"Thirty years ago, the . Sign up forOxygen Insiderfor all the best true crime content. Cases like Anthony Ray Hintons give the public pause about the death penalty, said Robert Dunham, the centers executive director. What were the charges brought against Hinton? By unanimous vote, the court ruled to grant Ray a new trial. Former death row inmate Anthony Ray Hinton, who was exonerated in 2015 after spending nearly 30 years behind bars in Alabama, says he has forgiven the state for its decades-long injustice. In this lesson, students meet Anthony Ray Hinton, one of hundreds of people who were exonerated, or had charges against him dropped after hed been convicted and sent to prison. with his arrest in one shooting that occurred while witnesses said he was at work miles away. I have no respect for the prosecutors, the judges. The arresting officer told him chilling words he would never forget when authorities arrested him. I truly believe God sent me to death row to meet Henry Francis Hays, says Ray. The cop was right. With the help of his co-author Lara Love Hardin, Hinton conveys all the horror of his years in solitary confinement, barely able to breath in 120F (49C) summer heat, eating food that tasted like dust. 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. This morning, he arrived at the polls and exercised his right to vote. He has become an inspirational speaker, traveling the country and the world. Send a prayer request now, or call 18007007000. By AFP Reporters Alabaman Anthony Ray Hinton, an African American spent 30 years on death row because, he says, he was "black and poor." His name finally cleared in Alabama, he now campaigns for justice which he says can only be achieved by beating Donald Trump at the ballot box. What did I do? Now He Has a Message for White America", "Anthony Ray Hinton, Alabama Man Who Spent 30 Years on Death Row, Has Case Dismissed", "Alabama man off death row after 28 years to jailers: You will answer to God", "I went to death row for 28 years through no fault of my own", "Alabama inmate free after three decades on death row. Among their efforts for criminal justice reform, the non-profit provides legal aid to those whove been imprisoned unjustly. 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. He also works with the U.S. State Department in a global online exchange program teaching educators and students to use comics to find their voice and to solve pressing global issues. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Fourteen months later, the district attorney in Alabama finally abandoned the case, and Hinton went free. And Henry said, Well, you know, Ray, Ive been reading the Bible. 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. But, Hinton was still convicted and sentenced to death. Arrested for a series of capital murders in his home town with no corroborating evidence, and with no history of violent crime, Mr. Hinton was convicted on the basis of testimony that a gun owned by his mother - which had not been fired in 25 years - was the gun used in all three murders. The 29-year-old found himself helpless and questioned God what he did so wrong for it to happen to him. Click here for more stories in the series and watch for more NewsHour EXTRA lesson content based on Searching for Justice stories. Nightline profiles Mr. Hintons release and his first days of freedom. [4] Finally, Hinton was the last prisoner left on death row. Number one, youre black. The gun belonged to his mother, but forensics experts hired by the state of Alabama claimed that it was the murder weapon. A Christian man was falsely convicted of murder for 30 years, but he spent his time sharing Jesus inside the cells. Ive got to forgive, he said. Hinton spent 30 years on Alabama's death row for crimes he didn't commit. Four, youre gonna have a white judge. "Just Mercy" opens in limited release on Christmas Day, and hits theaters everywhere on Jan. 10. Using television and the Internet, CBN is proclaiming the Good News in 149 countries and territories, with programs and content in 67 languages. Indifferent to these concerns, the Alabama legislature passed the new law this spring,making it more difficult to obtain adequate counsel and imposing more unfair filing requirements. Soon after, prosecutors pushed for conviction upon him, and his appeal for innocence was defeated. Hinton mug shot. Rays mother, Buhlar, and his best friend, Lester Bailey, were crushed by the outcome. 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. 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. Please check your information and try again or call us at 1-800-759-0700. The refusal of state prosecutors to re-examine this case despite persuasive and reliable evidence of innocence is disappointing and troubling.. [4], Hinton's initial appeals continued to be handled by his public defender, Sheldon C. Perhacs, who lost each of Hintons cases. Anthony, or Ray, still remembers the arresting officers chilling words There are five things that gonna convict you. Prosecutors dropped the case against Anthony Ray Hinton, 58, when new . Hinton was exonerated in 2015, when he was 59 years old, according to NBC News. Discover the book that broke his thirty-year habit on todays 700 Club. Here's his story. They had every intention of executing me for something I didn't do. It hurts so bad, says Ray. Plus, two long lost cousins Hooked on drugs before he was a teen, a meth addict has only one goal in life. I lived in hell for 30 years, so I dont want to die and go to hell. 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. The lecture began with Hinton recounting the day of his arrest in extreme detail. But Hinton was ultimately convicted due to a gun that was discovered in his mothers home, where he lived. This article was published more than2 years ago. 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. When life is unjust, turn your pain into purpose. And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury.. As for Ray, the courts would continue to block his appeals for a retrial. Their forensics experts were unable to match crime-scene bullets to Hinton's mother's gun. 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. A jury found him guilty, a judge sentenced him to death. An all-white jury sentenced him guilty of two counts of capital murder and to death by electric chair.. Im going to bring the best out of everybody that come in touch with me, says Ray. Mr. Hinton walked out of the Jefferson County Jail a free man. When Hinton told the arresting detective that he had the wrong man, the detective told him that he didn't care whether he did it or not. Get a daily devotional and encouraging 2-3minute video direct to your inbox. What evidence was given? 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. But while Im here, everything around me gonna live. See her moment of surrender, and the miracle of life. Ask students: What would you do if you or a loved one was arrested for a crime they did not commit? 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. 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. That paid to keep him on death row for 30 years for a crime he didnt commit. [4] Hinton was portrayed by O'Shea Jackson Jr. in the 2019 film Just Mercy. They gonna say you shot him. He spent 30 years in prison until, with the help of. 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. CBN's ministry is made possible by the support of our CBN Partners. I am passionate in sharing Gods love to the world through the skills and talents God has blessed me with. He went on tospend 28 years on death row 30 yearsin all, without his freedom. I dont believe the God that I serve is gonna let me die for a crime He knows I didnt commit.. 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. Anthony Ray Hinton's story of being wrongfully convicted and serving almost thirty years on Death Row is one of gargantuan unfairness. First, have students answer the following questions, either in class discussion or as written answers. 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. 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. 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. [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. He was going to be convicted anyway. Anthony Ray Hinton. And to show him what real love felt like and real love had no color. About $2,100 was missing from the safe. God made it possible for you to know. Still, even though Stevenson had new ballistics tests performed on Hintons behalf, the Alabama courts denied the appeal, after taking two years to deliberate. Anthonys mother and best friend also were crushed by the outcome. Convicted, he was sentenced to death and held in solitary confinement on Alabamas death row for 28 years, before being exonerated. Why was it important for a white ballistics expert to be hired? Published: Apr. 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. Despite the new evidence, the courts still refused to reopen Rays case. The reality is much worse as doctors find a large brain tumor behind Hes known as Johnny B. Badd from the World Wrestling Federation. official, to review the forensic evidence. They just didn't take me from my family and friends. The engineer said that there wasnt any connection between the weapon and the shooting. There is no question A But it would be a single piece of evidence that held the key to proving Rays innocence. Join Washington Post senior critic-at-large Robin . On July 31, 1985, the police arrested Anthony Ray Hinton for murder. In 1985, two Birmingham area fast-food restaurants were robbed and the managers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vason, were fatally shot. 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. On July 31, 1985, the police arrested Anthony Ray Hinton for murder. Being locked up for 30 years made me realize how important the vote was, He added. Number three, youre gonna have a white district attorney. He has one message for everyone who will listen: Our system is broken, and its time to put a stop to the death penalty. EJI attorneys engaged three of the nation's top firearms . The Sun Does Shine is an extraordinary testament to the power of hope sustained through the darkest times, now adapted for younger readers, with a revised foreword by Just Mercy author Bryan Stevenson. In this lesson, students meet. The bill never even made it out of committee. Subjects: U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, Estimated time: One or two 50-minute class periods. Today, as EJI Community Educator, hes a tireless and powerful advocate for abolition of the death penalty. But then, soon, he realized he became the person his mother didnt raise him to be. He said to Hinton, "All of y'all blacks always say you didnt do something. Number four, youre gonna have a white judge. 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. Smyth maintains a comprehensive website and blog on all things comics in education at TeachingWithComics.com. Instead, They Want to Speed Up Executions. [18] He had previously spoken to the students of the Class of 2019, six months after his release, in 2015. 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. He talked about his wrongful conviction, his decades in prison, and the lingering effects he has experienced after leaving prison. Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. The 64-year-old, whose story was featured in the HBO documentary film True Justice, is one of thousands of formerly incarcerated Americans who are casting ballots amid a new movement to restore their reentry into society and a reckoning on criminal justice and racism in America. 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 2003, for instance, the Alabama attorney general said, The experts did not prove Mr. Hintons innocence, and the state does not doubt his guilt.. 07.31.17. Birmingham, Alabama, 1985. 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. Then Anthony spent the first three years in the prison full of bitterness in his heart. 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. How have you felt the cost of life's unfairness? Despite pleas by Mr. Hintons lawyers, who cited conclusions by newly enlisted specialists, the state refused for years to reconsider the evidence. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. In 2014, the Supreme Court unanimously overturned his conviction based on his attorneys deficient representation, and Jefferson County Circuit Court Judge Laura Petro ordered a new trial. Hinton declined to sign it. A polygraph test given by police exonerated him, but the judge (now-retired Circuit Judge James Garrett) refused to admit it at trial. In "True Justice" one of Mr. Stevenson's clients Anthony Ray Hinton discusses his arrest. However, the number of members also gradually became smaller when book club members were executed. [15] Writing for The Guardian, Tim Adams described the book as, "a story of forgiveness and struggle"[16] and concludes that, "his wonderful memoir recreates the ways he escaped from his cell in his head had tea with the Queen of England, married Halle Berry and how he shared that possibility with his fellow death row inmates. Anthony Ray Hinton, an inmate on Alabama's death row, asks us to decide whether the Alabama courts correctly applied Strickland to his case. 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. 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. Have your students watch the video and answer the questions below. 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. "[unreliable source?] [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. "Real Love had no Color" - Falsely Convicted Black Man Encounters Jesus on Death Row, Falsely Convicted Of Murder, Man Spends 30 Years In Prison Sharing Jesus, Bob Marley Turned To Christ Before His Death Professing, Jesus Take Me, Jewish Woman Hears Gods Voice While Being Revived, Youre Not Dying Here. The police turned up one day while Hinton, then 29, was mowing his mother's lawn; they. The only expert willing to testify at that price was a civil engineer with very little ballistics training and limited by having one eye; he admitted in court to having trouble in operating the microscope. I mean ONLY.. Hes also written a book about his journey of forgiveness and redemption, hoping his story will inspire change and healing. [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. Their key piece of evidenceexpert testimony claiming the ballistics report of the bullets pulled from the victims matched a handgun found in Rays home. Students will examine the challenges faced by individuals wrongfully convicted of felonies.