Georgia Innocence Project

arhunt — Wed, 26 Sep 2007 14:09:26 GMT

***NOW TAKING ALABAMA CASES AS WELL***

ABOUT THE GEORGIA INNOCENCE PROJECT

Innocent people are serving a significant portion of their lives in prison for crimes they did not commit. These innocent people need someone to care about justice and to assist them in gaining their freedom.
-- Jill Polster
Co-Founder, Georgia Innocence Project

There is an Innocence Movement sweeping the nation. In August 2002, Georgia joined this movement through creation of the Georgia Innocence Project (GIP), based on the model of the original Innocence Project, founded in New York in 1992.

With the advent of new scientific testing methods, particularly forensic DNA testing, many cases are being reevaluated. Innocent people are being discovered in prisons in every state.

No one ever wants an innocent person to be convicted and to spend a majority of his or her life in prison. That sort of injustice erodes the very foundation of our criminal justice system.

GIP is a nonprofit organization dedicated to helping individuals who have been convicted of crimes they did not commit. The Project works to secure post-conviction DNA testing for Georgia inmates where DNA analysis could prove guilt or innocence and adequate DNA testing was not available at trial.

Since its inception, GIP has received more than 3000 letters requesting our assistance. Each request is carefully reviewed to determine if the case meets our requirements. Our rigorous screening process includes a complete review of the case and all relevant documents. If the case meets GIP's strict scrunity and there is DNA evidence available to test, we accept representation of the case and begin litigating the issues. To date, the Georgia Innocence Project has accepted eleven clients.

Perhaps the biggest challenge in cases such as these is finding the physical evidence. Acknowledging this problem, the 2003 Georgia General Assembly created a solution. Under the leadership of Lt. Governor Mark Taylor and State Sen. David Adelman, a bill was passed allowing for post-conviction DNA testing and for the preservation of evidence. This bill passed both the House and the Senate unanimously and was signed into law by the Governor.

In August 2004, GIP's work exonerated Clarence Harrison, a man who had been sentenced to life in prison for rape, robbery and kidnapping and who had been behind bars for nearly 18 years.

In December 2005, Atlantan Robert Clark was freed from prison after serving nearly 25 years for a crime he did not commit. Mr. Clark's exoneration was a joint effort between the Georgia Innocence Project and the original Innocence Project, based in New York.

The Georgia Innocence Project, through its Life After Exoneration program, continues to work with Mr. Harrison and Mr. Clark to help them rebuild their lives. This service includes representing exonerated clients for financial compensation. In 2005, the Georgia General Assembly awarded Mr. Harrison $1 million; in 2007, the same body awarded Mr. Clark $1.2 million for his years spent behind bars.

In January 2007, Atlantan Willie O. "Pete" Williams walked free after nearly 22 years of wrongful incarceration. He was officially exonerated in Fulton County Superior Court on February 13, 2007. Mr. Williams now participates in GIP's Life After Exoneration program.

For more information on the cases and issues that comprise GIP's work, please visit our news release archive.

To read media coverage on GIP's work, please visit our Articles page.

For more information on the process of our work, please view this PowerPoint presentation. (Please be patient, as it will take a bit of time for this document to load.)

Lisa George

Communications Director

Georgia Innocence Project

752 1/2 North Highland Avenue

Atlanta, Georgia 30306

Phone: (404) 872-8236

Fax: (404) 872-8240

lisa@ga-innocenceproject.org

Sometimes the innocent victim of a crime is the one convicted of it.