Exoneration Project Clinic—Significant Achievements for 2021-22
The Exoneration Project had a busy and exciting academic year. Over the past year, the EP has continued its work to free wrongfully convicted individuals across the United States. This included litigation in state and federal courts, petitions for clemency, and many other forms of advocacy on behalf of our clients.
Over the course of 2021-22, the Exoneration Project achieved an extraordinary number of successes on behalf of its clients. These successes were the product of a large number of contested evidentiary hearings and other types of litigation. Exoneration Project students were involved in many of these cases. Students gave opening arguments at hearings, put on witnesses, prepared witnesses to testify, participated in witness interviews, visited clients in prison, drafted petitions and other motions that were filed in state and federal courts, etc. Students played an essential role in the successes achieved by the Exoneration Project over the past year.
Exonerations
Multiple Exoneration Project clients were exonerated over the past year:
- Andy Royer (17 years in prison)
- Sean Tyler (25 years in prison)
- Justin Black (11 years in prison)
- Rosendo Hernandez (25 years in prison)
- Sharron Roquemore (24 months probation)
- Matthew Dixon (24 months probation)
The Exoneration Project played a part in the Queens District Attorney's decision to move to exonerate 60 men and women who were victims of corrupt New York City police officers.
Dozens of clients framed by corrupt police officer Ronald Watts had their convictions vacated
Certificates of Innocence
The Exoneration Project sought judicial declarations that clients who were previously exonerated were, in fact, innocent. Multiple clients were awarded such certificates, often following contested litigation, over the past year.
New trials ordered
Following contested litigation and evidentiary hearings, multiple Exoneration Project clients saw their convictions vacated and were granted new trials. Several clients are now free on bond awaiting trial, having spent decades in prison for crimes they did not commit.
Sentencing successes
The Exoneration Project represented a number of individuals who were sentenced to lengthy prison terms for crimes allegedly committed when they were juveniles. We litigated several sentencing hearings. One client was resentenced to time-served.
The Exoneration Project successfully litigated a mandamus action against the Illinois Prisoner Review Board which had refused to consider for parole juvenile offenders who were granted new sentences. The court determined that the PRB had erroneously applied the law and ordered them to consider the Exoneration Project client for parole.
Appellate successes
The Exoneration Project won an appeal from the dismissal of a post-conviction petition regarding disgraced Chicago police detective Reynaldo Guevara. The appellate court labeled Guevara a “blight” on the Chicago Police Department and the judicial system.
In another appeal, the appellate court reversed the dismissal of a post-conviction petition and remanded to the trial court for further litigation.
Other successes
An Exoneration Project who was facing retrial in a murder case was released from prison after agreeing to a plea deal under which he was convicted of burglary. A client facing retrial for murder accepted a time-served plea deal and was released. In addition, following contested litigation, the Exoneration Project was able to secure discovery in multiple cases regarding DNA and other matters that will assist those clients in pursuing their innocence claims.