All language subtitles for After Innocence2005.720p.WEB.h264-

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Hallelujah!
Praise God!

[ Applause ]

[ Man ]
The exonerees-- they're
the greatest human resource...

our criminal justice system
has had ever,

because what we can learn
from them and their cases...

can help us create
a more just society...

and fix the system
and move it forward in a way...

that it hasn't been
within memory.

It, like,
breaks your soul down.

It breaks everything down
about you.

It takes your manhood.
It takes your pride.

It takes your decency,
your respect,

because
you're actually nothin'.

All you are is
something locked in a cage
back and forth every day.

Being a police officer,
I cooperated...

because I thought the
state police investigators...

would handle the investigation
the way I would've.

When I used to
read people their rights,

one of the first things
I would say to them...

after they waived their rights
and they agreed to speak was,

"If you didn't do this crime,
I don't want you
to admit to it."

It's finally over.
It's been 19 years.

What now?
Go home.

[ Man ]
99.99% of defendants
never say anything.

And he stood up,
and his words as
I best remember them:

"Judge, I just wanna tell you,
the administration of justice
in Massachusetts...

is a crock of shit."

Those are the words
I remember him saying.

[ Man ]
It was the most emotional moment
I've ever had in my career.

I told Mr. Maher
how sorry I was...

that I had been involved
in his prosecution,

and I asked him to forgive me.

[ Woman ]
All right!
[ Applause ]

[ Man ] It's breathtaking to be
sittin' up here today,
'cause I came out of Michigan.

That was one of the 12 states
that doesn't have
the death penalty.

And, uh,
I think all those years,

I was just sittin' there
thinkin' of what
it would've been like...

had Michigan had
the death penalty.

And I'm thoroughly convinced
that I would've been executed
about 1995 or 1996, okay?

I'm really honored
to be here today
with all these gentlemen here...

who were
wrongfully incarcerated.

I know it looks like
a lot of people here,
but really it's not,

because in actuality,
all our family...

should be up here with us
because they all suffered.

For every one of us up here,
there is hundreds more in
prison that don't belong there.

There's so many of them...

that aren't gonna
see the streets again.

They're not gonna be with
their friends and family...

because the DNA evidence
was lost or destroyed,

or because there's
no DNA evidence to test.

[ Scheck ]
The one thing that is
so unique about all of you...

is that you all come
with the determination...

that all that pain
must've had a purpose.

There is a reason
that you made it,
and you're gonna find...

that it doesn't matter
who you are--

whether you were
a police officer
or a United States marine...

or a Sears Roebuck salesman.

It can happen to anybody,
and it did.

[ Neufeld ]
You folks were responsible
for literally transforming...

criminal justice
in this country.

I can look around the room
and know what reform
occurred in that state...

as a result of
your false confession
or your misidentification...

or the junk science that
was used to convict you.

But after those
30 minutes of fame,
the press walked away,

and you guys were left
holding the bag.

We didn't think about
what happens to you
after you're exonerated.

To the extent that you can see
another comrade who hasn't
faired quite as well as you,

please reach out to them
and communicate.

It's probably the best thing
that we can do this weekend.

Everyone who's doing
computer training,

we're going into
the big conference room
to start off there.

Uh, Jim Bromgard.
I got an e-mail.

I get on the Internet
three, four times a week
and play around in there.

So I got
a little bit of experience.

You wanna tell 'em
your address?
exoneree@yahoo.com.

[ Laughter ]

Okay,
everybody say "freedom."

[ All ]
Freedom!

[ Bongos ]

Let me play with you.

[ Indistinct ]

[ Vincent ]
Every time I go for a job,
it says,

"In the last 10 years,
have you ever been convicted
of a crime?"

It doesn't say,
"Have you ever been
wrongfully accused of a crime?"

So my record
not being expunged,

yes, that damages me...

for trying to get
my life back in order
and gettin' a good job.

Hey!
[ Laughs ]

Where you comin' from?
Huh?

[ Woman ]
Vincent's a very good father.

And now he has
his baby daughter,

and so he's trying to put
everything he has...

or everything he lost
into that child,
and he's doing his best.

[ Giggling ]
That's right.

[ Vincent ]
You can't be
a father in prison.

You can be what is called
a "dad."
My definition of a dad...

is one that brags
and boasts about his kids.

But a father
is one that's there
and supports and gives.

What could I give?
I had nothin'.

How could I support 'em?
I'm never there. I'm not home.

[ Jackie ]
People didn't know that
he's out because he's innocent.

People just know he's out.

And as far as they know,
he could be a rapist.

It's 10 years later.

Mom and Dad wanted
to move to another state.

He refused.
And he went on his own
personal campaign to prove,

"Here I am. I'm innocent."

And that's when I could tell
that psychologically,
something had happened to him.

He needed a place to live.

My parents gave him
the home that he's in now,

and they moved
to North Carolina.

Everybody brings
their laundry here.

My sisters, my cousins,
my nieces.

"Oh, you got
a washer and dryer.
That's a nice one."

That's what they say.
So--

The only thing
I require from them...

is they bring
their own soap powder.

Later on I tell 'em
I'll pay for the electric,

the water
and the washing machine,

but you gotta bring
your own soap powder.

It was hard for my father
to explain to me,

"I got convicted
of raping somebody,

but Daddy didn't do it."

So I was, like,
"How you not do it if you've
been here all these years now?"

"This is, um,
no disrespect to you,

but my friend,
she said that you raped her."

And I said,
"Well, who's your friend?"

And he said,
"The girl standin'
right there on the corner."

So I turn around and look.
I said,
"Well, she just spoke to me."

And he says, "Well, um,
she's goin' to get the cops,
because she said you raped her."

So I told him,
"Well, look,
I'll wait here with you...

until she comes back
with the cops so we can
straighten this out now."

And all I could do was try
to convince this person that--

"Miss, look at me real good.
You're makin' a mistake.

You got the wrong guy.
I don't even know you."

And I know when they told me
rape, robbery,

possession of instrument
at crime, a gun,

conspiracy,
and all these--

I'm, like, my God!

You know,
this is almost like...

a hundred years in jail
for somethin' you didn't do,
and I'm really scared.

You went to the best schools,
lived in
a really nice neighborhood.

Your father worked
to pay for five kids to
go through Catholic school.

Every Sunday, you had pancakes,
and everything in life
is wonderful.

And then one day,
somebody comes up
and tells a lie on you,

and you end up in jail.

What's different is
he knows fear doesn't exist.

[ Chattering, Indistinct ]

It is good.
[ Child ]
I want lasagna.

You want lasagna.
For the children.
And that's it.

Yeah? Have a seat.
We'll be right with you, okay?

Okay.

Dear Lord, please bless
this food to nourish our bodies
and keep us in good health.

Please bless those
who are not fortunate enough
to have a meal quite as this.

Amen.
[ All ]
Amen.

When he told me that he was
wrongfully incarcerated...

for ten and a half years,
I was in shock.

And all that time
he lost from his family, and--

We kept gettin'
closer and closer together.
Yeah.

He wasn't sleepin'.
He'd be up all night
playin' sad music.

Beautiful music,
but it was always sad.
It wasn't, like, happy music.

And then it seemed like
every turn I made,
it was like a wall there.

The woman sayin'
that I raped her--

Like, in my mind--

in my mind, I couldn't
trust women anymore.

It got to the point where--
"Leave me alone.
Go sleep in the other room."

And stuff like that.
And you can't do
certain things.

It's like not bein' able
to be a man, you know,

when you're not
financially stable.

So much is goin' wrong,

you're not established
career-wise.

You took the prime years
of my life.
21, 22, 23, 24, 25--

These are the years where
you actually establish yourself
in your career.

I said, "You took
those years from me."

They didn't compensate me
or anything.
They didn't give me anything.

They told him,
"Okay, you know what? We made
a mistake. See you later."

"We made a mistake.
You can go home."
That's it.

"We made a mistake.
See you later.
Have a good life."

Heard you just got off
of death row.
Congratulations, buddy.

Yeah, 'cause your case, uh--

Was your case the first case
in the history of Pennsylvania
to get off of death row?

Right. And my case
was the first case in
the history of Pennsylvania...

to be the first one
to use DNA.

They never expunged
my record.

They told me they wanted $6,000
to expunge my record.

All kinds of crazy things,
you know?

Okay, great.

All right, buddy.
All right.

[ Clears Throat ]
That was Nick Yarris.

Yeah. He told me
he did 26 years...

[ Sighs ]
on death row.

He's on his way here.

When I first requested
DNA in 1987,

who would've thought
right now that, you know,

everyone is usin'
it now freely, man?

'Cause I fought hard
to get that.
Ten and a half years.

If it had not came back--

They found four different sperms
in this woman...

who was supposed to be
a married, you know,
upstanding citizen.

And they found
four different sperms in her,
and none of 'em were mine.

That's incredible.

I was in prison,
down in the music department.

And a guy called down.

He was, like,
"Turn the Phil Donahue Show on!
Turn the Phil Donahue Show on!

They're talkin' about DNA."

How come they're out?

How come these men are free?

Because DNA testing proved
that they didn't do it.

They didn't do it.

And are you here to say
that these young men
are the tip of the iceberg?

Now, through DNA,
we have hard evidence...

that there is
a lot more mistakes being made
than we ever expected.

That means that
there are thousands of people
in jail today...

who can prove their innocence
with DNA tests
just as these gentlemen did.

After having featured
Barry Scheck on our program,
the mail started.

[ Vincent ]
I wrote him a five-page letter,
and I said,

"I was watching your show.
I'm sittin' in prison,

and I didn't commit this crime
I was accused of, of rape."

[ Donahue ]
We were very conscientious
about reviewing--

vetting these letters.

I recall the audience
being very, very shocked
to learn...

that the system didn't work.

It's not possible to overstate
how much confidence we have.

By God, when they go to jail,
they deserve to go to jail.

[ Vincent ]
He told me that
he had forwarded my letter...

to Barry Scheck
and Peter Neufeld,

and that they would
take my case.

Vincent?
Yes.

Nick.
Pleased to meet you.

Pleased to meet you, sir.
Congratulations.

Congratulations to you.
How are you?
I'm fine.

On the third,
I'm gonna go and enact
legislation...

called the Nick Yarris bill...

for compensation.
Right.

Now that a death penalty case
was shown through DNA testing,

they're gonna be
a little bit more receptive.
Right.

Hopefully.
Yeah, hopefully.

Come on.

I was convicted
and sentenced to die...

for murder and rape
in 1982,

and I spent 23 years
on death row
in solitary confinement.

And I was just released
32 days ago.

I grew up in that house
right there for the first
seven years of my life.

Some of my fondest
childhood memories...

are right underneath
that green awning.

And now I walk by,
and I'm, uh, Ebenezer,

walking around a ghost
in my own life.

No, man.

Could you imagine
being accused...

of the worst thing
you could imagine,

be sent to a prison up
in Huntington, Pennsylvania...

that was condemned
by the United Nations...

for its practices of torture,

and then be told,
"You're not allowed to speak"?

That's true.
For the first two years,
I wasn't allowed to talk.

I remember when I first
got out of prison...

how loud the world was.

I mean, oh, my God!

I would hear the tires
on the cars in the street--

I wouldn't hear
the engines and the horn.

I would hear the tires,
it would be so loud.

And I was amazed by the smell
of what the world was,

because I had been breathing
refiltered air
for twenty-some years.

That was-- It's strange.

I suffered--
My sinuses and my face
was killing me,

because I was allergic
to fresh air.

It was hurting me
to breathe. Strange.

You know when someone
says something to you,

and they say,
"You know, you're wrong,"

and you know the truth,
and then it gives you
that incredible sense of peace?

Because whatever they said,
it doesn't matter.

That was my greatest strength.

They could do whatever
they wanted to me.

I'm one of the strongest
human beings ever created.

I know that now.

And I say that
without an ounce of ego,

because I've paid for it.

The one vehicle
that you can dive where
you're actually outside,

because I don't think
I wanna be on the inside
a whole lot for a while.

I was inside
for a really long time.

So I think I'll just
enjoy being outside.

[ Man ]
Jeffery!

[ Chattering ]

Friends amongst you.
Oh, God. Don't start.

Youngster.
How you doing, Luke?

[ Nick ] Everybody
on death row knows that there's
a limited number of groups...

that try to use their voices
on the outside...

to bring dignity or hope
to these men
who are in hopeless situations.

Jeff is well hated
and well loved
in most of the prisons.

An equal value to each,
I'm glad to say.

And most of the hate is
from the administration...

who can't stand him because
he's such a pain in the ass,

which is one of
the reasons I like him.

It's always good to go
from writing letters
to somebody inside prison...

to having them
in your office,

even when they're harassing you.

I'm gonna break the
death penalty. I decided
to do that out of spite.

I can't live in peace.
I can't walk away,

because I looked in people's
eyes and promised them I would
come back and fight for 'em.

Everyone here like Jeff,
they chose to do this.
That's why they have my respect.

This isn't something
that was dropped on them.

They decided to step up for it
because it's the right thing
to do.

I don't have a choice.
I'm no hero at all.

I was kind of angry.

I told the judge
to go to hell.

I looked him right in the face
and I said,

"You and I both know
I didn't kill anyone."

And he couldn't
look me in the eye.

It was like
it was his humiliation...

that he kept putting
his head down.

So I said,
"Look at me. You can't even
look me in the eye,

and you're about
to sentence me to die."

And he said,
"Are you finished?"

I said,
"No. You can go to hell."

I wasn't gonna go in there
with my head hung in shame.
I hadn't done anything.

I had to fight
despite lawyers,

despite prosecutors
who tried to destroy evidence.

I had to fight
despite things in prison...

you could never wanna know.

If I was guilty
and was released on parole,

I would be entitled
to health care,
job training,

placement in society,
housing, health care--

all those things
that people on parole
are entitled to...

as part of the program services
that enable them...

to get back on their feet
and get their lives together.

I was given $5.37
by the state of Pennsylvania
and let loose.

The day I got out,
we all went home.

There was everyone there
that I missed,
and I said simply,

"There are two things
that I know--

family is everything,
and family is everything."

And that's it.

[ Man ]
"October 17, 1994.

"Dear Mr. Neufeld,
My name is Wilton Dedge,

"and I am very interested
in the organization
the Innocence Project.

"I don't know
where else to turn.

"I've tried everything I could
to prove my innocence
when all this first started.

"When I found out that
the police were looking for me,

"I turned myself in knowing that
it was all a mistake and that
it would be straightened out.

"I could write a number
of pages telling you...

"how outlandish the case is,
but I know that
you are very busy,

"so I'll close for now.

"I thank you in advance
for your time and
any help you can give.

Sincerely, Wilton Dedge."

I was locked up
when I was 20 years old--
just turned 20 years old.

And I'm 42 now,
so I've been in
a little over 22 years.

Convicted for rape and sentenced
to two life sentences.

I really don't understand
how I was even brought to court,
much less convicted.

[ Man ]
According to the description
the girl gave,

her assailant was over
six-foot tall,
180 to 200 pounds,

long blond hair
and a receding hairline,

which the only thing
that matches him
is long blond hair.

Anyone that's had children,

you've got a gut feelin'
whether they're tellin' you
the truth or tellin' you a lie.

And whichever way it is,
it usually comes out...

the way your gut feelin' was.

And my gut feeling
has always been...

that Wilton was
tellin' me the truth about this.

There's just no way
I can believe he's guilty
of what he's been accused of.

[ Man ]
About six and a half years ago,
Barry Scheck called...

and he said that they had
three cases in Florida,

and would I be willing
to do them.

And he would
positively guarantee that
I would never get paid...

and, in fact,
that it would cost me money
to do this,

but that if
I did a good job,

he would send me more cases
where I wouldn't get paid and
it would cost me money to do it.

So how do you turn down
an offer like that?

[ Wilton ]
They had two hairs and
a semen sample from the scene.

The first test--
the semen sample--
was inconclusive.

So we had the two hairs found
that they used against me
in trial...

and had the DNA testing
done on it.

And it proved beyond a doubt
that it wasn't mine.

Judge Silvernail granted
the admittance of DNA testing...

and said that had I had it,
I probably would've
been acquitted.

And the district attorney
filed an appeal...

trying to get
the judge's decision overturned,

saying that even though
it proves it's not mine,
that I didn't file properly.

The presiding judge
of that court...

asked the
assistant attorney general,

"I wanna make sure
I understand your position.

"If this man
is entirely innocent,

is it still your position
that he's entitled
to no relief at all?"

And she said,
"Yes, that's our position."

And his jaw fell open.

Basically,
I proved my innocence--

innocence too soon
is what they're sayin'.

Wilton Dedge is the case
that poses the question,

"Does innocence matter
in Florida?"

You have to go back
to the days of Jim Crow...

to find an instance where
the state of Florida...

has been as cruel...

as it has been
in the case of a man...

who has been demonstrably
innocent for three years--

never mind incarcerated
for 22, demonstrably
innocent for three--

and is still behind bars.

[ Scheck ]
They wouldn't give us
access to the evidence.

They wouldn't permit
the DNA testing.

Even when we got DNA testing
that was exculpatory of Dedge,

they didn't want
the judges to look at it.

They didn't care
whether he was innocent.

They were more interested
in covering themselves...

against the possibility
they made a grievous mistake.

The so-called
"finality of the system"...

was more important
than getting an innocent person
out of jail...

and finding the person
who really committed the crime.

[ Wilton ] The Innocence Project
wrote me back asking
for a little more information.

Once they read
through the records,

they couldn't believe
I was convicted.

And they've been supportive
the whole time.

[ Neufeld ]
Welcome. It's really great
that you're all here.

We started out as a small clinic
at a law school...

trying to free people
who made a claim
of actual innocence.

And we started with
a trickle of clients.

Now, we see it's snowballed
into something...

where we now have
a couple thousand people
moving through the system here,

more than a hundred
active cases,

a network of 30
Innocence Projects
around the country,

and as much concern
with policy and reforming
criminal justice...

to make it more scientific,
more reliable, more about
the truth-seeking function.

In most of our cases,
the critical
biological evidence...

has either been
lost or destroyed.

But, more importantly,
90% of the cases don't even
involve biological evidence.

And what it tells us
is that there are obviously...

tens of thousands
of innocent people...

currently languishing in prison
in the United States.

And so, the Innocence Project
is in a race against time...

trying to help these people,
and a lot of what you're gonna
be doing is running that race.

I'm going through letters,
opening them up,

reading through to make sure
they're not death row...

so we can put the death row
ones at the top of the pile.

And I do them
into the computer--
their names, their addresses.

Then we give 'em to the bosses,
and they look through them and
keep going through the piles...

and sending out letters
and deciding what to do
with the cases.

So we do pro bono legal work.

There's only a few
staff attorneys
and regular workers...

that are paid
and do this full time.

So to get through
all the letters,

we have to have
people like me-- undergrads--
doing intake.

[ Woman ]
All of these drawers...

which are just literally...

full of cases,

letters that
haven't been opened.

Hundreds and thousands
of letters.

[ Male Electronic Voice ]
I have a collect call from--
[ Wilton ] Inmate Dedge.

an inmate at Cross City
Correctional Institute.

To accept,
dial or say "five."
[ Presses Button ]

Your call is being connected.

[ Wilton ]
Nina Morrison's been real great.

She's been callin' me here
about once a week.

Basically,
keepin' my spirits up.

Hey, Wilton, how you doin'?
Warm.

Warm. Yes, I can imagine.
Has the mercury hit 90 yet?
Oh, yeah.

Yeah, it's been that
for a few days now.
Oh. You hangin' in all right?

Yeah. You know, it's true,
and I think it's hard,

'cause those of us
who are on the outside forget.

You know, this to us
feels like the time when
things are really moving.

But I know that the days
seem a lot slower
and longer in there.

[ Wilton ]
The same district attorney
that convicted me in '84,

he seems to be tryin'
everything he can to keep me
from goin' back to court.

That's the composite
that the victim did,

and she explains what she saw
of the defendant,

how he looked, etcetera,
and--

"Yeah, that's it.
That's the hairline.
That's the way the hair was.

You know, that's the nose
and the eyes, etcetera."

And that is the way
the defendant looked
at the time.

I mean, you ask the victim
to do an identification,

and that's about
as good as it gets.

[ Man ]
Through the evolution
of DNA technology,

we can reveal
a genetic signature...

that is unique
in the human population...

based upon demonstrable proof.

Having revealed that somebody
is falsely convicted...

and frequently having
to fight a battle...

to even do the investigations...

is not a sign that
the system is working properly.

That's a sign that
the system's not working.

[ Man ]
The only thing that's occurred
up to this point in time is...

the gate has been opened so
that this may be considered...

in an evidence hearing,
the defendant has
the burden of proof.

[ Silvernail ]
It's not your intent
to challenge DNA...

in terms of the
scientific predicate, per se.

[ Holmes ]
My challenge is as to all the
DNA testing that's been done...

and what significance it should
play in the court's decision.

I'm wondering if the state
would mind providing us...

with the names and titles
of the possible witnesses
you may need to call.

[ Holmes ]
It's a little late to be
playing the discovery game.

[ Hirsch ]
Your Honor,
I don't quite know...

what Mr. Holmes means by
"playing the discovery game."

We're gonna produce the DNA
evidence and what we have to do
to get it before the court.

That's our case.

It just turns out
that Dennis,

our 127th exoneree
from Massachusetts,
was coming into town today--

For her birthday.
For my birthday.

So we thought, wow,
what a better lunchtime treat...

than to have--
to hear a real exoneree
tell his story.

And he is doing way, way better
than a lot of our other guys.

And he'll tell you the rest.

Dennis.

In November of 1983,

I was arrested and charged
with attempted rape, rape,

assault and battery
with a dangerous weapon,

and assorted other charges.

I was sentenced
to 20 to 30 years
and second degree life.

And so I expected
to never get out of prison.

And then in 1993,

I saw on Phil Donahue
Barry Scheck...

had just started
the Innocence Project
in New York.

So I wrote Barry a letter
and asked him for help.

Now, I went, like,

16 years without a lawyer.

I did all of this work
by myself.

And then,
I had a lawyer.

So as you can imagine,
it was a very emotional time.

[ Man ]
Is there anything else
that I have to do...

other than sign the motion
to vacate--

to have him released
from the courtroom?
[ Woman ] No, Your Honor.

Well, I've allowed the motion.
I'm signing it.

And it shall be filed.

Is there anything else?
[ Woman ]
Thank you, Your Honor.

Thank you very much.
Thank you very much.

The defendant is expulsed.
[ Applause ]

[ Dennis ]
She's my hero. Without her,
I'd still be in prison.

She fought for my case.

She fought for me.

She believed in me.

You know,
how can you say thank you
for what she did?

There is no way.

[ Man ]
Come forward. Come forward.
Come forward. Come forward.

Dennis is just gonna make
maybe one statement here.

And then, as you all know,
there's a larger
press conference at 12:00.

[ Man ]
Dennis, how are you?
How are you feeling, Dennis?

I have no comments right now.
[ Laughter ]

It's all a little overwhelming.

[ Chattering ]

J. Carney wanted
to talk to you.
Yeah, I'll talk to him.

[ Dennis ]
As I was leaving,
the senior court officer says,

"J.W. Carney--"
the D.A. who prosecuted me--
"he would like to talk to you."

And he apologized.

And it was, um,
a true apology.

You know,
it was really heartfelt.

So I got my apology.

That felt good.

Comin' out. Back up.
Watch out.

[ Camera Shutters Clicking ]

We were all happy.
We all had tears in our eyes,

'cause we knew now
that he was comin' home.

And when he come home--
Oh, my goodness.

[ Chuckling ]
That was a cryin' day.

Makes me feel like a new man,
like when he was a kid.

That's what it
makes me feel like.

[ Dennis ]
My parents were livin' alone.

I moved back in with 'em.

This used to be
their entertainment room.

Well, now I live in here.

And they say,
"When you go away, it's quiet.
We like it when you're here.

'Cause even if you're
not talkin' to us,
you're still makin' noise."

So it had a good effect
on them.

[ Man On P.A., Indistinct ]
Come on, Sarah.
Get out there.

Come on, Sarah!
[ Laughing ]

[ Man On P.A. Continues ]

He came in last.
He came in last.
Right there. No good.

Now I'm just about even.
[ Dennis ]
You won last week.

I won two bucks.
Better than nothin'.

When he was in jail,
I lost interest in everything...

just on account of that.

'Cause when he got arrested,
I almost got arrested
myself with him.

I was ready to start fightin'
with the cops.

Last race,
then we go home.

[ Dennis ]
Today's my birthday. It's
my first birthday out of prison.

So I can do what I want.

If I don't wanna do nothin',
I don't have to do nothin'.

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday to you

Happy birthday
dear Dennis

Happy birthday to you

Blow out the candles.
Make a wish.

[ Cheering ]
Yea!

This is the sweatshirt
and the jacket I had on
when I got arrested.

I planned on doin'
20 years in the military,

and then startin'
a second career as a mechanic.

You know, that was when
my hopes in a day got shattered.

I bought a six-pack
in the Lowell Package Store.

Walked down here and
got arrested right in front
of the soap-washed windows.

And I had a half an ounce
of marijuana in my pocket,

and he arrested me
for possession.

And that's where
it started from.

He seen me in
a red-hooded sweatshirt
from across the-- two streets.

And I was the one,

and he was gonna take me down.

I thought I was arrested
for possession of marijuana.
Then they told me about rape.

So I says,
"Well, I didn't do 'em,
and I think I need a lawyer."

They were week-long trials.

Most of it was just the victim
sayin', "He did it."

It felt bad because...

I could see the pain
that the women were in.

And...

I know I didn't do it,
and they were sayin' I did.

I had never
seen these women before.

My lawyer was
the worst lawyer on the planet.

The only time I saw him
was at court.

He never visited
the scene of the crime.

He was horrifying.

I wanted to get rid of him,
but I didn't know how to.

I'd never been to court.

I was in shock,

because I got found guilty.

And then he sentenced me
to all that time,

and I didn't know
what to expect in prison.

You know,
I expected bein' beaten,
bein' raped.

I expected to die in prison.

[ Woman ]
I met Dennis at the
treatment center at Bridgewater.

He was committed there after
he was found too dangerous.

Everybody there
is doing therapy.

It's not your, um--
I guess your typical
prison environment.

Usually,
in the beginning of treatment,

the men will come in
claiming they're innocent.

But over time,
they work through that denial.

[ Dennis ]
I became one of the prizes
in the treatment center.

If you could get Dennis
to admit to his crimes,

you were
accomplishing something.

Um, I used to tell
the therapists-- I said,
"Listen, I didn't do the crimes.

"I know it's your job
to get me to admit to it.
It'll never happen.

"I'll do what therapy I can do,

but it'll be nothing
on the crimes."

I was a pretty angry person
in prison.

I would go to work
in the mornings,

and the guys would say,
"Uh-oh. Who pissed him off?"

And I'd tell 'em,
"You do 18 or 19 years in prison
when you're innocent,

and see if you don't have
a lot of bad days."

[ Dizio ] Whether it be
an anger management
or a stress management class,

I think having
those therapeutic outlets...

really helped
both maintain him
and also continue his drive.

[ Dennis ]
It helped me not to
become institutionalized.

If I was institutionalized,
I couldn't do anything
when I got out.

I have a job now,
I have my driver's license,

and I function
as close to normal as I can.

[ Man ]
He must've felt everybody
was against him in prison.

[ Chattering ]

I mean, everybody else
is lookin' at you like,
"You did it. You did it."

Then finally, you get redeemed.
That must've been nice.

Or were you angry?
I don't know.

He ain't got no grudge
against nothin'.

That's why I know
he's that way--
an innocent man and a good man.

I'm, like,
"You gotta be shittin' me.
After that long?"

Oh! It shocked me.
Really, it did.

How can you be in jail that long
and not be angry
or not be upset, you know?

He just said he wasn't,
so he's a better man
than I am for that.

My name's Jeffery Scott Hornoff,
and I'm a police officer.

I was convicted
of first degree murder
and sentenced to life in prison.

Every step
of the judicial system
failed me and my family.

And if not for
the guilt and remorse
of the true killer,

I'd still be in prison.

[ Man ]
This guy, Scott Hornoff,
was in jail.

[ Continues, Indistinct ]

[ Scott ]
My oldest son
was about six and a half.

I always saw myself
gettin' down on bended knee...

and him jumpin' in my arms
when I was freed.

Now he's 14.
He's six-foot tall,
245 pounds.

He was in the courtroom
when I was freed,
and he picked me up.

[ Applause ]

He's free. Free.

Oh, honey.
Now you can live again.

I love you.

I doubt if even Shakespeare
could find the words...

to express adequately
how I'm feelin' right now.

I thank God
and I thank my family...

and my friends,
both old and new,

for supporting me
and fighting for me...

and never
giving up on me,

even in the darkest times
when I thought of
giving up myself.

My thoughts go out
to the thousands
of other innocent people...

still wrongfully imprisoned
across the United States,

and the thousands more facing
unjust and unfair
prison sentences.

And I hope
to help change that.

This was my first beat
right here.

This is considered
post seven in Warwick.

Being a police officer
and being questioned
for a murder...

was, uh,
an undescribable feeling.

I had decided
to become a police officer
at the age of 12,

and I pretty much
devoted my life to it.

And to have
the whole judicial system
turn around and target me...

was really hard to take.

I was unfaithful
to my ex-wife.

Vicki and I
were intimate twice.

I feared I would be questioned
because of my brief relationship
with her,

but I never realized
I would be questioned
as a suspect.

It was just ridiculous
how the Warwick police...

handled the investigation
from the very beginning.

They trampled underneath
where Todd Barry climbed up.

They walked all over there,
where they could've gotten
some footprints.

And there were scuff marks
goin' up, and they didn't
do anything with those.

There was no apology
from the judge,

the prosecutor,
the attorney general.

Actually,
I think they were upset at me
for being innocent.

This is the
Warwick Police Department.

It's where I was welcomed
into detectives,

and then questioned
about Vicki's murder.

[ Man ]
I don't think you ever enjoyed
the presumption of innocence.

The only thing that
you did wrong was have
this affair with the girl.

And suddenly,
the spotlight's on you.

There is still the idea
that if you've been arrested,
you did somethin'.

But here, he must've
done somethin' really bad,

because he's a policeman
and the police arrested him.

Okay?
And that--

that was somethin'
you were never, ever going
to get over.

Did you ever go down
and get your badge and I.D.
after you got reinstated?

That's part of
tomorrow's discussion.
Oh.

So what my attorney
is sayin' is, "Okay, fine.

"You tell us what 10 years
of back pay...

"and six and a half years
of wrongful imprisonment...

"and the loss of Scott's home
and the loss
of his mom's home...

and everything that
goes along with it is worth."

So they haven't
come up with a figure,

and it appears that they have
no intention of doin' so.
We'll see.

He'll just kind of be
slumped over
and he'll just say,

"I never thought I'd say this,
but in a lot of ways,
it was easier in prison."

And that is heartbreaking.

This was my city,

and a lot of times,
I feel like a foreigner.

I feel out of place.
But it's, like, God,
I miss those days,

and I miss, you know,
bein' a part of that.

And even though
I've been ordered reinstated,
I haven't been back to work yet.

I purchased
quite a few books...

and read books on drawing
while I was in there.

It was one of the things
I did to pass time.

It represented very well
the distance...

between me and my son Jacob.

He was born three months
after I went to prison.

My hand tossin' the ball to him,
and then with him
with his hand out.

Or this one here
of Tina's hand, and I drew
her hand reaching out to mine.

We're at least gonna ask
that Scott be placed
on the payroll.

Because as of now,
he's still not receiving
any income.

So we've been relying
solely on my income,

and his mom has been wonderful
in giving him
some pocket change.

And my parents
have been letting us
stretch out the rent.

If we took a right down here,
it would take us down
to high security,

where I was for the last year.

Thank you. Welcome
to the inner sanctum, Tina.

Ah!

[ Man ]
I've worked
with thousands of offenders,

and I know it's not so easy
to get on with your life.

I could see it in Scott.

This was a guy
that never belonged here
in the first place,

and I felt some obligation
to try to help him out.

And that's when
the friendship took route.

I do think that in the month
since I've known you,

the stare has faded.

This place, you know,
does change people.
You were our test case.

Because the question
had always been--

when somebody has difficulty
adjusting to life
after prison,

is it because
of the problems that they had
before they came to prison,

or is it the experience
of imprisonment itself?

And your case suggests
that the experience itself
takes a toll.

And that's sobering.
Innocent or guilty,
people are people.

And I've definitely
learned a lot
from being on that side.

[ Scott ] I was told,
in the facility I was at
for five and a half years,

their job was
to break everybody,

to break their spirit.

It wasn't rehabilitation.

There weren't really
any opportunities for people
to turn themselves around...

or to prepare themselves
for reintegration.

Hi, Jacob.
Are you going to Zachary's game?

Well, maybe I can pick you up
before the game and we can
go get a burger or something.

All right, buddy.
I love you. Bye.
[ Phone Clicks ]

I know when I was in prison,
I said I'd give my right arm...

just to spend
a couple hours with him...

without them being forced
to go through metal detectors
and razor wire fences.

I really miss my mom.
I miss the woman that she was.

This really did a number on her
more than anybody.

I have an edge to me,
but what this has done to her,

it's-- it breaks my heart.

He has to reconcile
the police officer,

the ex-husband, the dad,

the son, the brother,

the wrongfully convicted person,

the incarcerated person,
the exoneree all into one,

and then figure out
where he can move from here,

and who he wants
to be from here.

[ Man ]
My grandfather planted that tree
before I went to prison.

That tree was just
a little stick, you know,

that he had put in the ground.

Look at it now.
There it is 22 years later,
full grown.

Hello.
How you doin'?

All right?
Good to see ya.

See, all of this--
this street here?

All this street here.
All this old neighborhood
been changed now.

[ Woman ]
When an exoneree is released,

the first thing that
the Life After Exoneration
Program does...

is work with the family
and the community...

to find out what resources
are available...

in terms of affordable housing,
job placement programs,

training programs,
vocational programs,
compensation legislation.

That money really should
come back to these folks...

and try to help them
resettle their lives.

Feels wonderful.
It's wonderful.

I waited a long time.

They assume that when
they get out,

not only should they
have their life back,

but their life
should be easier.

And yet what they find
is not what they expect.

In the ordinary world
no one is dealing...

with something as profound
as what happened to them.

And yet, they have something
profound to say.

And they have something profound
that they've experienced.

Calvin, if we were
to ask your neighbors
if they remember the crime,

and do they know
that you're out,
would you mind that?

What you gonna benefit from it?
Tell me that.

It's the same thing
with going to talk
to the prosecutor's office.

To understand what he's thinking
makes me better understand...

what's going on
with the people...

that we're trying to get
involved in helping you.

[ Man ] Is it tragic that
he spent 20 years behind bars,

when, if we had
the evidence 20 years ago,
we wouldn't have prosecuted him?

Of course, yeah.
It's tragic.

But that doesn't mean
he was wrongly convicted.
Because he wasn't.

The system worked exactly
like it was supposed to.

So, you know, the government
doesn't owe an apology
to anybody about that.

This is just one
of those horrible,
horrible things.

When you left,
did they give you anything
to take with you?

Any money? A-Anything?

Yeah, they turned
their back, you know?

Nobody shook my hand.
Nobody told me they're sorry.

And that's where
Mrs. Vollen comes in.

How did you feel that you
do have somebody on your side,
people willing to help you?

Well, I consider her
a close friend.

Uh, and it's sad to say
that someone in another state...

has to come to your state,
you know, to get you support.

Because they don't have
a compensation bill
here in Louisiana.

And it don't seem like
they want to get one.

[ Calvin ]
I was sent to prison for
a mistake that I didn't make.

It was a mistake
that other people made.

And it took them 22 years
to correct their mistake.

[ Vollen ]
His plan is to get
a barber's license,

and eventually open up
one of his own shops.

But in order to do that,
he has to get his G.E.D.

So he's enrolled
in a G.E.D. program.

And since you're in
the business community,

you probably know
what the opportunities are.

I think you are
the group that offers
the greatest promise...

to really make a difference.

[ No Audible Dialogue ]

[ Calvin ]
I want what everybody else want.

I want the right to be free.
I want the right to live free.

I want the right
to be able to--

to support a family.

I want my own home.
I want my own car.

I want, you know,
all the things that--
where I can live co--

I want to be
financially secure.

[ Woman ]
Mr. Willis?

[ Calvin ]
I'm not just trying to get
compensation for me.

I'm trying to get compensation
for the guys that come out
before me,

for the guys that's gonna
come out after me.

You see, this is my reason.

You know, I could easily just
come out and say, "I'm free."
[ Woman ] Right.

You know?
And not do anything.
And not do anything.

Right. Okay.
What it is that we can do
in the city of Shreveport...

to come on board
to assist Calvin--

And you can't do it
without a willingness
from the community...

to accept you back
in a meaningful way.

[ Woman ]
And anyone out there--

They need to do what
if they would like
to participate?

[ Vollen ]
They need to join tonight
at the Temple of Vision.

And I hope to see as many
of you listening right now as
possible in about five minutes.

After being gone for 22 years,
and coming home...

and staying
with my grandmother--

I'm 45 years old.
[ Laughing ]

You know? "We know
after 22 years that
you've been locked up in Angola.

Could you tell us,
are you angry?"

[ Laughing ]

I mean, you know,
would you be angry?

Yeah.

I said,
"Anger stagnates
a person's growth."

[ Woman ]
Yeah, all right!
[ Applauding ]

I can't allow myself
to be angry.
[ Man ] All right.

He said,
"Well, do you plan
to find employment?"

I said, "Yeah.
Do you have any suggestions?"

[ Laughing ]

I worked for
four cents an hour in Angola.

That's a great big
old plantation.

You know.
So, if I can't come out here,
you know, and work,

then that's sad.

All right.

All right. Thank y'all.

[ Man ]
My father, highway patrolman--

He used to
always tell us,
"Look,

America has the best
justice system."

He used to always
tell us that.

When I got tried
and found guilty,

my whole faith,
my whole belief
was shattered...

about the justice system.

Being trained as
a law enforcement officer,

there are certain things
that you can't overlook.

That's probably something that
I'm gonna have to live with...

for the rest of my life, because
there was some doubt there.

I-- I really did doubt Herman.

But it was just based on
the training that I've gotten
over the years...

to go with the evidence.

And I should have gone
with the love for the child...

rather than the evidence.

To have somebody in the family
labeled as a rapist--

not only are you
frowned upon,

but it became a serious issue
where the matter was swept
under the rug.

[ Elmer ]
I did not visit him in prison.

I've always felt that
my job is to put people in jail,
not to visit folks in jail.

And that's what
I told Herman.

[ Herman ]
I'm gonna always
be a step behind.

I shouldn't have
to be a step behind.

[ Herman ] Thank you.
[ Man ] Thank you very much.
Have a great day, my friend.

You happy, right?
Huh?

You happy.
Yes. Most definitely.
Thank you, man.

[ Chattering ]

[ Herman ]
My grandmother--

Her thing is, "Herman,
I know you didn't do it.

The truth will come to light."

She has this saying that,
"A lie dies,
but the truth lives on."

She's a big advocate
for education.

And for me
to obtain an education.

"Congratulations.
Enjoy the gift...

"before the next phase
in your life begins.

"Whatever your endeavor,
I know you will succeed.

"You are, and will remain,
an inspiration
to us all, Herman.

All best. Justin Brooks
and the entire California
Innocent Project."

I'm gonna be getting drunk
in a minute, huh, mom?

Yep. It's all that
imported beer.

[ Herman ]
When I was incarcerated,
my thought was,

not only did I want
an education, but I want
a doctor's degree in psychology.

After I was released,
and fightin' one battle,

we immediately
went into another battle.

My mother had cancer
and died about a year
after I was released.

So she wasn't here
to see me reach this milestone.

So, I'm gonna go
and let her know that...

today is one of them days.

There's not a time
that I don't go there...

and-- and not
walk away in tears.

Because every time
I do go there,
and what have you,

I-- I just feel like
I'm cheated out of life.

When I look at Herman and see
what he has gone through,

uh, it's just amazing to me.

There's a lot
of strength there.
A lot of inner strength.

[ Chattering ]
[ Band:
"Pomp and Circumstance" ]

[ Man On P.A. ]
Herman Atkins.

[ Cheering ]

[ Man On P.A. ]
Football scholarship.

[ Wilton ]
From my understanding,
it's an evidentiary hearing...

for a new trial
and possible release,

depending on what
the judge decides.

I'm hoping that
he will dismiss the charges...

and allow me
to go home finally.

[ Man On Intercom, Indistinct ]

[ Woman On Intercom,
Indistinct ]

[ Man ]
Just have a seat.
Pull up a chair.

Hey, how you doin'?
Hello. All right.

Nice to see you.

Well, how's everything going?

Pretty good.
Yeah?

You know, we've been talking
for a long time about, "It
could be now. It could be now."

Um, I think the judge
is ready to do the right thing.

I think he needs
to hear from the scientist.

He may find himself
a little confused
by the numbers tomorrow...

and need some time
to think it over.

But we're feeling good.
And so, you know,
it could be tomorrow.

It could be next week.
I wish I had a crystal ball
and could tell you.

I can't imagine
what it must feel like
at this point.

Kind of stuck.
I'm not sure on this--

Yeah.

Have you talked to your folks?
Were you able to
call them from here?

Yes, ma'am.
Talked to 'em last night.
Good.

They already said they won't
let you wear street clothes.
But we'll bring 'em...

just in case
we need 'em later.
Okay.

Otherwise, I'll see you
tomorrow afternoon.
Okay.

Okay? All right.
Try to get some rest.

Yeah. I'll try.
Yeah, it's
a little loud here, huh?

[ Door Buzzes ]

See you back here tomorrow.
Okay. See you tomorrow.

Good luck.

Hello. How are you?
How are you?

Good, thanks.
Good to see ya.

Yeah.
Hello. How are you?

[ Nina ]
I did. I did.
It was getting a little late.

[ Mary ] See, this is bigger
than what you can even buy
in the grocery store.

And that little one right there
ended up having
three tops to it.

First time I ever had
one of those to happen.
Really?

[ Nina ]
Some kind of
mutant DNA in there.

[ Laughing ]
Maybe we'll take
the pineapple to court.

"Judge, those statistics
are as reliable as
this three-topped pineapple."

How are you guys doin'?

I'm, like--
kind of like Wilton.
I'm not tryin' to--

Tryin' not to build up too high.
Yeah.
Well, that's probably smart.

You guys have been through
so much. And, you know,
you've waited so long.

You know, and you've had
your hopes up.

When you first got
the results back, I'm sure--

[ Mary ]
We thought
it was gonna be quick.

Most prosecutors are inclined
to do the right thing,

and, at least give the guy
a new trial, because they know
the evidence is so different.

I wish I could say
what was going on
in their heads now.

For a prosecutor to say, though,
that eyewitness is better
than DNA,

I-- I don't understand it.
Yeah.

- And that was one
of his statements.
- Twenty-two years ago...

there was no way
to measure that.

You know, there's a new study
that just came out...

of all the people who've been
exonerated in the U.S.
over the last 15 years.

And they found that
eyewitness misidentification...

was the single
leading cause of all
of the wrongful convictions.

And in rape cases,
88% of them
involve mistaken I.D.

We've got a place for Wilton
when he gets here.

If he needs to make changes,
we'll make changes,

or try to fix it up
so he can be here
as long as he needs to.

But we're ready
for our boy to come home.

How are ya?

[ Vincent ]
Things can never be the same.

The state must
give something back.

My mom-- all she thinks of is,
"Thank God that you're home.

Thank God that you're home."

I don't have anything
to offer my family but love.

I said to them, "My son
couldn't have done this...

"because he was sitting down
with us watching television
that evening.

So it's no way possible."

They say parents say anything
for their children.

And I'm just praying...

that there will be something
that's able to be done.

If we can't get compensated,
my God, it'll help someone else.

And thank God for that.
Thank you very much.

[ Vincent ]
I tried to get
a compensation bill...

for people who are
wrongfully incarcerated.

Nothing's never happened yet.

I mean, I've been
doing this for years and years.

How long have you been home?
I've been home
going on seven years now.

The jobs I get--
[ Scoffs ]
Temporary work.

It's hard trying
to support my children...

on a little basic job,
or what public assistance
gives me.

My mom and dad spent
over $150,000 on lawyer fees.

That was their retirement money.

Now they struggle
and got to work again at 68.

They should be retiring in
the Bahamas somewhere, relaxing,

all them years they worked
all their life.

No, they're struggling,
trying to pay bills,
and do this and do that.

Me? I can't help 'em.
I ain't able to help myself.

Their struggling,
but you're their son.
Right.

And if your son was
in the situation,
you would struggle to help him.

How do I feel
when you got a history
of parents being there...

for me and my brothers
and sisters,

but I can't even be there
for my own children?

I'm not really
coming down on myself,

but it leads to that depression,
because I don't want to
come down on nobody else.

[ Piano: Soft ]
[ Man Humming ]

The verse starts here.

[ Vincent ]
It was music that I think
kept part of my sanity...

while I was incarcerated,

because it soothes my soul,
it keeps me calm,

keeps me focused,
relaxes me--

it takes me to another world,
puts me in another place.

[ Continues ]

[ Man ] He was
wrongfully incarcerated...

for about 10 years.
[ Congregation Murmurs ]

And we thank God
that the Lord seen fit...

to make a way
to release him.

[ Man ]
Oh, yeah.
[ Man #2 ] Amen.

[ Man On P.A. ]
Now, that's something
to thank God about.

You know, sometimes
when you're in a position
like he was in,

sometimes it's hard
for people to accept you.
[ Man ] Oh, yes. Yes.

Sometimes it's hard
to even get employment.

[ Congregants Affirm ]

So, we want to pray for him,
[ Congregants Affirm ]

and that the Lord
will open doors for him.

That he will move forward
in the name of the Lord. Amen.

Back to me right now

Oh, right now

I thank the Lord

Yes, that's His name

Right now
Oh, right now

[ Continues, Indistinct ]

[ Donat ]
Yep. Okay.

Yeah. Bye.
Bye.

[ Dennis ]
I'm a P.M. mechanic-- that's for
"preventive maintenance."

I work from 10:00 at night
till 6:30 in the morning.

The day he came in here,
he told me what happened.

I told him I didn't care
what happened to him...

as long as you can fix trucks,
'cause that's what we do here.

He's actually a good worker.
He's from the old school.

There are not too many guys
like that left anymore.

It's amazing how quick
he's picked up,
because with the computers--

and he's kind of
back from the old-school days...

when it's all carburetors
and manual pumps and stuff.

He's pickin' right up on it.

And I'm really surprised
he's not so sour.

Knowing what happened to him,
I'd be pretty sour.

He's got a good attitude.

[ Dennis ] Other exonerees hold
onto the anger and bitterness
about what happened to 'em.

I got lucky in that
I was able to do therapy...

and deal with it that way.

I don't blame the victims
or anything like that.

I put the blame
where I think the blame belongs,

and that's with the police.

I look at it as,
if I'm angry and bitter
towards everybody,

then I won't be
a productive person in life,

and then I won't get
the things that I want
or the things that I can get.

So--

Sure, I still have my days.

Get married and have children--
pretty much my hope
for the future.

Buy a house.
You know, settle down.

Get back to society.

Now most women
are afraid of me.

You know, I explain to them
I've been exonerated.

And they get all freaked out.

This is, uh, match.com.
This is Yahoo! Personals.

And this is Cupid Junction.

Under dating services,
my name's "DNA Dennis."

You know, I'm number 127.

[ Man ]
Here-- Here, here.
[ Man #2 ] What?

This is new evidence.
It's exculpatory evidence.

Wilton Dedge is entitled
to a new trial.
[ Nina ] Right.

I don't care what they do.
They want to try to argue
some esoteric thing from Venus--

Get it in front of the jury
with a new and fairer trial...

where we can present
this evidence
and then see what they say.

That's the bottom line.

They pounded
on the hair at trial.

We now know
the hair is not his.
All go home.

End of discussion.
There is no other issue.

It is only a commentary
on the State of Florida...

that you have to assemble
this much talent in the room...

in order to get
one guy out of jail
that should have been released--

Three years ago.
More than three years ago.

[ No Audible Dialogue ]

[ No Audible Dialogue ]

Presence of the defendant.
We are all here
on this matter.

The State of Florida
v. Wilton Dedge.

[ Nina ]
We are here today, Your Honor,
to close the circle...

in what we hope
will be the final chapter...

in Wilton Dedge's
22-year-long ordeal.

When Mr. Dedge was first tried,
the prosecutor told the jury...

that the hair found
on the victim's bedsheet...

was identical to Wilton Dedge.

Three years ago,
we got the results stating...

that the two pubic hairs
found in that bedsheet...

did not come from Wilton Dedge
to a scientific certainty.

We intend to show
that the DNA evidence
you're gonna receive...

is not only admissible,
but that his acquittal...

would be a virtual certainty.

[ White ]
Is a hair actually
proof of innocence?

The problem is,
that hair does not
have to be from the perpetrator.

The semen that was left does.

The two pubic hairs came from
two different people, and could
not have come from Wilton Dedge.

- Is that correct?
- That's correct.

Now, your lab,
as I understand it,

is working with
some cutting edge DNA.

You now have a test
that could be used
on the "Y" chromosome...

to either include
or exclude Wilton Dedge...

as the contributor
of the sperm cell fraction--

[ Expert ] Yes.
The State's belief is
that we need to back up,

and the court direct
that this evidence be tested.

[ Scheck ]
Would anything that you do
with the Y-DNA--

would that change
your conclusions about the hair?

[ Expert ]
No. Hair evidence is definite.

Those two hairs
are not from Mr. Dedge.

Frankly, it was
that simple then,
and it's that simple now.

If it was his hair, he's guilty.
If it's not his hair,

no jury would convict him
beyond a reasonable doubt.

[ White ] They got a hair
that could have come
from God knows where.

And it's not Wilton Dedge's.

And we oughta just say,
"Let that man walk."

Let the citizens
of Brevard County find out
if he really is a rapist.

Let's find out the hard way
is what she tells you.

There deserves
to be some finality...

for victims,
for the community.

But these people
don't have to be fair.
They aren't fair.

They don't want to be fair.
This is Project Innocence.

After all of this to-do
about whether or not...

the State of Florida had
the courage to allow a man...

to try to prove his innocence.

When they fought
for three years to keep
from having this hearing,

and fought to not let
the evidence be looked at.

This is not supposed
to be another trial.

This is supposed to be
about whether or not...

we have submitted evidence
to Your Honor...

that Mr. Dedge...

would in all probability
have been acquitted.

[ Judge ]
Because it is such
a serious case,

has such serious
implications for everyone--

I feel like I've been
thrown a curveball on this.

I'm gonna have
to take some time with it and--

and I have to be comfortable
with the level
of satisfaction...

in regard to all other aspects
of this case,

but for the Y-DNA.

So, we're gonna be in recess
on this regard...

and, of course,
we're gonna consider that issue.

Yes, Your Honor.
Thank you.

[ No Audible Dialogue ]

We're supposed to be
about ethics.

There's supposed to be
something called legal ethics.

I-I-I-I'm just--
I'm horrified by this.

Wilton Dedge was, uh,
very, very small,

and the perpetrator
was described as being
very, very big.

So this was an extremely weak
eyewitness identification case.

And 78% of the time
in our DNA exonerations,

it's been a mistaken
eyewitness identification.

The single greatest cause
of the conviction
of the innocent.

[ Woman ]
Around 3:00 in the morning,
I heard a noise.

A man jumped on my bed,
put a knife to my throat...

and covered my mouth
as I screamed.

It was at that moment that
I knew he was gonna rape me.

The next thing I knew,

there were
police officers there.

They said,
"Did you think you got
a good look at him?

"Do you think
you could recognize him?

Do you think you can give us
a good description
of the man who raped you?"

And I said, "Yes, I do.
I looked in his face.

Yeah, I can identify
this man."

So I sat down,
and I began to piece together...

what my rapist looked like.

And it went
into the newspapers.

And sure enough,
we had a phone call...

from a woman who said
the composite sketch
looks so much like a man,

and his name
happens to be Ronald Cotton.

Ronald Cotton was found guilty
of first-degree rape,

first-degree sexual offense,

and sentenced
to life in prison.

June of '95,
I get a phone call.

And they said,
"Jennifer, you were wrong.

Ronald Cotton was not
your rapist."

And there's the picture
of Bobby Poole, my rapist,

and Ronald Cotton.

Ronald's face had become
so ingrained in my memory...

that I didn't even
recognize Bobby Poole.

Y'all didn't get lost,
did ya?

No. But I thought,
"I've passed it.
I know I passed it."

No, you didn't though.
I know you didn't.

Good seeing you.
Good to see you.

It's been forever.
It's been a long time.
It has.

I was trying to remember
when the last time
you and I saw each other.

But I thought
I'd obviously seen you
the night of my rape.

It was the physical lineup.
I can remember standing there,
looking at you, goin',

"Oh, God."

Of course not knowing
how you were feeling.

You were probably
feeling the same way.

Yeah, it just tore me all up.

You know, I said,
"Why are they doing this to me?"
Right.

You know, "What did I do
to deserve something like this?"
Right.

That's what I'm asking myself.

I had already saw
the drawing of the suspect.
I said, "That's not me."

The guy's ears
stuck out at the top.
Mm-hmm.

You were the closest likeness
of the drawing.

You had become my rapist.

I just couldn't believe it,
you know?

Tilt my head,
looked around the court,

looked at all
the jurors and--

So, I decided
to write my letter...

requesting to have
a DNA done.

They found out that
the evidence had been saved.

It could have been easily,
you know, destroyed.

So, I knew that
I needed to somehow apologize,

but I didn't know, of course,
what you were gonna say to me.
Right.

It took you, like,
two seconds.
Two--

Two seconds to forgive me.
I had debated
over that issue...

while I was incarcerated.

I thought about you.

I know I can't
make up for lost time.
I wouldn't even attempt to.

You know, I just have
to live, forgive
and keep moving on.

To say we're friends,
it's just-- it's not enough.

Ronald and I have
a relationship
that is so unique.

Change one person's life
and you've changed the world.

So, when you walk out of here...

when you graduate,

change the world.

Don't be afraid
to change it.

[ Man ]
How you doin', Governor?
Aaron, how are you?

How you doin'?
Good to see you.
All right.

How you been?
Hangin' in there, man.

I'm loaded up here.
I see that.
What do you got in here?

Good to see you.
My little girl.
Just had her on the 29th.

- Got a real one in there.
- Yeah, I ain't waste no time.

[ Ryan ]
Aaron Patterson was one of
four men that I had pardoned...

that had been tortured
to confess for crimes
they didn't commit,

and had been sentenced
to death row.

So, what are you doing
with all your time?

Tryin' to get guys jobs,
just come out of
the penitentiary.

What do they do with a guy
when they turn him loose?
Nothin'.

They give him a bus ticket.
They take him
to the bus station.

They make sure
they get on the bus,
or get on the train.

And then they--
That's it.

[ Ryan ] I believed that
the death penalty was an
important part of the system...

till I became governor
and found out how faulted
and flawed it was.

I was concerned
that I may have
to look over my shoulder...

after I left office to find
that an innocent person
had been executed,

and I had an opportunity
to do something about it
and hadn't.

And I didn't want
to live with that.

Our capital system is haunted
by the demon of error.

Error in determining guilt.

Error in determining
who among the guilty
deserves to die.

Because of all
of these reasons today,

I'm commuting the sentence
of all death-row inmates...
[ Cheering ]

to life without
the possibility of parole.

The United States is
the only democracy
on this planet...

that executes its prisoners.

When we talk about human rights
and civil rights and liberties
for people,

we should lead the way
in those kinds of attempts...

instead of leading the way
in the administration
of the death penalty.

He made it possible
for me to have a life, you know.

He took matters
in his own hands,

and that was a blessing,
for me as well as this city,

this state,
and the world.

You know, it inspires others
to take that bold step
to do these things.

When you see an injustice,
you must step up
and do something about it.

And that's what we're trying
to do out here now.

[ Microphone Feeding Back ]

[ Nick ]
Good afternoon. My name
is Nicholas James Yarris.

I spent 23 years
on death row for a murder
I didn't commit.

I spent every single day of that
in solitary confinement.

I was released in January
of this year after DNA
evidence proved me innocent.

I come out here every week
and hand out flyers,

hoping to get the Delaware
County District Attorney...

to enter the DNA
from a murderer
into the FBI's data bank.

Why is this case not solved?

All I want is the DNA
from my murder case...

entered into
the DNA data bank.

The day that they catch
the actual killer...

I can go on about my life.

All of the men
who were exonerated by DNA
on death row,

the DNA is not
in the data bank.

Delaware County is just
denying that they were wrong.

They tried to murder me.
So what?

It's over with.
I'm getting on with my life.

I apologize.
I hope you enjoy your lunch.

Thanks.

Thanks.
Thanks.

He's a good man.
Thank you, brother.

Innocent too.

And you can quote me.

And the D.A. should be--

The whole thing should be
brought out in the open,
like he's trying to do.

He's right.

[ Scott ] I still feel like
everybody needs to hear about
wrongful imprisonment,

because everyone's
a potential juror.

When I first got out,
I sent out brochures
to police academies,

but I don't think
they really want
their recruits hearing...

that they might
be arresting somebody innocent.

The judicial system
is its own little world,

and people don't
want to change it.

People are afraid of change.
They're afraid
of accountability.

[ Woman ]
One thing I found when
I went through the letters--

Basic problem is
too much power concentrated...

in the hands of prison staff
with no accountability.

You're only seeing a portion
of the letters that
were mailed to you.

According to some of these guys,
the mail room officers...

were shredding quite a few
of the letters before
they ever went out the door.

[ Man ] Is that a fact?
That's what they're alleging.

We are running
into some barriers.

I'm hoping--
and I think that we're
gonna be working towards...

breaking down
some of those barriers.

[ Scott ]
I know that the prison
representative here...

is going to disagree
with everything I'm saying.

But we went through the letters,
and we were appalled at some
of the medical conditions there.

I saw firsthand
filing grievances,

and the indifference--

We really feel
like action needs to be taken.

[ Sighs ]

[ Woman ]
Dennis, hi.
Of course, I did.

How you doin'?
Good to see you again.
How you doin'?

Good to see you.

[ Woman ]
The State has taken
part of their lives,

and there
should be no question
that they deserve compensation.

There is no amount
that is enough.

But the enactment of this
legislation which will
take place...

later today and tomorrow...

is to make a step
towards discharging
that moral obligation...

toward these men.

My name's Dennis Maher.
I did 19 years,
two months and 29 days.

This bill goes a long way...

to, um, straightening
out things in our lives,

like, we still
have records even though
we've been exonerated.

This bill expunges our records.

I went for an apartment.
The only way
I got the apartment...

was I brought
my exoneration papers.

For the security check,
they would have denied me...

because I had 16 charges
still standing against me,

even though I was
exonerated for all of 'em.

I want to thank
all the politicians...

for the work they've done.

And it's been a long road.
Thank you.

[ Applause ]

[ Scheck ]
They want the system changed.

They want it changed in a way
that will benefit everyone--

future victims of crimes,

people that might be
picked up falsely,
get them exonerated now.

They want change.
Their sacrifice must
mean something.

And it's an important
motivator for me
and my colleagues...

to make sure
we vindicate the faith
they've shown in us.

What started out
as this small, you know,
mom-and-pop operation...

has now mushroomed
into a kind of, you know,

new civil rights movement
in this country.

It's not just about
exonerating the innocent.

It's also about reforming
all of criminal justice.

'Cause once you implement
all these reforms, you've
actually shifted the paradigm.

The paradigm that
we've lived with now
for 40 years...

is one based on
the presumption of guilt.

It returns it
to one based on innocence,

at least until--
unless proven guilty.

And also one that understands...

just how vulnerable
our criminal justice system is,

just how easy it is
for truly innocent people
to be wrongly convicted.

- Wilton?
- Yeah?

Hey, it's Nina.
Listen, my dear, I have
some really good news for you.

Oh, yeah?
We got the report
from ReliaGene,

and you were excluded.
All right!

They got a result, Wilton.
They got four markers,

and you were excluded
at three of them.

Then there's none--
I mean, there's no
question whatsoever.

None at all.
All we needed was one marker
to prove scientifically...

that you didn't
contribute that semen,
and we got three.

All right!

I'm feelin' good.
I'm feelin'--
feelin' a lot better.

Listen, Wilton,
you don't need me
to tell you this,

but you have done a lot, not
just for yourself, but for
so many other guys in Florida.

You were the first,
and you won't be the last.

[ Indistinct ]

We're the Dedges,
to pick up Wilton.

[ Sighs ]

[ Woman Speaking, Indistinct ]

Okay.

[ Applauding ]

[ Shutter Clicks ]

[ Man ]
Congratulations.
Thank you.

It don't look the same.
We don't look much--

You don't look the same either.

Things have changed.

I've been locked up

And the key's
been thrown away

Taken so far away

From my family

No more Sunday dinners

No more midnight snacks

Please don't cry, my lady

I'll be back one day

Let them into your room
Your wrist gettin' shackled
in cuffs

There's nothin' to get you
stuffed in the back
of a truck

And to you
this is some new shit

'Cause you lookin' at
time from the State
and you ain't even do shit

Get a sentence for rape
is on some clue shit

They end up pinning
your cases from a few chicks

Really can't afford to fall
But whatever you say or do

Get you accused
in a court of law

Prison life is
so vivid and trite

Restricted to the distance
from your kids and your wife

Can't slip
when you're driven to fight

And you stressin'
'cause you hopin'
they visit or write

The day's long
and the time's hard

Been an innocent man
stuck in a cage

And finally
your mind's scarred

You face it
and you try hard

But you ain't got
to serve a drink
to be behind bars

I've been locked up

And the key's been
thrown away

Taken so far away

From my family

No more Sunday dinners

No more midnight snacks

Please don't cry, my lady

I'll be back one day

This some cruel shit to face
Prison and lifting gates

People from a different race
liftin' weights
and gettin' raped

Prisoners from
different states

Till you got no choice
but to keep your mind focused
and get in shape

Criminals here
and they watch you close

Plottin' a knuckle or brawl
or choppin' your throat

Can't wait
to shuffle the cards
and cop 'em a smoke

Worry about duckin' the guards
and droppin' the soap

And it's makin' you
a nervous wreck

You ain't deserve the stress

But you know you're gonna
have to rumble
to earn respect

You can't sleep
It ain't sweet

Good morning.
So, what's new today?

I'm walkin'
above the ground.

Ahh.

Now, you have been
so wonderful.

Oh, thank you so much.
Thank you.

How you doin'?
How you doin'?

Great.
Ohh.

[ Sighs ]

Finally.
Finally!

Great.
I know.
I know.

No more Sunday dinners

No more midnight snacks

Please don't cry, my lady

I'll be back one day

This is my little thing.

DNA--
deoxyribonucleic acid--

That's God's signature, okay?

God's signature
is never a forgery,

and his checks
don't bounce, all right?

[ Applauding ]
So we all tight.

Now it's back to the street
startin' from scratch

To get back on your feet
and on track with the peeps

The young full of love
and are missin' their father

'Cause Mommy got 'em used
to a different provider

It's a whole lot to take in

'Cause you ain't got
to be guilty for you
to do time in the state pen

I've been locked up

And the key's been
thrown away

Taken so far away

From my family

No more Sunday dinners

No more midnight snacks

Please don't cry, my lady

I'll be back one day

Knowin' that I'm innocent
Hopin' to make a route

Thrown in a prison
just hopin' to make it out

Out of my patience
Making schemes
of breakin' out

But face it
Make it clean or weeded out

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