OUR TOP TEN REASONS TO BE THANKFUL

 Thanks for TEN.

Because of your wonderful generosity, GIP now has TEN employees – including two new staff attorneys and an investigator!  And just this week, we welcomed TEN new members onto our Board of Directors. We are a strong and dedicated team fighting to free the imprisoned innocent.

Thanks for appellate review and fair judges.

In GIP client Joey Watkins’ habeas corpus petition, we argued that juror and prosecutorial misconduct entitled Joey to a new trial. Ignoring clear legal precedent, the habeas judge said Joey was too late to raise these claims. Thankfully, that is not the end of the road for Joey. GIP has asked the Georgia Supreme Court to review the decision and apply the correct law.

Thanks for law enforcement officers who are willing to talk.

When so much of what we do requires re-investigating old cases from scratch, having access to officers who are open to talking about their cases is critical to discerning the truth. To hear from several such officers, listen to GIP client Dennis Perry’s story in Undisclosed podcast’s Season 3.

 Thanks for educators who are raising awareness.

From podcasters and journalists who share our clients’ stories, to colleagues and mentors who give us guidance, to teachers who weave wrongful conviction into their lesson plans, we are grateful to you for teaching us all about the flaws in our justice system and the potential for positive change.

 Thanks for prosecutors who consent to DNA testing and ensure that convictions have integrity.

Shouldn’t we all want to ensure that the right person was convicted of a crime? A prosecutor’s job is to see that justice is done. We are grateful for prosecutors who work towards that goal — especially when that means admitting when they got it wrong. We hope that more will follow your lead.

 Thanks for the legislature.

We stand with you in your work to pass legislation repairing cracks in the criminal justice system and compensating the wrongfully convicted.

Thanks for scientific advancements.

We can test for things we never could before. We know how and why eyewitness identifications can be inaccurate. We know what science is invalid and overstated. These advancements in science and knowledge can provide hope to those who otherwise had none.

 Thanks for pro-bono counsel, volunteers and students.

You give your heart and soul to this work. We could never do it alone. Your time and resources are precious, and we — and our clients — are so grateful for your help in this struggle.

 Thanks for the hope and perseverance of our clients and exonerees.

Imagine marking time; one hash mark for each day you sit in prison for a crime you did not commit. How do you endure such suffering, yet still have so much compassion and hope left to give? You, our clients and exonerees, are our inspiration.

THANKS FOR OUR DONORS AND SUPPORTERS!

You make possible everything we do. You are the oxygen for our work. In the words of GIP exoneree Pete Williams: “Being free—nothing can replace that. Freedom, it means everything.” Thank you, from the bottom of our hearts, for believing in us and giving the gift of freedom.