Image Source: Skip Sterling
Letter from the Executive Director
Dear NCIP Supporter,
My first two months as executive director have been a whirlwind. In that time, we have celebrated the exonerations of Ed Easley and Domingo Bustos, the signing of two bills that provide support for exonerees post release, the hiring of NCIP's first External Relations Director, Lori Stone Reinauer, and the welcoming of a new class of future lawyers to our clinical program. I also had the amazing opportunity to be a featured presenter at Programa Congreso Internacional in Chile, where I got to speak about NCIP's work. I was humbled and excited to share our work with an international audience of 250 people including elected and appointed officials, police, prosecutors, defense attorneys, public defenders, and law students.
As we move into the holiday season, our staff and students feel a sense of renewed energy. We find it particularly encouraging that the Easley and Bustos cases featured in this newsletter were resolved collaboratively through agreement with district attorneys' offices. We know from experience that the accuracy of the criminal justice system is improved when we work together in the interest of justice. We also have a number of other cases moving toward a resolution, many of which have been with our office for far too long.
Freeing an innocent person shouldn’t be this hard or take this long. That's why we pursue systemic reforms as fiercely as we pursue our cases--to get innocent clients home to their families as quickly as possible, and to help deal with the devastating consequences of wrongful conviction.
NCIP remains a creative and resourceful organization that fights for its clients, even in the toughest of circumstances. On this Thanksgiving, we are especially grateful for supporters like you who make this important work possible.
Sincerely,
Ed Easley's Name Cleared After 24 Years
NCIP client Ed Easley was exonerated on August 31, after having been wrongfully convicted of child molestation 24 years earlier. Ed’s victory comes after years of legal work and policy reform efforts, patience and persistence.
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NCIP Wins Freedom for Domingo Anaya Bustos
Wrongfully convicted of a murder in 1997, Domingo Anaya Bustos was ordered freed from prison on October 16 after spending over 21 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Upon his release, Domingo will go back to Mexico to spend time with his family.
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Linda Starr
Executive Director
NCIP News
Legal Update: Meet the Faces Behind Our Files
Since our last newsletter, NCIP has made significant progress on a number of active cases. We remain hopeful that one or more of our currently incarcerated clients will be home for the holidays.
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Lori Stone Reinauer Joins NCIP Team as External Relations Director
Please join NCIP in welcoming Lori Stone Reinauer. As External Relations Director, Lori will implement development strategies to achieve NCIP's fundraising goals and to enhance and expand strategic communications.
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Governor Brown Signs Bills Which Provide Much Needed Support for Exonerees
Last month, NCIP celebrated legislative victories that provide an increased number of exonerees with re-entry services, and exempt exonerees from paying state taxes on compensation received from the State of California for their wrongful incarceration.
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NCIP Releases FY 2016-2017 Annual Report
Last fiscal year was filled with advancements on both the legal and policy fronts, which have set the stage for a successful 2017-2018. Learn about our efforts on behalf of the wrongfully convicted.
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NCIP Welcomes New Class of Future Lawyers
In August, NCIP welcomed 15 Santa Clara Law students into our year-long clinical program. Over the next year, this group will have the unique experience of working closely with the NCIP legal team on real innocence cases.
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Featured Stories
Maurice Caldwell: The Wait for Compensation Continues
On October 19, NCIP exoneree Maurice Caldwell’s fight for compensation continued at the California Victim Compensation Board’s October board meeting. Maurice was exonerated in 2011 for a murder he did not commit after spending more than 20 years in prison. More>>
Perspectives: Search for Truth, Search for Justice
NCIP Database Administrator Rhonda Dyer has been looking for missing pieces of evidence for the last 30 years. She explains how her work with NCIP has informed her work with Search and Rescue. More>>
NCIP Co-Sponsors Cutting-Edge DNA Training
This past summer and fall, NCIP partnered with the Scientific Collaboration, Innovation & Education Group (SCIEG) to present an innovative training: Interpreting Mixtures: Probabilistic Genotyping for Attorneys. More>>
On the Calendar
NCIP In the Media
• Wrongly accused: Team from Santa Clara University’s ‘Innocence Project’ clear man’s name in the San Jose Mercury News featured NCIP Executive Director Linda Starr and NCIP Supervising Attorney Paige Kaneb
• Legal path eased to overturn bad convictions in the San Francisco Chronicle featured NCIP Executive Director Linda Starr
• He Spent 21 Years Locked Up for a Murder He Says He Didn't Commit. Soon, He'll Be Free in the Modesto Bee featured NCIP Supervising Attorney Paige Kaneb
• Innocence Inviolate: The Menace of the Years on the podcast GravityFM featured NCIP Executive Director Linda Starr and NCIP Associate Director Todd Fries
• Wrongfully convicted man denied compensation in the Daily Journal featured NCIP Executive Director Linda Starr (Link unavailable--Daily Journal subscription required)
