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Wrongful Conviction

Hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom, Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, and Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and podcast host Lauren Bright Pacheco, Wrongful Conviction features intimate conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison for crimes they maintain they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish, with some even facing execution on death row. Each episode peels back the layers behind the stories of those who have found themselves caught in a legal system gone wrong, with illuminating insights from lawyers and leading experts sharing their in-depth knowledge about each case, from prison visits and courtroom battles to reexamined crime scenes and witness interviews. This gripping series reveals the tragedy of injustice…as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change.

Copyright: 2024 iHeartMedia, Inc. © Any use of this intellectual property for text and data mining or computational analysis including as training material for artificial intelligence systems is strictly prohibited without express written consent from iHeartMedia

Latest Episodes:

#292 Guest Host Patrick Pursley with Eric Blackmon Sep 19, 2022

Show notes

On July 4, 2002, two men shot and killed 36-year-old Tony Cox outside a restaurant in Chicago, IL. Suspecting the murder was gang-related, police arrested Eric Blackmon. After claiming Blackmon was selected from a lineup by eyewitnesses, he was convicted of murder and sentenced to 60 years in prison.

Guest Host Patrick Pursley was wrongfully convicted for a 1993 murder in Rockford, IL, for which he spent nearly 24 years in prison. Remarkably, he ended up writing the law that set him free.

Patrick and Eric spent over a decade together in Stateville Correctional Center in Cook County, Illinois. They both learned the law and represented themselves before being granted their freedom.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.law.northwestern.edu/legalclinic/wrongfulconvictions/exonerations/eric-blackmon.html

https://www.macarthurjustice.org/team_member/eric-blackmon/

https://www.thejri.org/bod

https://www.chicagotorturejustice.org/board-of-directors

This episode is part of a special series in our Wrongful Conviction podcast feed of 15 episodes focused on individual cases of wrongful incarceration, guest hosted by formerly incarcerated returning citizens and leading criminal justice advocates, award-winning journalists and progressive influencers.

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#291 Jason Flom with Clarence Harrison Sep 15, 2022

Show notes

On October 25 1986, a 25 year old woman was attacked as she walked to a bus stop in Decatur, GA. The assailant approached her, hit her in the face, and sexually assaulted her. He stole her wristwatch, money, and broke two of her front teeth.

Police were led to Clarence Harrison because he lived near the site of the assault and neighbors told police that they heard someone at his house had a watch they were trying to sell. But Clarence had an alibi. He was at a neighbor’s house playing poker all night. And when police searched Clarence’s home, they didn’t find the victim’s watch.

But once the victim identified Clarence as her attacker, he was charged and ultimately convicted of rape and robbery, and sentenced to life in prison plus 40 years.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.gofundme.com/f/support-for-clarence-harrison?qid=f27b687752463c4887b50165f7b66c35

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#290 Guest Host Patrick Pursley with Carl Williams Sep 13, 2022

Show notes

On January 13, 1994, two men hijacked the car of three travelers at a gas station in Chicago, IL, killing Reginald Wilson and Felicia Lewis. Carl Williams was implicated in the crime by the two hijackers and eventually produced a confession after hours of abuse and coercion from detectives. Williams was convicted of first-degree murder and sentenced to life without the possibility of parole. Patrick speaks with Carl Williams, and Attorney Karl Leonard, from the Exoneration Project at the University of Chicago Law School.

To learn about and support Carl Williams, visit:

https://www.royalmensolutions.com/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#289 Jason Flom with Andrew Royer Sep 08, 2022

Show notes

On November 28, 2002, 94-year-old Helen Sailor spent Thanksgiving with her family before returning to her apartment at a high rise building for the elderly and disabled in Elkhart, Indiana. The next day, a health care provider found her strangled to death in her apartment. One of the detectives assigned to the case had a theory about another high rise resident, Lana Canen, and a string of previous burglaries at the building. Investigators coerced a friend of Lana Canen's to give a false statement, implicating Lana and another high rise resident, Andy Royer. After subjecting Royer to a lengthy and intense interrogation, investigators cobbled together a confession. Then, an untrained deputy fabricated a fingerprint match to corroborate both false statements. Lana and Andy were both sentenced to 55 years in prison.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://lavaforgood.com/podcast/156-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-fingerprint-evidence/

http://www.elkhartcountyprosecutor.com/about-us/prosecuting-attorney

https://www.southbendtribune.com/story/news/courts/2018/07/03/elkhart-county-prosecutor-asks-judge-to-silence-attorney/46341713/

https://twitter.com/elkhartpros?s=20&t=L4eZhRAZxf3eGOSG-036pg

https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#288 Jason Flom with Ken Middleton Sep 01, 2022

Show notes

On February 12th, 1990, a tragic accident occurred in which it is believed that Kathy Middleton mishandled a gun in her left hand, accidentally shooting herself one time in the head. The state turned this tragedy into a homicide investigation, sending her husband Ken Middleton to prison for life plus 200 years. In 2004, Ken had an opportunity to present to his motion trial court evidence of ineffective assistance of his counsel, as well as ballistics evidence that proved that the state's theory was impossible. Before the judge ruled, the state offered Ken freedom through an Alford plea, and he refused. Eventually, the judge granted him a new trial, but the state simply challenged that ruling on jurisdictional grounds, leaving Ken in prison ever since. A 2021 law now specifically grants that motion trial court the necessary jurisdiction, yet Ken and his family still await justice from prosecutor Jean Peters Baker.

The altered GSR test document is linked here: https://www.instagram.com/p/Ca4rRsDLWaC/

To learn more and get involved, visit:

http://www.free-kenmiddleton.com/

https://www.change.org/p/missouri-missouri-or-misery

https://silvercreekentertainment.net/

https://twitter.com/TheNewsBreaker

https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#287 Jason Flom with Vincent Simmons Aug 25, 2022

Show notes

In early May of 1977, Keith Laborde and his 14 year old twin cousins, Karen and Sharon Sanders, allegedly picked up a hitchhiking black man at a gas station in Avoyelles Parish, Louisiana. About 2 weeks later, when asked about a scratch on his neck, Keith Laborde and the twins told a story about this armed hitchhiker who allegedly forced Laborde into the trunk and raped both girls. Despite not matching the description, a man with a few petty priors, Vincent Simmons, was arrested, put into a suggestive line up, and ultimately selected. When he refused to confess, police officer Robert Laborde shot him in the chest. Vincent survived, but only to have ALL discovery withheld by the state including the medical examination that proved that Sharon Sander's could not have been raped. Simmons was convicted of two counts of attempted aggravated rape of the twin teenage sisters and given a 100-year prison sentence.

To learn more and get involved:

https://www.change.org/p/vincent-simmons-is-innocent-and-has-been-imprisoned-in-louisiana-since-1977

https://wrongfullyconvicted.info/vincent-simmons/

The Farm: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=odx9NEHc17M

Shadows of Doubt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=98lCNnEnxno

https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#286 Jason Flom with James King - RE-RELEASE Aug 18, 2022

Show notes

James King has been sitting in prison for almost 25 years for a rape that he adamantly maintains he did not commit. His conviction strongly relied on the inconsistent and contradictory word of a then 13-year old girl who was allegedly hiding her inappropriate relationship with a neighbor twice her age. Despite the lack of material evidence, changed testimonies for the prosecution, and the credible rebuttal of the state’s expert’s absurd findings, King remains incarcerated, desperately working to establish his innocence. Jason speaks with James King and his attorney, Ian Graham.

Learn more and get involved at:

https://www.change.org/p/gavin-newsom-free-james-eddie-king

https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/with-jason-flom

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#285 Maggie Freleng with Tammy Poole Aug 15, 2022

Show notes

When Tammy Poole and her husband Michael Poole argued, Tammy says that Michael would threaten to commit suicide. Then on April 22, 2007, in their hometown of Chatsworth, GA, a rifle took Michael’s life. While Tammy adamantly claims that her husband tragically shot himself in front of her, a single declaration from a pathologist led investigators to theorize that Tammy actually pulled the trigger. Despite numerous experts proving this pathologist wrong, and countless examples of an unfair trial with ineffective assistance, Tammy has been serving a life sentence in prison since 2008. Maggie speaks with Tammy Poole, Shanacy Densmore, Tammy’s daughter and Brandon Bullard, Tammy’s attorney. Author, podcaster and exoneree Amanda Knox joins Maggie at the top of the show to set the stage for this tragic story.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.change.org/p/the-state-of-georgia-release-tammy-from-years-of-wrongful-imprisonment

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#284 Jason Flom and Greg Glod with John Jones - RE-RELEASE Aug 11, 2022

Show notes

At about 9:40 AM on March 19th, 2010, John Jones awoke to find his daughter Jada unresponsive and called 9-1-1. She was rushed to the hospital where she remained until July 16th, 2010 when she was removed from life support and passed away. Based on the junk science of shaken baby syndrome, John was convicted of murdering his daughter and sentenced to 15 years to life.

Greg Glod, Criminal Justice Fellow at Americans for Prosperity, returns to our podcast to co-host with Jason Flom and share this tragic example of our legal system gone awry.

For more on the junk science of Shaken Baby Syndrome, check out Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science - Shaken Baby Syndrome with host Josh Dubin, released on November 18th, 2020. https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/podcast/s12e14-wrongful-conviction-junk-science-shaken-baby-syndrome

Learn more and get involved at:

https://www.ohioinnocenceproject.org

https://cifsjustice.org/

https://lavaforgood.com/with-jason-flom/

Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

#283 Maggie Freleng with Marni Yang Aug 08, 2022

Show notes

In October 2007, 42 year old Rhoni Reuter was shot and killed in her Chicago, IL apartment. She was 7 months pregnant by her boyfriend, Shaun Gayle. Gayle, a Chicago Bears 1985 Super Bowl winner, allegedly had 17 other girlfriends at the time. Marni Yang was one of them, and police began looking into her and her son as suspects. In an attempt to protect her son, Marni confessed to the crime. While she adamantly declares the confession was false, this, along with other circumstantial and potentially outright false evidence, led to Marni’s conviction and life without parole sentence. Maggie speaks to Marni Yang, her daughter Emily Yang and her attorney, Jed Stone.

To learn more and get involved, visit:

https://www.amazon.com/My-Mom-Marni-Andrew-Yang/dp/1949809129

To learn more about false confessions, listen to Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions:

https://lavaforgood.com/false-confessions/

Wrongful Conviction with Maggie Freleng is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.

We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this show are their own and do not necessarily reflect those of Lava for Good.

See omnystudio.com/listener for privacy information.

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