Unjustly

In 2015, in Millbrook, Alabama, 15 year old Lakeith Smith joined up with 4 other friends, all teenagers, who planned to do a couple of break ins. While attempting to rob an empty home, a suspicious neighbor called the police. When officers arrived the teens fled, Smith hid in a closet scared; however, Smith's friend, 16 year old A'Donte Washington, was shot and killed by an officer. The surviving teens were taken into custody and charged with the murder of A'Donte Washington. How did an unarmed 15 year old get charged with the murder of his friend shot by police? Join us as we explore the accomplice law and the felony murder rule used against these boys who are now in prison for the majority of their lives. Hear from Lakeith's mother and the team behind the fight for justice and learn how you can help! 

Sources:

• https://www.change.org/p/united-states-supreme-court-justice-for-lakeith-smith

In the early hours of April 15, 2011, Dawonye Taylor was murdered in Oakland, California over a stolen iPod. The murderer then got back into a car with 3 other people and took off. Occupants in the car gave the police a description of the murderer and referred to him as "C". Weeks later, Pierre Rushing, an aspiring rapper who went by the nickname "Stank", would find himself arrested and charged with murder, even though he did not fit the description and had an alibi. Now he is fighting for his life claiming he was wrongfully convicted. Join us as we explore the lack of evidence that led to Pierre's conviction and examine the evidence that can prove his innocence. Hear from Pierre himself in an interview from prison and learn how you can help his case. #JusticeForPierre 

Sources:

• https://www.change.org/p/department-of-justice-justice-for-pierre-rushing-wrongfully-convicted?original_footer_petition_id=26358297&algorithm=promoted&source_location=petition_footer&grid_position=15&pt=AVBldGl0aW9uAPafKQEAAAAAX%2BDrnjTrufdmZGJiY2U4OQ%3D%3D

Sources:

• cnn.com/2021/05/18/us/north-carolina-wrongful-conviction-compensation/index.html

• http://www.cdpl.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/06/SAVED-FROM-EXECUTION-web-final1.pdf  

• https://goodblacknews.org/tag/sabrina-buie/

• https://www.fayobserver.com/article/20140904/news/309049641 

Meet the attorney who has defied the odds after experiencing his own wrongful conviction, and is now dedicating his life to helping other innocent people. Join us for a special interview with Jarret Adams, an exoneree turned attorney. Mr. Adams is the driving force behind the Not Guilty Serving Life campaign to free Terrance Richardson and Ferrone Claiborne, two men wrongfully convicted of murder. This is a follow up to episode 30 of our podcast, make sure to listen to it to learn more details about Richardson and Claiborne's case along with Adams' own wrongful conviction. You won't want to miss this motivational and impactful interview. 

To learn more visit:

https://www.notguiltyservinglife.org

https://www.lifeafterjustice.org 

http://jarrettadamslaw.com

In 2019, Ronald Greene's family was told that Greene died after crashing his car into a tree during a high speed chase after troopers attempted to pull him over for an unspecified traffic violation. A short report submitted by the Louisiana state troopers described force being used during the encounter, but that Greene succumbed to injuries he received during the car crash. It wouldn't be until almost 2 years later when footage was leaked to the media that would show a different story. Join us as we examine the case and the footage and uncover how the Louisiana state troopers created a cover up on a police brutality case. 

Sources:

• https://www.jstor.org/stable/26476405?seq=1

The murder of Charlie Keever and Jonathan Sellers took place on March 27, 1993 in San Diego County, California. The rape and murders were solved via DNA match eight years after their deaths. Join us in this minisode to find out how a serial killer fell through the cracks of the criminal justice system leading to the deaths of the two boys.

People of Asian descent have been living in the United States for more than 160 years and have since been a target of bigotry. To understand the surge in Asian American hate we need to look at the violence and racism Asian immigrants and Asian Americans have faced since the Civil War.  Join us as we look at the historical events that have been at the core of anti-Asian sentiment in the United States.

Sources

• https://www.washingtonpost.com/history/2021/03/18/history-anti-asian-violence-racism/

In 2014, Wilcox High School in Georgia, made history when they held their first official integrated prom. Prior to this, proms and other school events were segregated with separate white and black proms. And the sad news is, this is not the only school committing this racist injustice. Join us for a minisode as we explore how some counties in the south have been getting away with segregation within their communities and schools in modern day times. 

Sources:

• https://eji.org 

On the heels of the shooting of Daunte Wright in Minneapolis, we decided to examine the issue of fatal mistakes made by officers who have used their gun on a suspect when they claim to have meant to use their taser. Join us as we explore three separate cases that have led to death due to this taser confusion. These are the stories of Daunte Wright, Oscar Grant, and Eric Harris, 3 unarmed men mistakenly shot by police. Learn what criminologists have said about these cases and the issues surrounding taser confusion.

Sources:

• https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Killing_of_Daunte_Wright