The Innocence Project, a non-profit organization that works to overturn wrongful convictions, has set two men free. Obi Anthony, age 37 and Michael Morton, age 57, both got released from prison to the innocence project. Both men had continuously maintained that they were innocent of the crimes they were convicted of and were serving life sentences for murders they didn’t commit. Together they spent in excess of 4 decades in jail before being freed by the diligent work of the innocence project.
Obi Anthony was in prison for seventeen years. He was convicted of killing a man outside a brothel located in Los Angeles, California. The prosecution’s main witness was a pimp, who subsequently admitted that his testimony in trial was false. The witness stated that he falsified his testimony to help him obtain a lighter sentence for his own crimes. Not only is Obi Anthony not the individual responsible for the shooting, but he wasn’t even present when the crime took place.
Michael Morton Spent 25 Years In a Texas Prison
Over 25 years ago, Michael Morton was charged and convicted with beating his wife to death. At the time of his conviction, however, technology did not exist whereby DNA evidence could be examined.
At the time of Morton’s conviction there was a bandana found at the scene of the crime. This bandana in fact contained DNA material of another man who was suspected of killing a woman under similar circumstances.
The prosecution in Morton’s case labeled him a sex-crazed, murderous monster, and also claimed he had faked a burglary as an excuse to kill his wife.
DNA evidence from the scene of the crime eventually exonerated Morton. This inevitably forces us to ask ourselves – how many other innocent men and women are languishing in American prisons?
Our law firm has extensive experience in handling a variety of criminal matters, such as drug offenses, driving while intoxicated (DWI), domestic violence cases, assault and battery, juvenile defenses, shop lifting, burglary, weapons possession, sex crimes, white collar crimes, violent crimes, computer and internet crimes as well as all types of misdemeanors and felonies. Call us for a free consultation. We can help you!