Anthony Ray Hinton Released After Almost 30 Years On Death Row
After almost 30 years on death row, Anthony Ray Hinton was released from prison today after the prosecution dropped the charges. Family and friends sobbed and rushed to hug Anthony Ray Hinton as he walked out of the jail in downtown Birmingham free man. Hinton been imprisoned since he was convicted of murdering two men in 1985.
At 58, he has spent the majority of his life awaiting death in a 5 by 8 cell.
“They just didn’t take me from my family and friends,” Hinton told the crowd assembled for his release. “They had every intention of executing me for something I didn’t do.”
Last year, the U.S. Supreme Court granted Hinton a new trial. And new ballistic testing showed the bullets at the crime scene didn’t match bullets found in Hinton’s house. This week prosecutors decided not to retry the case.
Hinton says he has always prayed for the families of the victims who have also been denied justice.
“His case, in my judgment, is a case study in what’s wrong with our system,” said Bryan Stevenson, executive director of the Equal Justice Initiative. “He was convicted because he’s poor. We have a system that treats you better if you are rich and guilty than if you are poor and innocent and his case proves it. We have a system that is compromised by racial bias and his case proves it.” EJI represented Hinton.
Outside the jail, Hinton’s sister, Elizabeth Hinton, says their mother always maintained he was innocent and prayed he would be released. And though she’s not alive to see it, she was right.
After decisive loss at Alabama Mercedes plants, powerful auto union vows to return and win
Newly elected UAW President Shawn Fain said the union will return to Mercedes and will press on with efforts to organize about 150,000 workers at more than a dozen auto factories across the nation.
Gulf South states among U.S. leaders for juvenile life without parole sentences, study shows
A youth sentencing study shows Alabama and Mississippi are among just four states that top the nation in new juvenile life without parole sentences since 2012.
Workers at Alabama’s Mercedes plants vote against joining a union
The workers voted 56% against the union, according to tallies released by the National Labor Relations Board, which ran the election.
Taylor Hunnicutt is championing her home state with debut album ‘Alabama Sound’
Alabama offers a diverse symphony of swampy rock, swaggering blues, murky country, and bone-rattling soul. It’s a sound singer-songwriter Taylor Hunnicutt recently reimagined on her debut album, Alabama Sound, which is out now.
UAB building among Alabama’s first to feature ‘bird safe’ glass
Advocates hope the new glass will prevent window collisions, a leading causes of bird mortality.
Researchers look into community health impact of wood pellet production in rural Mississippi
Brown University and Tougaloo College students are testing for potential air and noise pollution near the Drax wood pellet plant in Gloster, Mississippi.
