Melissa "Missy" O’Connell Appointed JudgeOn January 8, 2024, Melissa “Missy” O’Connell was sworn in as a judge in Contra Costa County Superior Court after having been appointed by Gov. Gavin Newsom on Dec. 7, 2023. O’Connell joined the Northern California Innocence Project (NCIP) in 2010 and most recently served as Interim Co-Legal Director, and previously as Staff Attorney and Policy Liaison. Read more about Missy's appointment here. Maurice Caldwell & Joaquin Ciria Participate in Panel Discussion with Golden State Warriors StaffOn January 16, the Golden State Warriors hosted a Martin Luther King, Jr. program featuring NCIP clients and staff. The one-hour panel discussion was moderated by Warriors Vice President and Team Counsel Onsi Saleh, and included NCIP Clients Joaquin Ciria and Maurice Caldwell, along with Legal Director Paige Kaneb. We were honored to participate in this meaningful dialogue on the intersection of Martin Luther King, Jr.’s legacy and the pursuit of justice as it relates to NCIP's mission to exonerate, educate, and reform. EXONERATENCIP Team Concludes Evidentiary HearingNCIP Legal Director Paige Kaneb (center) and Staff Attorney Lauryn Barbosa Findley (second from right) with members of NCIP client Jason Moore's family. From February 5-9, 2024, the Riverside County Superior Court held an evidentiary hearing in the case of NCIP client Jason Moore. Jason has been in custody since 2010 after his infant daughter tragically died from internal head injuries from an accidental fall off the bed. Despite all lay witnesses agreeing that Jason was an exemplary father who would never have intentionally harmed his precious baby, he was wrongfully convicted based on expert testimony that his daughter's head injuries could not have been caused by an accidental short distance fall. Three prosecution experts told the jury her injuries were only seen in child abuse, falls of multiple stories, and car crashes. At the evidentiary hearing last week, two of the same prosecution experts and a new expert retained by NCIP told the court they would no longer testify that way today. All three agreed that the baby's injuries have now been seen with verified accidental falls from similar and even lower distances. The court took the case under submission to write an order that the judge expects to issue by the end of March. We are hopeful that Jason will soon be home with his family. EDUCATENCIP Welcomes New Justice John Paul Stevens FellowMichelle Taikeff, NCIP's Summer 2024 Stevens Fellow, is a rising 3L at Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. NCIP is excited to welcome Michelle Taikeff as this year's Stevens Fellow. Michelle is currently an intern with ArchCity Defenders in the Municipal and Criminal Defense Unit. She is also the Community Engagement Coordinator for the Native American Law Student Association and a member of the Women’s Law Caucus. Her passion for public interest began at the San Jose State University Record Clearance Project, where her she helped those seeking expungements and also assisted the formerly incarcerated in their reintegration into society. The Justice John Paul Stevens Public Interest Fellowship Program provides grants for law students to work in public interest summer law positions. This is NCIP's third year hosting a Stevens Fellow. Two NCIP Students Win Thurgood Marshall ScholarshipMahlieli Bothi and Molly Karasick, both 3L Santa Clara Law students participating in the NCIP clinic this school year, were recently awarded Santa Clara Law's Thurgood Marshall Scholarship. The scholarship is given every year to upper-division students who have demonstrated a commitment to equality, inclusion, and social justice; have a record of community service with a commitment to eliminating racial, social, and economic disadvantage in under-served communities; and intend to pursue a legal career that advances equality and social justice. Santa Clara Law students Mahlieli Bothi (left) and Molly Karasick (right) pictured with NCIP Co-founder Linda Starr at Santa Clara Law's annual Diversity and Inclusion Celebration. REFORMMeet Jasmin Harris: CIC's Policy RepresentativeFour Innocence Network member organizations in the state of California -- NCIP, the Loyola Project for the Innocent, the Los Angeles Innocence Project, and The Innocence Center -- work collaboratively on policy reform as the California Innocence Coalition (CIC). CIC's three-part mission is to craft and pass legislation to prevent wrongful convictions from occurring, create avenues of relief for those wrongfully incarcerated, and empower exonerated people once they come home. Since 2016, CIC has been successful in passing over a dozen laws. Starting this legislative cycle, Jasmin Harris will serve as the policy representative for all CIC-member organizations. Learn more about Jasmin by reading her profile below. Jasmin is the Director of Policy and Development at The Innocence Center. Starting this legislative cycle, she will also serve as the policy representative for the California Innocence Coalition. Jasmin began her work in the innocence movement after her brother was incarcerated for participating in a peaceful protest. She began as a volunteer at the California Innocence Project (CIP) while she was a managing partner of several restaurants in San Diego. She learned the work by immersing herself in it: answering calls from incarcerated people claiming innocence, visiting incarcerated people, and helping in any way she could. Eventually, she was hired as a staff member and quickly found her passion to be working with lawmakers and other stakeholders to effectuate change around innocence issues at the California Legislature. After nine years at CIP, Jasmin recently began working at The Innocence Center as their Director of Policy and Development. Jasmin's work in coalition has resulted in the passage of 11 groundbreaking laws dedicated to preventing wrongful convictions, guiding the path for the wrongfully incarcerated to reclaim their freedom, and facilitating their successful reintegration into society. Beyond her legislative achievements, Jasmin is a fervent champion for exonerated individuals, securing vital resources such as housing, fair compensation, educational opportunities, mental health support, and more. UPCOMING EVENTSJoin us on March 1, 2024 for Santa Clara Law's Racial Justice Symposium, co-hosted by the Santa Clara Law Review, Center for Social Justice and Public Service, Heafey Center for Advocacy, and NCIP. The symposium is free to attend and MCLE credits will be provided. The event is free, though space is limited and registration is required. More information, including an at-a-glance schedule and a link to register, is available here. |