Prosecutors dropped the case against Anthony Ray Hinton, 58, when new . Alabama death row inmate freed after 30 years - BBC News An Alabama man has been freed after spending nearly 30 years on death row. The evidence against Hinton was scant: There were no fingerprints at the scenes and no witnesses who placed him there, according to the outlet. We gonna have a white judge. The lecture began with Hinton recounting the day of his arrest in extreme detail. Death Row Exonoree Wednesday, April 12, 2023 8pm. Alabaman on death row for 30 years vows to vote out Trump Anthony Ray Hinton was released from prison in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday. Hes also written a book about his journey of forgiveness and redemption, hoping his story will inspire change and healing. 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. We are thrilled that Mr. Hinton will finally be released because he has unnecessarily spent years on Alabamas death row when evidence of his innocence was clearly presented, said his lead attorney, Bryan Stevenson. "Just Mercy" opens in limited release on Christmas Day, and hits theaters everywhere on Jan. 10. Hinton speaks about racism's role in conviction | Local News Life after wrongful conviction - PBS NewsHour Classroom Ala. Love your enemy. The only way that we will ever conquer hate is love.. 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. 1. Despite providing a solid alibi, Anthony Ray Hinton was still sentenced to death by the state of Alabama. Understanding The Holy Of Holies Inside The Temple. 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.. And I say that not with malice in my heart. Anthony Hinton - National Registry of Exonerations Discuss as an entire class. -- Anthony Ray Hinton spent more than half his life on death row in southern Alabama. 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. Ive always felt that I have the Supreme Lawyer, says Ray. For your mom not to be here the day that you are released, to run into her arms and say, Im home, Mom isI try my best to be the son that she brought me up to be, says Ray. [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. Anthony Ray Hinton's story of being wrongfully convicted and serving almost thirty years on Death Row is one of gargantuan unfairness. A polygraph test given by police exonerated him, but the judge (now-retired Circuit Judge James Garrett) refused to admit it at trial. But the state court of Alabama refused to overturn his convictions or grant a new trial. In 1985 he was convicted of the murders of two restaurant workers in Birmingham, Ala. Thirty years later . Despite the new evidence, the courts still refused to reopen Rays case. Anthony Hinton (left) with attorney Bryan Stevenson following a hearing at which EJI argued all charges against Mr. Hinton must be dismissed immediately. 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. [4], After Hinton's arrest, his public defense attorney did not provide adequate counsel. Hinton's case was taken up by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. Hinton was a special guest and speaker at 442 Orange St. on Tuesday evening for an event honoring the innocent on death row hosted by Jewish society Shabtai. Mr. Hintons words were among the starkest reminders that, despite the joyous atmosphere surrounding his release, the case against him had spurred another reckoning for Alabama and a legal system that critics said appeared troubled by obstinacy and arrogance. And Anthony made a decision to accept the reality and still allow God to use him while in prison. Men indicted on separate officer assault charges. I say it because they took 30 years from me.. 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. Anthony Ray Hinton net worth and salary income estimation 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. Hence, he asked God to remove the hatred and bitterness in his heart. Dont miss reporting and analysis from the Hill and the White House. The engineer said that there wasnt any connection between the weapon and the shooting. If this is where God intends for me to be and die, this is where I die. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. But it would be a single piece of evidence that held the key to proving Rays innocence. Hintons public defender was roundly criticized for his work hetried to appeal his case and routinely failed, according to The Guardian. 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. 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. 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. He has one message for everyone who will listen: Our system is broken, and its time to put a stop to the death penalty. This is my Yes to Papa God. Discover the book that broke his thirty-year habit on todays 700 Club. About $2,100 was missing from the safe. And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury.. From Death Row to a Life of Freedom: Anthony Ray Hinton official, to review the forensic evidence. 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. Anthony Ray, then a 29-year-old warehouseman, was mowing his mum's lawn when his life was torn apart in July 1985. 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. Oxygen Insider is your all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! 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. Soon after, prosecutors pushed for conviction upon him, and his appeal for innocence was defeated. Birmingham, Alabama, 1985. Ray Hinton's story is astounding on so many levels. Discover God's peace now. 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 . Hintons luck changed, however, when Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer with the Equal Justice Initiative, took on his case. Anthony Ray Hinton Character Analysis in The Sun Does Shine | LitCharts Hinton spent 28 years on death row for two robbery-murders in the Birmingham, Ala., area in the mid-1980s. On July 31, 1985, the police arrested Anthony Ray Hinton for murder. What do you notice about the racial differences of incarceration in the United States. Wrongly jailed for 30 years, Black Alabaman says justice requires voting Anthony Ray Hinton: 'We abandoned our prison system' - al.com Stunned, confused, and only 29 years old, Hinton knew that it was a case of mistaken identity . "Number one, you're black. On February 23, 1985, 49-year-old John Davidson, the assistant manager of Mrs. Winner's fried chicken restaurant in Birmingham, Alabama, was fatally shot in an after-hours robbery. However, the jury disregarded his testimony because of his poor eyesight and inability to use the microscope correctly. "[17], On May 19, 2019, Hinton spoke at St. Bonaventure University's commencement exercises and was awarded an honorary Doctor of Human Letters degree. Alabama inmate Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of prison Friday as a free man after 30 years on death row. But it would all fall on deaf ears, including his court-appointed lawyer. Anthony Ray Hinton, an inmate on Alabama's death row, asks us to decide whether the Alabama courts correctly applied Strickland to his case. [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. $200 per post at $10/CPM. . Anthony Ray Hinton Biography, Age, Height, Wife, Net Worth, Family But for all yall thats snapping the cameras, I want you to know there is a God.. But, Hinton was still convicted and sentenced to death. On Friday, Mr. Hinton was presented with some of the modern conveniences that emerged during his decades in prison, including an iPhone. 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. 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. It was there on a panel discussion, Reforming Criminal Justice in America . Number two, a white man is gonna say you shot him, whether you shot him or not, believe, me I dont care, says Ray. 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. He told a gathering of family and supporters that "the sun does shine." Hinton, 59, wiped . Under the Fair Justice Act, I'd be dead. Subjects: U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, Estimated time: One or two 50-minute class periods. Anthony Ray Hinton - Wikipedia $140 per post at $7/CPM. Anthony Ray Hinton, US, Speaker | 365 Christian Men Their key piece of evidenceexpert testimony claiming the ballistics report of the bullets pulled from the victims matched a handgun found in Rays home. Anthony Ray Hinton spent three decades on Alabama's death row for crimes he did not commit. After 28 years of living in a cell that was five . It was an overwhelming day, and it should never have taken that long, says Charlotte. [5], In November 2014, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals closed Hinton's case. His peaceful morning was quickly interrupted when police officers - with a warrant for Hinton's arrest - taunted, handcuffed and arrested the teenage Hinton. BELTON Two Bell County men were indicted by a grand . One of the longest serving death row prisoners in Alabama history and among the longest serving condemned prisoners to be freed after presenting evidence of innocence, Mr. Hinton becamethe 152nd person exonerated from death row since 1983 when he wasreleased on April 3, 2015. CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. How Anthony Ray Hinton survived death row. - slate.com This was contested by another expert,a civil engineer with visual impairments hired by Hintons public defender. Sen. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman, has proposed legislation to grant Anthony Ray Hinton $1.5 million over three years. The prosecutorwho had a documented history of racial bias and said he could tell Mr. Hinton was guilty and evil solely from his appearancetold the court that the States experts asserted match between Mrs. Hintons gun and the bullets from all three crimes was the only evidence linking Mr. Hinton to the Davidson and Vason murders. 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. This lesson is part of NewsHours Searching for Justice series on criminal justice reform. Read this article and answer the following questions. If you think there is no reason for another book about a grave miscarriage of American justice, think again. And, haltingly, he began to talk about mercy. 2023 The Christian Broadcasting Network, Inc., A nonprofit 501 (c)(3) Charitable Organization. By Jennifer Edwards Staff Writer. 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 (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. 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. 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. There were no eyewitnesses or fingerprint evidence; police had no suspects and pressure to solve the murders grew as similar crimes continued. Anthony Ray Hinton Wiki, Biography, Age, Wife, Family, Net Worth A jury found him guilty, a judge sentenced him to death. The bill never even made it out of committee. He has become an inspirational speaker, traveling the country and the world. An all-white jury would find Ray guilty of two counts of capital murder and sentence him to death by electric chair. Anthony Ray Hinton spent decades in jail for crimes he did not commit. The States evidence of a match was wholly discredited by three highly qualified firearms examiners, including the former chief of the FBIs firearm and toolmarks unit, who testified in 2002 that the bullets from all three crimes could not be matched to a single gun at all, much less to Mrs. Hintons gun, and found that her gun could not have fired the bullets from the third uncharged robbery. Despite his innocence, Anthony Ray Hinton lingered on death row for nearly 30 years for crimes he did not commit. 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. Anthony Ray Hinton speaks to students on November 13, 2018, in the . Students will look at the ways race and other factors play a role in wrongful convictions. According to what we discussed this year the Ask students: What would you do if you or a loved one was arrested for a crime they did not commit? Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Students will discuss systemic error in the criminal justice system and the real impact of wrongful convictions on individual lives. 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. 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 Henry said, Well, you know, Ray, Ive been reading the Bible. (334) 269-1803 What happened to make him stop accepting defeat and start fighting back? Anthony Ray Hinton attends "True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight For Equality" New York Screening at SVA Theater on June 24, 2019. . [9], Hinton was sent to death row, where he was held in solitary confinement for nearly three decades. Anthony was a man who loved God and followed the example of Jesus Christ. 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. For a Google doc version of this lesson, click here. 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. 2. (You will need to make a copy of the document to edit it.). The Supreme Court is considering a challenge to laws that protect websites from lawsuits, Lesson includes resources to help you talk with your students about traumatic events, Read Martin Luther King Jr.'s famous speech and explore themes such as the social conditions in the U.S. that led to the Civil Rights Movement. That paid to keep him on death row for 30 years for a crime he didnt commit. By not voting, you allow people to get into the drivers seat that allows them to oppress you even more., For 30 years, Mr. Hinton was stripped of all his rights while he sat on Alabama's death row for a crime he didn't commit. On Death Row for 28 Years. Here's How Anthony Ray Hinton Stayed Joyful I am passionate in sharing Gods love to the world through the skills and talents God has blessed me with. My only crime was being born black in Alabama, Hinton writes, his prosecution nothing less than a lynching in which the white robes of the Ku Klux Klan were replaced by the black robes of justice. I asked God to remove this hatred, says Ray. What are the mistakes in the case against Mr. Hinton? Among the authors whom the prisoners read and discussed were James Baldwin and Harper Lee. 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.