The Innocence Center

The death penalty carries the inherent risk of executing an innocent person. Since 1973, at least 200 people who had been wrongly convicted and sentenced to death in the U.S. have been exonerated.

It’s time to confront racism in the death penalty. There is overwhelming evidence of racial bias in California’s death penalty system. Black people are 4x more likely than non-Black people, and Latine people are 3x more likely than non-Latine people, to get a death sentence for committing the same acts.

🎉 Exciting News! 🎉

We are excited to share that “This Show is Surrounded by True Events,” a show that sheds light on wrongful convictions and the profound impact on individuals and communities, has received incredible recognition at the Fringe Festival!

🏆 Awards Won:
Platinum Award from TVolution: The top prize awarded by a solo critic who sees over 70 shows at Fringe!
Best of Broadwater Award: Among over 100 shows, this show is one of the 12 selected as the best of the best in their category.

🌟 Nominations:
Best 2 Person Show
Best World Premiere

Out of over 300 shows, only 4-5 are nominated in these categories!
These prestigious awards granted the producers two extension dates!

📅 Extension Dates: July 25th at 9 PM and August 8th at 9 PM

Don’t miss out on this award-winning experience! Get your tickets now at The Hollywood Fringe Festival. Use the discount code FRIENDS for a special offer.

https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10772

Join us in congratulating Pam and Casper!

🌟 Congratulations to our Executive Director, Michael Semanchik, on being selected for the prestigious 2024 vLex Fastcase 50 Class! 🌟

This esteemed recognition highlights his exceptional contributions as one of the top 50 most courageous innovators, techies, visionaries, and leaders in the legal industry, as honored by vLex’s annual Fastcase 50 Award.

Join us in celebrating Mike’s commitment to driving positive change and pushing the boundaries of legal innovation.

Discover more about all of the vLex Fastcase 50 honorees here: vlex.com/fastcase50.

Continuing our series, we are thrilled to introduce our newest team member, Sarah Miotke, joining as the paralegal at The Innocence Center! ✨

Originally from Northern California, Sarah ventured to Chicago for several years before settling in San Diego last year. Her professional journey led her through six impactful years at Loyola University Chicago, where she excelled in Advancement roles. Notably, Sarah served as a project manager for the Board of Trustees, President’s Office Relations, and Proposal Development teams, honing her skills in system creation and optimization to enhance team effectiveness.
Sarah’s passion for innocence work ignited during her time at the University of Mississippi, where a presentation by a staff attorney from the George C. Cochran Innocence Project deeply resonated with her. This initial spark led her to join the Mississippi Innocence Project as a legal assistant, where she immersed herself in client intakes, case research, trial preparations, and contributed to social media and newsletter development. Her dedication to supporting the innocent grew, driven by her organizational prowess, boundless enthusiasm, and commitment to justice.

Outside of her professional endeavors, Sarah enjoys exploring nature with her husband, daughter, and miniature border collie, Kennedy, often found hiking scenic trails or unwinding with a good book by the bay.

Join us in welcoming Sarah to our team, where her passion for justice and experience will undoubtedly make a profound impact on our mission. 🙌🏽

🇺🇸 This Fourth of July, we at The Innocence Center are reminded of the profound disparity in freedom faced by so many. While we celebrate with barbecues and fireworks, we hold in our hearts the courage of our currently incarcerated clients, whose lives are marked by injustice. We also honor the resilience of those we’ve helped free, who endured years of wrongful imprisonment.

Today, as we cherish our liberties, let’s amplify the voices of the wrongfully convicted and advocate for their rightful freedom. Their stories serve as a powerful reminder of the work that remains to be done in the pursuit of justice and equality for all. Together, let’s strive for a future where every individual can celebrate Independence Day with the true freedom they deserve. 🕊️✨

🚨 200th Exoneration from Death Row! 🚨

As of July 1, 2024, 200 people have been exonerated from death row in the U.S. since 1973. This milestone underscores the risk of executing the innocent.

A 2014 study estimated that at least 4% of those sentenced to death are innocent. The death penalty’s impact on wrongful convictions is even broader, often causing innocent people to plead guilty or witnesses to give false testimony.

While California has a governor-imposed moratorium on executions, the death penalty remains legal in 27 states.

Witness to Innocence, based in Philadelphia, is a national organization of exonerated death row survivors dedicated to raising awareness about wrongful capital convictions for over 20 years.

Learn more about this critical issue and read the full article here: https://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/single-post/breaking-news-200-people-exonerated-from-death-row

🎧 New Episode! 🎧

In this latest episode of the “For the Innocent” podcast, Michael Semanchik sits down with two distinguished guests: Criminal Defense Lawyer and Founder of the California Innocence Project, Justin Brooks, and former prosecutor and Deputy District Attorney from Los Angeles, Wayne Little.

Together, they delve into the many reasons why someone might plead guilty to a crime they didn’t commit. This insightful conversation sheds light on the pressures and complexities within the criminal legal system that lead to false confessions and wrongful convictions.
Don’t miss this eye-opening discussion!

🔗https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/for-the-innocent/2024/06/plea-deals-why-innocent-people-give-up-and-go-to-prison/

🎉🎂 Join us in wishing a very happy birthday to Audrey, our exceptional Senior Staff Attorney at The Innocence Center! 🎂🎉

Audrey has been a cornerstone of our team, fiercely advocating for the innocent since her law school days. Her unwavering dedication and contributions have been invaluable to our many successes.

In the office, Audrey is known for her sharp sense of humor, her willingness to assist others, and her famous chocolate chip cookies (though good luck getting any, as there’s a long waiting list!).

Let’s all take a moment to celebrate Audrey and wish her a fantastic birthday! 🎈

✨🏳️‍🌈Happy Pride Month from The Innocence Center! 🏳️‍🌈✨

At The Innocence Center, we stand for justice, equality, and inclusion for all. This Pride Month, we reaffirm our commitment to supporting our LGBTQIA+ friends, family, and clients.

We know LGBTQIA+ individuals are overrepresented in the criminal legal system. Approximately 124,000 adults self-identify as le***an, gay, or bisexual in U.S. prisons and jails, and over 6,000 adults self-identify as trans in state and federal prisons. LGBTQIA+ youth’s representation among the incarcerated population—at 7,300 youth—is double their share of the general population. Women and girls drive the higher representation of LGBTQIA+ people in prisons, jails, and youth facilities—as do LGBTQIA+ people of color.

As we celebrate diversity and love in all its forms, we continue our fight for a world where everyone can live authentically and without fear that their sexual orientation will make them a target for injustice.

Join us in spreading awareness, fostering acceptance, and advocating for LGBTQIA+ rights!

🎙️Have you listened to last week's gripping episode of the "For the Innocent" podcast?

This time, our executive director Michael Semanchik dives into the heart-wrenching story of Marilyn Mulero, wrongfully convicted of a Chicago gang murder in 1992. Naive to the criminal justice system, Marilyn was coerced into signing a false confession under the threat of the death penalty. Her attorney, failing to properly investigate, pressured her into a risky blind plea deal with the court—resulting in a death sentence.

Tune in to hear Marilyn's story and learn about the fight for justice and the systemic flaws that led to her tragic near death conviction.

Available wherever you get your podcasts!

🔗https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/for-the-innocent/2024/06/marilyns-story-a-plea-deal-turned-deadly/

📢 We are excited to celebrate Andrew Madrigal for his remarkable academic achievement! Andrew, a doctoral candidate in the Department of Criminology, Law and Society at George Mason University and a lecturer in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice at California Lutheran University, has been published in the Virginia Journal of Criminal Law.

In addition to these amazing credentials, Andrew is also the son of Rafael Madrigal, a man who was wrongfully convicted for murder in 2002. It wasn’t until September 2009 that a United States District Court judge granted Rafael’s petition on the basis of ineffective defense counsel and overturned his conviction. (Read more about his case at our website)

Andrew’s latest article explores the “limbo period” experienced by exonerated individuals — the challenging time spent in the community under the shadow of a wrongful conviction before official exoneration. This insightful research highlights the resilience and struggles of those navigating this difficult period.

We are incredibly proud of Andrew’s hard work and dedication to shedding light on this important issue. Read his groundbreaking article through the link below (and shared our story):

https://acrobat.adobe.com/id/urn:aaid:sc:va6c2:5df31698-20ee-4b7c-a386-6f7240a893ec?viewer%21megaVerb=group-discover

✨On March 11, 2024, a monumental step towards justice was taken. The Innocence Center, in partnership with the Los Angeles District Attorney, successfully exonerated our client, Stephen Patterson, of a murder conviction he had no part in. Now after nearly 20 years behind bars, Stephen is faced with the daunting task of rebuilding his life from scratch.

As you can imagine, reentering the community after many years can be incredibly challenging and our mission at TIC is to ensure that our clients have the resources to navigate those challenges.

We’ve created an Amazon Wish List for our community supporters to be able to personally help Stephen get back on his feet, by donating essential items that will aid his transition and help him start anew.

🔗 https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/3VH6Y71YQR9VM?ref_=wl_share

Every contribution, no matter how small, will have a profound impact on his journey towards a better life. 🎁

📣 Join us in remembering the history of Juneteenth, supporting those who are currently incarcerated, and by joining the fight for racial justice and criminal legal reform.

For more insight, check out this powerful article by Antoine Davis & Darrell Jackson from Waging Nonviolence, where they discuss what Juneteenth means from the perspective of those who are incarcerated. (https://truthout.org/articles/for-many-black-people-behind-bars-juneteenth-comes-with-joy-and-grief/) Also, read the Innocence Project's article on how Juneteenth resonates with many innocence cases, like the case of the "Chester Trio." (https://innocenceproject.org/freedom-deferred-how-juneteenth-echoes-in-the-case-of-the-chester-trio/)

On this Juneteenth, let's reflect on the progress we've made and the work still ahead. Freedom is at the core of our mission at TIC. Here are three powerful ways you can support us in this fight for justice:

1️⃣ Exonerate: Help us free innocent people from prison. Your support can change lives.
2️⃣ Educate: Spread awareness about wrongful convictions and advocate for a justice system where truth prevails.
3️⃣ Support: Stand by exonerated individuals as they rebuild their lives. Together, we can ensure their stories are never forgotten.

Let's build a future of justice and equality, one action at a time. ✊🏿

📢🌟Happy Birthday to Justin Brooks, a true hero in the world of innocence advocacy and a board member at The Innocence Center! 🙌🏽💼

Prior to joining the board, Justin founded the California Innocence Project. In his 23 years of innocence advocacy and teaching, he oversaw the release of 40 innocent people. Not only that, his teaching and advocacy inspired many of The Innocence Center’s staff to enter this line of work and continue the fight for justice.

Here’s hoping you have a great birthday across the pond! Thank you for all you do! 👏🏽💖

🌟 Have you checked out our website yet? 🌟 Head to theinnocencecenter.org to learn more about our amazing staff, current cases, how to submit your own case, and so much more. Our incredible Executive Director, Mike Semanchik, has done an outstanding job making the site not only beautiful but also super easy to navigate and full of incredibly helpful information. Huge thanks to Mike for all his hard work in making our website so impressive! 🙌

We are also thrilled to announce that The Innocence Center is now selling TIC merchandise! From stylish t-shirts and hoodies to tumblers and mugs, there's something for everyone. Every purchase helps support our mission to fight for justice and exonerate the wrongfully convicted. 🎉

🛍️ Check out our collection and spread the word. Together, we can make a difference. 💪 Thank you for your continued support! ❤️

📢Attention community supporters!📢

At The Innocence Center, we believe in second chances and providing opportunities for those who have been wrongfully convicted to successfully reintegrate into society.

We are reaching out to our incredible network for assistance! If you have any job opportunities available for our clients who have been freed or exonerated, we'd love to hear from you. Your support can make a world of difference in helping these individuals rebuild their lives and achieve their full potential.

Together, we can ensure that the wrongfully convicted receive the opportunities they deserve to thrive. Please fill out our form if you have any job openings or know of any opportunities that could benefit our clients. Let's work hand in hand to create a more just and compassionate community.

Form link (also in our bio): https://theinnocencecenter.org/hire-the-innocent/

Thank you for your continued support and commitment to justice!

🎭 It’s officially opening week for “This Show Is Surrounded By True Events” by Pamela Eberhardt! 🎭

Embark on a gripping journey with Penny, a juror haunted by the wrongful conviction of Mr. Shiloh Beck. Through Penny’s journey, the play writers shed light on wrongful convictions and the profound impact on individuals and communities.

Plus, the play writers are making calls to action for attendees to donate to organizations like The Innocence Center so that we can continue this work!

🔗 https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10772 - Use code INNOCENT for a special discount on tickets!

Experience the impact of theater and join us in raising awareness. See you at the theater!

📢 Exciting News! 📢

We are thrilled to share the success of the first session in our series at The Innocence Center! Last week, our client Stephen Patterson, alongside our Executive Director Mike Semanchik and Director of Policy and Development Jasmin Harris, shared his powerful story and the challenges of re-entering the community with over 60 engaged participants via Zoom. This incredible event was facilitated by our amazing partner, InfoTrack, and their CEO, Ed Watts.

A huge thank you to InfoTrack for their time and unwavering commitment to helping us further our mission of exonerating the innocent and supporting their transition back into society. Your dedication makes a world of difference! 🌟

Are you interested in hosting a for your company or organization? We’d love to bring these impactful stories and discussions to your team. Reach out to us directly to schedule your session!

We’re excited to continue our series by announcing our most recent addition to the team. Meet Marc A. Garza, The Innocence Center’s Investigator.

Marc is a native San Diegan and grew up in Southeast San Diego. He is a retired police sergeant with just under 25 years of service in San Diego County. Since retirement, he has assisted numerous law firms with criminal defense investigations in cases where individuals are accused of serious felony level crimes such as homicide, gang related crimes, assaults with fi****ms and other crimes of violence.

His background deeply rooted in the criminal legal system and having served in various capacities within law enforcement, gives him a unique insight on the intricacies of the legal system and investigations. This insight, coupled with a meticulous attention to detail, allows him to conduct complex investigations in post-conviction matters. Marc is dedicated to working tirelessly to uncover evidence, locate witnesses, interview witnesses, review discovery and scrutinize every detail to assist our legal team in building their legal cases to get more innocent people out of prison.

In his free time, he enjoys spending time with his wife and boys.

Join us in welcoming Marc to the team and stay tuned for our investigative development updates!

🎙️ New Episode Alert! 🎙️

Don't miss the latest episode of the Legal Talk Network’s "For the Innocent" podcast, where we dive deep into the issues of junk science in criminal prosecutions. From bite-mark identification to arson investigations and shaken baby syndrome, flawed forensic techniques have wrongfully imprisoned countless innocent people.

Join us as Lindsay Herf, Executive Director of the Arizona Justice Project, sheds light on how innocence lawyers are fighting to rectify these injustices.

Stream this eye-opening episode now, available wherever you get your podcasts! 🔍⚖️✨

https://legaltalknetwork.com/podcasts/for-the-innocent/2024/05/junk-science-undoing-the-damage/

🚨Big News! 🚨

We are overjoyed to announce that Greg Cooper’s parole has been
affirmed, and today he walked out of Avenal State Prison after spending 17 years wrongfully convicted.  Greg was finally reunited with his beautiful family and ready to restart his life. 🎉

As Greg begins this new chapter, we want to ensure he has everything he needs to get back on his feet. You can help welcome him home by purchasing items from his Amazon wish list at https://www.amazon.com/hz/wishlist/ls/2S05N3VVCKY8U?ref_=wl_share.

Every contribution, big or small, will make a significant impact. 🙏🏽

To learn more about Greg’s case and journey to freedom, visit https://theinnocencecenter.org/case/greg-cooper/.

Let’s show Greg the power of our community and give him the warm
welcome he deserves! Thank you for your continued support and for standing by Greg through this journey. Together, we are making a difference.

🎭 Join us for an unforgettable theatrical experience with “We Laugh So We Don’t Cry” by Pamela Eberhardt! 🎭

Embark on a gripping journey with Penny, a juror haunted by the wrongful conviction of Mr. Shiloh Beck.

Through Penny’s journey, the play writers shed light on wrongful convictions and the profound impact on individuals and communities. Plus, the play writers will be making a call to action for attendees to donate to organizations like The Innocence Center so that we can continue this work!

🔗 https://www.hollywoodfringe.org/projects/10772 - Use code INNOCENT for a special discount on tickets!

Experience the impact of theater and join us in raising awareness. See you at the theater! 🎟️

🎙️ Join us for an eye-opening discussion on the latest “For the Innocent” podcast episode! Attorney Katherine Bonaguidi delves into the critical issue of junk science, spotlighting the flawed concept of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Tune in to gain valuable insights and join the conversation on dismantling misconceptions. Listen now on all podcast platforms: https://listen.legaltalknetwork.com/sbs?c=Q2yiPOY8V0Mg6WLdl-FzWw&h=ab35881ad9181072b  

🔥 During Arson Awareness Week, we're shedding light on the crucial role of science in fire investigations. At our office, we recognize the stakes—unchecked assumptions can lead to wrongful convictions. According to the National Registry of Exoneration, 89 lives have been deeply affected by faulty investigations. Consider Joann's case, where a fire initially labeled accidental led to her wrongful incarceration. Read Joann's story and join us in raising awareness to science-backed approaches: https://theinnocencecenter.org/case/joann-parks-shigemura/

🌟 Big shoutout to North Park Coin-Op San Diego! 🌟

We’re incredibly grateful for their generous donation to The Innocence Center. Their unique initiative allowing bartenders to craft special cocktails each month, with proceeds supporting organizations like ours, speaks volumes about their commitment to making a difference.

Thanks to North Park Coin-Op, we’re one step closer to bringing innocent individuals back home to their loved ones. Your support fuels our mission and gives hope to those seeking justice. Cheers to you for being champions of change! 🍹🙏🏽

TIC’s Policy Director and the Policy Representative for the California Innocence Coalition, Jasmin Harris, has been traveling around California in partnership with Lauren Gottesman of the Innocence Project (NY), to train the defense community on how to utilize Assembly Bill 2644 (Holden) in their juvenile cases. AB 2644 prohibits the use of deception, threat, physical harm, and manipulative tactics in interrogations of people 17 years and younger. Special thanks to exonerated person, Terrill Swift, who was instrumental in getting the law passed!

🎉 BIG NEWS! 🎉

The Innocence Network Executive Board has voted to make The Innocence Center an official member of the Innocence Network! The Network consists of similar innocence organizations that share a common mission, providing free legal and investigative assistance to individuals seeking to prove their innocence of the crimes for which they have been convicted. Over the past several years, the power of this mission and the success of so many organizations– both in litigation and policy – have helped foster the creation of nearly 70 organizations all over the world. We are proud to be a part of such an impactful network of freedom fighters.

Listen to The Brian Banks Story and TIC Executive Director Michael Semanchik talk about Brian's case, problems with the criminal legal system, and Brian's opportunity to play with the Atlanta Falcons on the sidelines of the Clio - Cloud-Based Legal Technology Conference in Nashville.

https://www.lawnext.com/2023/10/lawnext-podcast-a-conversation-about-wrongful-convictions-with-brian-banks-and-michael-semanchik.html

LawNext Podcast: A Conversation About Wrongful Convictions, with Brian Banks and Michael Semanchik This week, LawNext veers slightly off-topic for a conversation about wrongful convictions. But, as you’ll hear from our guests, there is a legal tech angle, even to this. At the recent Clio Cloud Conf...