Number two, a white man gonna say you shot him. 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. He was going to be convicted anyway. The books are still passed around from cell to cell, but the meetings in the prison library are over. 1. Plus, two long lost cousins Hooked on drugs before he was a teen, a meth addict has only one goal in life. Instead, They Want to Speed Up Executions. An all-white jury sentenced him guilty of two counts of capital murder and to death by electric chair.. On July 31, 1985, the police arrested Anthony Ray Hinton for murder. 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 . Wrongly convicted, he was on death row for decades. He has become an inspirational speaker, traveling the country and the world. 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. 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. For more than 15 years, EJI attorneys repeatedly asked state officials to re-examine the evidence in this case, but former Jefferson County District Attorney David Barber, and Attorneys General from Troy King to Luther Strange, all failed to do so. 4. CBN is a global ministry committed to preparing the nations of the world for the coming of Jesus Christ through mass media. 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. 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. Being locked up for 30 years made me realize how important the vote was, He added. What are your thoughts about the death penalty after reading this article? Casting a ballot represents a culmination of Mr. Hintons victory over that system., Voting for the first time was like a breath of fresh air. 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. He told a gathering of family and supporters that "the sun does shine." Hinton, 59, wiped . EJI lawyer Charlotte Morrison explains. 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. Police arrived at the house near Birmingham, Alabama, and arrested him for. Have students pair/share with a partner. The bill never even made it out of committee. 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. New York Times bestselling book by Anthony Ray Hinton. [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. Jesus didnt say, Hey, when an enemy come across you, I want you to hate him, says Ray. Hinton was convicted of each of the two murders and sentenced to death. ADDITIONAL SUPPORT PROVIDED BY: Copyright 2021 NewsHour Production LLC. Click here for more stories in the series and watch for more NewsHour EXTRA lesson content based on Searching for Justice stories. As for Ray, the courts would continue to block his appeals for a retrial. The Lost Books Of The Bible: Should We Accept Or Reject? Number one, youre Black. What did I do? You dont know freedom until its taken from you, Hinton told The Washington Post on Tuesday night. It hurts so bad, says Ray. 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. Published: Apr. In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with the murders of two restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama. [citation needed] Hinton's mother died in 2002. In this lesson, students meet. Get daily or weekly highlights from The 700 Club delivered to your inbox. "Thirty years ago, the . Read this article and answer the following questions. Today, as EJI Community Educator, hes a tireless and powerful advocate for abolition of the death penalty. However, the jury disregarded his testimony because of his poor eyesight and inability to use the microscope correctly. The court was unable to affirm the forensic evidence of a gun, which was the only evidence in the first trial. I mean ONLY.. Ray has a strong alibi for one of the incidents, and the supposed murder weapon, Ray's mom's gun, hasn't been fired in years, but the authorities refuse to consider this. 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. Why me? 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 I say that not with malice in my heart. If you didnt do it, one of your brothers did. Watch a trailer here. 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. He organized a book club that was allowed to meet in the prison's law library. Anthony Ray Hinton was a man wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit back in the year 1985 and what happened was that two fast food restaurants in Birmingham Alabama were robbed and both Mangers were shot dead named Thomas Vason and John Davidson and on a later date of July 25th on the same year another restaurant was robbed in Bessemer 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 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. He went on tospend 28 years on death row 30 yearsin all, without his freedom. 0. "If God hadn't intervened and sent me his best lawyer, within two years I would . Executions are carried out in the name of the people of Alabama and we should all be concerned if we make oursystem less reliable and the execution of innocent people more likely. 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. So Ive got to forgive. That victim survived and then misidentified Hinton as his assailant; then the state completed this travesty by providing completely fake ballistic evidence to tie a gun found in Hintons mothers home to all three murders. What do you think can be done to change these racial disparities and to keep cases like that of Mr. Hinton from happening. 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. In the interview, Hinton described how issues of race permeated his case. It took almost a decade for Mr. Hinton and his lawyers to recruit a panel of experts, including a former F.B.I. Dick Kearns, Fr. Having spent 30 years on. Death Row Exonoree Wednesday, April 12, 2023 8pm. However, the number of members also gradually became smaller when book club members were executed. 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. [2] Hinton was sentenced to death and held on the state's death row for 28 years before his 2015 release. EJI attorneys engaged three of the nations top firearms examiners who testified in 2002 that the revolver could not be matched to crime evidence. I dont think the society nor the men that did this to me realized what they took from me, says Ray. First, have students answer the following questions, either in class discussion or as written answers. When he was 29 . Mr. Hinton thanked his supporters and legal team. 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, haltingly, he began to talk about mercy. This lesson is part of NewsHours Searching for Justice series on criminal justice reform. Introductions: Anthony Ray Hinton May 2, 2019. 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. The first three years, I was in a stage of hating, says Ray. (334) 269-1803 Copyright 2022 GOD TV, Simco Media LLC. 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. 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. According to what we discussed this year the In 2018, Alabama residents who were previously convicted of felonies were able to register to vote under the Moral Turpitude Act of 2017. We conclude that they did not and hold that Hinton's trial attorney rendered constitutionally deficient performance. Hinton was exonerated in 2015, when he was 59 years old, according to NBC News. [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. [4] Hinton's book received extremely positive reviews. Anthony Ray Hinton Exonerated After 30 Years on Death Row. Mar 30, 2016 Updated Mar 31, 2016. What happened to make him stop accepting defeat and start fighting back? By making the state postconviction process even more complicated and arbitrary, the law increases the likelihood that clients on death row will not receive full and fair review of their cases. I said, Henry, I truly believe that you are going to Heaven, says Ray. Hinton hopes that will change, and his vote on Tuesday gave him hope that it will change soon. In 2014 the Supreme Court of the United States unanimously overturned his conviction on appeal, after which the state dropped all charges against him. Fourteen months later, the district attorney in Alabama finally abandoned the case, and Hinton went free. Anthony Ray Hinton, an inmate on Alabama's death row, asks us to decide whether the Alabama courts correctly applied Strickland to his case. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. And youre going to take the rap. Pain and terror: America's history of racism, Let sleeping dogs lie: Lynching memorial angers some. As she desperately prays for healing, hear the message she receives from God on todays A woman receives an answer to a prayer she never wanted to pray. Anthonys mother and best friend also were crushed by the outcome. In 1985, two Birmingham area fast-food restaurants were robbed and the managers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vason, were fatally shot. "I woke up like I do every morning I knew that my mother was cooking," Hinton recounted. The arresting officer told him chilling words he would never forget when authorities arrested him. Then Anthony spent the first three years in the prison full of bitterness in his heart. The 29-year-old found himself helpless and questioned God what he did so wrong for it to happen to him. Anthony Ray Hinton attends "True Justice: Bryan Stevenson's Fight For Equality" New York Screening at SVA Theater on June 24, 2019. Ray stayed on death row until the US Supreme Court overturned his sentence in 2015nearly thirty years later. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. He has one message for everyone who will listen: Our system is broken, and its time to put a stop to the death penalty. Discuss as an entire class. (334) 269-1803 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. 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. So I believe in the promise of hope alive, he said. 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. [4], The prosecution's only evidence at the trial was a statement that ballistics tests showed four crime scene bullets matched Hinton's mother's gun, which was discovered at her house during the investigation. Stunned, confused, and only twenty-nine years . I have never experienced anything like it.. 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. Sen. Paul Bussman, R-Cullman, has proposed legislation to grant Anthony Ray Hinton $1.5 million over three years. 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. EJI attorneys engaged three of the nation's top firearms . No one knows the hardship created by our inefficient system more than I do, Mr. Hinton wrote. BIRMINGHAM, Ala. Nearly 30 years after the Alabama authorities relied on analyses of a handgun and bullets to send him to death row, Anthony Ray Hinton was freed on Friday after experts undermined the states case. 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. 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 crimehe did not commit, but also passed legislation changing the appeals process in death penalty cases so that innocent people like Mr. Hinton now face aneven greater risk of being executed. Four, youre gonna have a white judge. Discover the book that broke his thirty-year habit on todays 700 Club. BY DEBORAH McKEON | TELEGRAM STAFF. On Tuesday, he cast a vote for president. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Anthony, or Ray, still remembers the arresting officer's chilling words. I was released from death row. Cases like Anthony Ray Hintons give the public pause about the death penalty, said Robert Dunham, the centers executive director. Two days later, after serving 30 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit, Ray was released. But he was innocent. 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. 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. Alabama inmate Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of prison Friday as a free man after 30 years on death row. And Anthony made a decision to accept the reality and still allow God to use him while in prison. Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! The reality is much worse as doctors find a large brain tumor behind Hes known as Johnny B. Badd from the World Wrestling Federation. Our tax dollars that paid for the judge and the prosecutor that prosecuted him. 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. Because he was convicted of something, he didnt even do. In his book, The Awe of God, pastor and author, John Bevere describes the many ways having a genuine and holy fear of God enhances the good in one A man who makes a vow to the LORD or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. By Christina Gould, SAL Patron Services Manager. $140 per post at $7/CPM. Get an all-access pass to never-before-seen content, free digital evidence kits, and much more! But the book club is short-lived, after the prisoners who are left out of it convince the warden it is unfair to allow only some of them to become readers. He was 29 years old at the time. [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. Anyone can read what you share. "[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. 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. What evidence was given? Searching for Justice explores criminal justice reforms unfolding across the country, as the leaders from both sides of the political aisle attempt to end mass incarceration by rethinking laws that some say have become barriers to work, housing, and economic stability. [3][4], In June 1988, the unanimous Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Hinton's conviction and death sentence. . 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. On parole for petty theft, the 29-year-old was living with his mom and working as a day laborer. Id., at 687-688, 694. 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. All Rights Reserved, U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies. A woman suspects a stroke as her eyes twitch and she experiences slurred speech. 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. Hinton spent 30 years on Alabama's death row for crimes he didn't commit. He spent 30 years in prison until, with the help of. And Henry said, Well, you know, Ray, Ive been reading the Bible. Get a daily devotional and encouraging 2-3minute video direct to your inbox. He said, Everybody that played a part in sending me to death row, you will answer to God.[5][13] Hinton filed a claim for nearly $1.5 million in compensation for his time in jail due to the wrongful conviction. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. Living the Christian life is a journey. The panel questioned the findings of the Alabama authorities, but the state remained steadfast. About $2,100 was missing from the safe. "Number one, you're black. And to show him what real love felt like and real love had no color. All of yall always doing something and the moment you get caught, you say you didnt do it. What do you do with that? asks Ray. [18] He had previously spoken to the students of the Class of 2019, six months after his release, in 2015. Despite Rays ironclad alibi for at least one of the robberies, and the lack of solid evidence, prosecutors pushed for a conviction. Disclamer: the number about Anthony Ray Hinton's Instagram salary income and Anthony Ray Hinton's Instagram net worth are just estimation based on publicly available information about Instagram's monetization programs, it is by . Number three, youre gonna have a white district attorney. Hinton's case was taken up by the Equal Justice Initiative in Montgomery, Alabama. I lived in hell for 30 years, so I dont want to die and go to hell. 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 . The two Harriets were termed abolitionists because they wanted slavery to be abolished. [4] Hinton was portrayed by O'Shea Jackson Jr. in the 2019 film Just Mercy. 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.. #ElectionDay #Vote2020 pic.twitter.com/J2eFOWnheD. Watch a trailer. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years in prison 28 on death row for a crime he didn't commit, and he has been busy since his 2015 exoneration. 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. 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. 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. This has nothing to do with luck. Having spent 30 years on Alabama's death row as an innocent man, the now-freed 64-year-old knows about confinement. That paid for the experts who got it wrong. For a Google doc version of this lesson, click here. Explore Anthony Ray Hinton Wiki Age, Height, Biography as Wikipedia, Wife, Family relation. [4], Hinton's initial appeals continued to be handled by his public defender, Sheldon C. Perhacs, who lost each of Hintons cases. Soon after, prosecutors pushed for conviction upon him, and his appeal for innocence was defeated. In the interview, Hinton described how issues of race permeated his case. At Holman Correctional Facility, Rays cell was a mere 30 feet from the execution chair they called Yellow Mama. He talked about his wrongful conviction, his decades in prison, and the lingering effects he has experienced after leaving prison. Hinton began his talk by explaining the context of his arrest, where he was charged with first-degree robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder. Discover steps to bring you closer to Christ. 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. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. This is my Yes to Papa God. Anthony Ray Hinton's wrongful conviction and time on death row is featured in the upcoming drama, Just Mercy. The film, starring Michael B. Jordan and Jamie Foxx, follows attorney. 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.