As she desperately prays for healing, hear the message she receives from God on todays A woman receives an answer to a prayer she never wanted to pray. Fourteen months later, the district attorney in Alabama finally abandoned the case, and Hinton went free. Tennessee Lawmakers Lynching Comment Sparks Outrage, Compared to Neighboring Tennessee, Alabamas Execution Review Falls Short, Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Man Sentenced to Death in Arizona, Alabama Man Allegedly Held in Jail Freezer Dies of Hypothermia, 122 Commerce Street Montgomery, AL 36104 I dont believe the God that I serve is gonna let me die for a crime He knows I didnt commit.. "[16] Kirkus Reviews calls the book, "a heart-wrenching yet ultimately hopeful story about truth, justice, and the need for criminal justice reform. But in order for me to be free, I had no choice but to pray for those men that did this to me. So, Ray made a decision. Send a prayer request now, or call 18007007000. In his book, The Awe of God, pastor and author, John Bevere describes the many ways having a genuine and holy fear of God enhances the good in one A man who makes a vow to the LORD or makes a pledge under oath must never break it. 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. 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, Twelve years after the new ballistics tests were ignored by an appeals court in 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court finally overturned Hintons conviction and granted him a new trial, at which point a new judge promptly dismissed the charges, according to a release from the, Hinton was exonerated in 2015, when he was 59 years old, according to, Thirty years ago, the prosecution seemed deemed to take my life from me, he continued, according to an NPR, Hintonstarted a book club while he was incarcerated, and went on to write a memoir about his experience, called, , Hinton has also found success as a motivational speaker and fierce advocate for prison reform, having been invited to dozens of universities and conferences to share his story since his release, according to the, "Just Mercy" opens in limited release on Christmas Day, and hits theaters everywhere on Jan. 10. Ray still remembers one of their last conversations before Henrys execution in 1997. That aint what He said. Nominee for Best Memoir & Autobiography (2018) A powerful, revealing story of hope, love, justice, and the power of reading by a man who spent thirty years on death row for a crime he didn't commit. Anthony Ray Hinton was released from prison in Birmingham, Ala., on Friday. In "True Justice" one of Mr. Stevenson's clients Anthony Ray Hinton discusses his arrest. I dont have a choice., Alabama Man Freed After Decades on Death Row, https://www.nytimes.com/2015/04/04/us/anthony-ray-hinton-alabama-prison-freed-murder.html. A woman suspects a stroke as her eyes twitch and she experiences slurred speech. He has also guest lectured at multiple universities and travels the country giving professional development on comics as engaging literature. We conclude that they did not and hold that Hinton's trial attorney rendered constitutionally deficient performance. Bryan Stevenson told media this is a textbook example of injustice.. Despite his innocence, Anthony Ray Hinton lingered on death row for nearly 30 years for crimes he did not commit. "To be accused of murder, itto me, it-it don't get no worse than that," says Anthony. But Hinton was ultimately convicted due to a gun that was discovered in his mothers home, where he lived. Discover the book that broke his thirty-year habit on todays 700 Club. Prosecutors dropped the case against Anthony Ray Hinton, 58, when new . Click here for more stories in the series and watch for more NewsHour EXTRA lesson content based on Searching for Justice stories. Overview: The struggle to adapt to life after conviction is a major challenge, especially for those who were innocent of the crime that led to a prison sentence. [3], On April 3, 2015, Hinton was released from prison after Laura Petro, a Jefferson County Circuit Court judge, overturned his conviction and the state dropped all charges against him.[2][6]. 3. Twelve years after the new ballistics tests were ignored by an appeals court in 2002, the U.S. Supreme Court finally overturned Hintons conviction and granted him a new trial, at which point a new judge promptly dismissed the charges, according to a release from the Equal Justice Initiative. It was there on a panel discussion, Reforming Criminal Justice in America . Casting a ballot represents a culmination of Mr. Hintons victory over that system., Voting for the first time was like a breath of fresh air. [4], Hinton's initial appeals continued to be handled by his public defender, Sheldon C. Perhacs, who lost each of Hintons cases. 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. God made it possible for you to know. The two Harriets were termed abolitionists because they wanted slavery to be abolished. Police arrived at the house near Birmingham, Alabama, and arrested him for. Anthony Ray Hinton spent three decades on Alabama's death row for crimes he did not commit. How the case against him unraveled", "Alabama death row inmate freed after 30 years", "Book Marks reviews of The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row by Anthony Ray Hinton, co-written with Lara Love Hardin", "The Sun Does Shine by Anthony Ray Hinton with Lara Love Hardin review", "Death row survivor returns to address #Bonas seniors", "Death row survivor Anthony Ray Hinton to keynote Bona's 159th Commencement", "They Couldnt Take My Soul": Anthony Ray Hinton on His Exoneration After 30 Years on Death Row, "How to Survive Death Row: Anthony Ray Hinton served 30 years in prison for murders he didn't commit. In 1985, two Birmingham area fast-food restaurants were robbed and the managers, John Davidson and Thomas Wayne Vason, were fatally shot. Alabama law provides that compensation may be awarded to a wrongfully incarcerated person if the Committee on Compensation for Wrongful Incarceration finds that hemeets the eligibility criteria, but applying for compensation is often a meaningless exercise because the statute requires alegislative enactment toappropriate the necessary funds. Hinton began his talk by explaining the context of his arrest, where he was charged with first-degree robbery, kidnapping and attempted murder. I truly believe God sent me to death row to meet Henry Francis Hays, says Ray. In 1985 Hinton was charged with two counts of murder in the deaths of two fast-food restaurant managers in Birmingham, Ala., with the charges hinging on a revolver that had belonged to his mother. Get more than a Sunday sermon. A jury found him guilty, a judge sentenced him to death. Hinton speaks about racism's role in conviction. In the interview, Hinton described how issues of race permeated his case. The evidence against Hinton was scant: There were no fingerprints at the scenes and no witnesses who placed him there, according to the outlet. Mar 30, 2016 Updated Mar 31, 2016. It was an overwhelming day, and it should never have taken that long, says Charlotte. Hear Marc Meros reflection on life inside the ring, what knocked him out and A woman is diagnosed with cancer and its spreading quickly. "Number one, you're black. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. #ElectionDay #Vote2020 pic.twitter.com/J2eFOWnheD. During his decades in prison, he was supported by his mother's faith in his innocence, as well as that of a longtime friend, Lester Bailey, who visited him monthly. 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 Alabamas death row. Pastor Glen Berteau wants to reignite the fire of God within believers that have allowed their faith to become dormant. Hinton told 60 Minutes correspondent Scott Pelley about a conversation he had with a police lieutenant after having been arrested: I said, You got the wrong guy. And he said, I dont care whether you did it or dont. He said, But you gonna be convicted for it. Number two, a white man gonna say you shot him. We are here to help and encourage you! A polygraph test given by police exonerated him, but the judge (now-retired Circuit Judge James Garrett) refused to admit it at trial. Have students write a personal response summarizing the video How do you feel after seeing Hintons struggle with the criminal justice system? They had every intention of executing me for something I didn't do. If this is where God intends for me to be and die, this is where I die. What were the charges brought against Hinton? In this lesson, students meet. 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. I mean ONLY.. Authorities arrested Hinton in 1985, after a string of robberies at restaurants in Birmingham. March 22, 20185:57 AM. He has received no compensation. You want to know why?, Number one, youre black. Having spent 30 years on Alabama's death row as an innocent man, the now-freed 64-year-old knows about confinement. Hinton was exonerated in 2015, when he was 59 years old, according to NBC News. An all-white jury sentenced him guilty of two counts of capital murder and to death by electric chair.. "Thirty years ago, the . 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. 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. Hintonstarted a book club while he was incarcerated, and went on to write a memoir about his experience, called, The Sun Does Shine: How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row. Since its publication in 2018, the book has been widely praised, with Oprah Winfrey selecting it for her official book club last June and applauding Hinton in a string of interviews, according to CBS This Morning. What do you think can be done to change these racial disparities and to keep cases like that of Mr. Hinton from happening. The sun does shine, he said as he was embraced by family and friends. 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. SUPPORTED BY VIEWERS LIKE YOU. His peaceful morning was quickly interrupted when police officers - with a warrant for Hinton's arrest - taunted, handcuffed and arrested the teenage Hinton. Feb 24, 2017 Updated Feb 24, 2017. See Innocence and Race. Hinton has also found success as a motivational speaker and fierce advocate for prison reform, having been invited to dozens of universities and conferences to share his story since his release, according to the Macmillan Speakers Bureau. The court was unable to affirm the forensic evidence of a gun, which was the only evidence in the first trial. And you know why? I said, No. He said, You got a white man. Rays mother, Buhlar, and his best friend, Lester Bailey, were crushed by the outcome. Thirty years ago, Mr. Hinton was arrested and charged with two capital murders based solely on the assertion that a revolver taken from his mothers home was the gun used in both murders and in a third uncharged crime.