One of those people was Henry Hays, a KKK member on death row for lynching a Black teenager. Anthony Ray Hinton, an inmate on Alabama's death row, asks us to decide whether the Alabama courts correctly applied Strickland to his case. 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. Discover steps to bring you closer to Christ. Deputies escort Mr. Hinton in the courthouse during his trial. He was convicted because hes poor, Mr. Stevenson said. 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. 3. Police arrest Anthony Ray Hintonthe man they believe committed three armed robberies that left two restaurant managers dead, and a third wounded. His claims of innocence would fall on deaf ears, including those of his court-appointed lawyer. AMY GOODMAN: Anthony Ray Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast-food managers in separate robberies in 1985. They were both convicts on death row. And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury.. Yes, Im going to write and spread His love because I love Him and His people, and my heart is to live for Him. [3] A survivor of a third restaurant robbery picked a photo of Anthony Ray Hinton, then age 29, from a lineup, and the police investigated him. Anthony Hinton was arrested after the manager identified him from a photo lineup, even though he was working in a locked warehouse fifteen miles away at the time of the crime. [5], In November 2014, the Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals closed Hinton's case. There is no question A 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. 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. On July 25, 1985, a restaurant in Bessemer was robbed and the manager was shot but not seriously wounded. No one knows the hardship created by our inefficient system more than I do, Mr. Hinton wrote. 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 . 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. Pastor Glen Berteau wants to reignite the fire of God within believers that have allowed their faith to become dormant. 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. Only by the grace of God, says Ray. Im going to bring the best out of everybody that come in touch with me, says Ray. [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. The 29-year-old found himself helpless and questioned God what he did so wrong for it to happen to him. 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 . Though a 29-year-old Anthony Hinton was working at a locked warehouse 15 miles away at the time of the second crime, and although there were no eyewitness accounts of the first incident, he was arrested one evening while cutting the grass outside of his mother's house . Since then, Hinton has been able to forgive everyone responsible for his imprisonment, because thats how my mother raised me and because I have a God who forgives. BY DEBORAH McKEON | TELEGRAM STAFF. Ray Hinton's story is astounding on so many levels. But for all yall thats snapping the cameras, I want you to know there is a God.. 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. State prosecutors never questioned the new findings but nonetheless refused to re-examine the case or concede error. [12] On April 1, 2015 the Jefferson County district attorneys office moved to drop the case. The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. [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. FLORENCE -- Anthony Ray Hinton was mowing the grass outside the house he . [3][4], In June 1988, the unanimous Alabama Court of Criminal Appeals affirmed Hinton's conviction and death sentence. 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. 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. 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. After every level of the Alabama court system had rejected Hintons appeals multiple times, his lawyer decided to take his case directly to the US supreme court. Love your enemy. The only way that we will ever conquer hate is love.. [8] In June 1989, that judgment was affirmed by the unanimous Supreme Court of Alabama. Anthony Ray Hinton spoke at Allegheny College on Thursday, Sept. 20. . On July 31, 1985, the police arrested Anthony Ray Hinton for murder. About $2,100 was missing from the safe. If you didnt do it, one of your brothers did. 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. We are here to help and encourage you! Subjects: U.S. History, U.S. Government & Civics, Criminal Justice, Legal Studies, Estimated time: One or two 50-minute class periods. This lesson is part of NewsHours Searching for Justice series on criminal justice reform. 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. March 22, 20185:57 AM. "[16] Kirkus Reviews calls the book, "a heart-wrenching yet ultimately hopeful story about truth, justice, and the need for criminal justice reform. Bryan Stevenson told media this is a textbook example of injustice.. On Tuesday, he cast a vote for president. Despite providing a solid alibi, Anthony Ray Hinton was still sentenced to death by the state of Alabama. 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. Ala. He-he-he's going to be executed, says Lester. 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. Hintons luck changed, however, when Bryan Stevenson, a lawyer with the Equal Justice Initiative, took on his case. Watch a trailer. What do you think can be done to change these racial disparities and to keep cases like that of Mr. Hinton from happening. [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. [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. After a few years, the club grew as the news spread quickly in the prison that reading was a good escape. Then, another crushing setback. There were no eyewitnesses or fingerprint evidence; police had no suspects and pressure to solve the murders grew as similar crimes continued. We vacate the lower court's judgment and remand the case . (What were the five reasons given by the white police officer that guaranteed Mr. Hintons supposed guilt?) In all criminal prosecutions, the accused shall enjoy the right to a speedy and public trial, by an impartial jury of the State and district wherein the crime shall have been committed, which district shall have been previously ascertained by law, and to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation; to be confronted with the witnesses against him; to have compulsory process for obtaining witnesses in his favor, and to have the Assistance of Counsel for his defence. The evidence against Hinton was scant: There were no fingerprints at the scenes and no witnesses who placed him there, according to the outlet. To me this was a day of freedom dedicated to them, and all of the people who have been lynched, oppressed, or intimidated or disenfranchised from voting., From a symbolic perspective, it is deeply meaningful that Mr. Hinton voted today in Alabama, said Blair Bowie, legal counsel for the Campaign Legal Center, which focuses on voting rights restoration. He was 29 years old at the time. As a subscriber, you have 10 gift articles to give each month. For a Google doc version of this lesson, click here. Discover the book that broke his thirty-year habit on todays 700 Club. 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. At the time, Hinton worked at a supermarket warehouse and lived with his mother, Buhlar Hinton, at her home in rural Alabama, about half an hour north of Birmingham. What challenges do you think theyd face once home after a long prison stay? Start your day together with God and the GOD TV team. Hinton was convicted of murdering two fast food restaurant managers and sentenced to death at the age of 29. Two days later, after serving 30 years in prison for a crime he didnt commit, Ray was released. See Innocence and Race. Number two, a white is gonna say you shot him whether you shot him or not.. three, youre going to have a white prosecutor. It hurts so bad, says Ray. Number one, youre black. Smyth has spoken about how he uses comics in his classroom at numerous conferences including Comic Cons in San Diego, New York and Chicago as well as at the Pennsylvania and National Council for the Social Studies conferences. Instead, They Want to Speed Up Executions. At the same time, Republican lawmakers introduced the Fair Justice Act. As Mr. Hinton wrote in an op-ed, had the Fair Justice Act been in place when he was convicted, I would have been executed despite my innocence. Like other men and women sentenced to death in Alabama, where there is no state-funded office to provide counsel for postconviction proceedings,it took years to find volunteer lawyers willing and able to provide the legal assistance Mr. Hinton needed to prove his innocence. In 1985, two Birmingham area fast-food restaurants were robbed and the managers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vason, were fatally shot. Students will examine the challenges faced by individuals wrongfully convicted of felonies. But, Hinton was still convicted and sentenced to death. So Ive got to forgive. "Thirty years ago, the . Published: Apr. Why me? and "Y'all blacks always sticking up for each other."[who?] Anthony Ray Hinton spent 30 years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. It was 1986. According to the Death Penalty Information Center, Mr. Hinton is the 152nd person exonerated from an American death row since 1973. Get a daily devotional and encouraging 2-3minute video direct to your inbox. Hintons public defender was roundly criticized for his work hetried to appeal his case and routinely failed, according to The Guardian. 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. The legislature has resisted approval of this payment, as state authorities say that he did not prove his innocence. His book is a harrowing masterpiece. When life is unjust, turn your pain into purpose. Ray began to realize the person he had become wasnt the one his mother had raised him to bea man who loved God and followed the example of Jesus Christ. 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. Gonna have a white D.A. 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. Harriet Beecher Stowe and Harriet Tubman were two of the most well-known abolitionists.. Frederick Douglass and Harriet Jacobs were both able to free themselves from slavery. He said, Number three, youre gonna have a white prosecutor. Students will look at the ways race and other factors play a role in wrongful convictions. And number five, youre gonna have an all-white jury.. "I woke up like I do every morning I knew that my mother was cooking," Hinton recounted. 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. That aint what He said. They had every intention of executing me for something I didn't do. Woman In Wheelchair Miraculously Takes Off Running During A Revival Service In Megachurch Pastor Who Left Ministry For A Time Returns Refreshed, Renewed, The Whosoevers Ryan Ries Kill The Noise, Finland Is Ending Homelessness With This Ingenious Idea, Why Friendships Are Vital to a Healthy Spiritual Life, Another Campus Revival Breaks Out At Cedarville University. with his arrest in one shooting that occurred while witnesses said he was at work miles away. 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. On February 24, 2014, the Supreme Court today unanimously granted relief to Anthony Hinton, finding that his trial lawyer was constitutionally deficient. Anthony Ray Hinton spent decades in jail for crimes he did not commit. Anthony Ray Hinton walked out of the Jefferson County Jail in Birmingham, Alabama, a free man for the first time in 30 years at 9:30 a.m. on Friday, April 3, 2015. 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. It only takes the first two pages of the introduction by the authors equally remarkable lawyer, Bryan Stevenson, to make the reader appalled. 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. In 1985 Anthony Ray Hinton was charged with the murders of two restaurant managers in Birmingham, Alabama. By unanimous vote, the court ruled to grant Ray a new trial. God made it possible for you to know. But the state court of Alabama refused to overturn his convictions or grant a new trial. He was convicted of two murders in 1985. Plus, two long lost cousins Hooked on drugs before he was a teen, a meth addict has only one goal in life. Ray stayed on death row until the US Supreme Court overturned his sentence in 2015nearly thirty years later. When he was 29 . Can God change your life? Hinton also had an alibi he was employedata warehouse at the time of the murders, and his boss said on the stand that Hinton was at work at the time of at least one of the murders, The Guardian reports. What happened to make him stop accepting defeat and start fighting back? Create a free profile to get unlimited access to exclusive videos, breaking news, sweepstakes, and more! 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 Despite pleas by Mr. Hintons lawyers, who cited conclusions by newly enlisted specialists, the state refused for years to reconsider the evidence. 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. 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. Get all your true crime news from Oxygen. Hinton knew it was a case of mistaken identity and naively believed that the truth would prove his innocence and set him free. However, the jury disregarded his testimony because of his poor eyesight and inability to use the microscope correctly. 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. They just didn't take me from my family and friends. Have your students watch the video and answer the questions below. 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. In 1985, Anthony Ray Hinton was arrested and charged with two counts of capital murder in Alabama. Hinton began his talk by explaining the context of his arrest, where he was charged with first-degree robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder. 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.