justice reform. Having spent 30 years on. EJI attorneys engaged three of the nation's top firearms . He left Notre Dame Law students with a challenge to serve justice. Jacobs was afraid to publish or write her tale, but Douglass was not, and her story was published in many variations. But it would be a single piece of evidence that held the key to proving Rays innocence. 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 Number one, youre black. Create your free profile and get access to exclusive content. He was convicted of two murders in 1985. Subjects: U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, Estimated time: One or two 50-minute class periods. 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. [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. Officers had retrieved a handgun from Mr. Hintons home and, after analyzing it and the recovered bullets, concluded that the shootings were tied. Officers had retrieved . In this lesson, students meet. Theres five things theyre 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. 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. 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.. [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. Founded by a lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, it had a track record of overturning unjust convictions and in winning a. josh allen autograph signing 2022, lafayette, louisiana mugshots, how to change activision email without code,