If Emmett Was Alive Today Podcast

Tracie Brown is a former Houston Police officer. I observed a white female police officer choke and beat a black female in the head with a flashlight. I was the only officer willing to testify against the police department. Because I wouldn’t change my story I was retaliated against by some in the police department. I was threatened by the district attorney's office and the city attorney. I was falsely accused of theft and attempted theft. I was wrongly convicted and was given 15 years for theft and 16 years for attempted theft. I was also given a 460 thousand bond, served with a no-knock warrant, and experienced prosecutorial misconduct. I served 4 years before being paroled in 2014. I am a former organizer for Pure Justice. My current purpose is founder of the nonprofit organization From Badge To Bars To Purpose.

In 1997, Christopher Scott was wrongfully convicted of capital murder as a result of faulty eyewitness identification. Scott was exonerated in 2009, based on another man’s detailed confession – the first non-DNA case. After his release, Scott founded the House of Renewed Hope, a non-profit organization whose goal is to investigate individuals claiming actual innocence.

In 1991, Maria Shepherd was 21 years of age when she was charged in connection with her stepdaughter’s death. On the strength of the evidence of former and disgraced pathologist,

Charles Smith, Maria, in desperation to save her family, entered a false guilty plea in 1992 and was wrongly convicted of manslaughter.

It would take 25 years for Maria to clear her name. On February 29, 2016, the late Honorable Justice Marc Rosenberg would overturn her conviction. Later that year, Maria would successfully be licensed by the Law Society of Ontario as a Paralegal. Maria went on to open her paralegal firm, Shepherd Advocacy & Litigation.

In 2018, Maria became a Co-Director on the Board of Innocence Canada, formerly the Association In Defense of the Wrongly Convicted (the same organization that provided support to Maria, with James Lockyer as her lead Appellate Counsel).

Today, Maria continues to be a staunch advocate against wrongful convictions and sheds light on its devastating domino effects. As part of Maria’s work, she advocates for a more in-depth plea inquiry process and for a much more careful approach to qualifying “experts” and acceptance of their evidence.

Maria has spoken at events in both Canada and the United States.

Anna Vasquez was one of the four women who are known as the San San Antonio 4 and Anna fought for her innocence for 9 years. Anna Vasquez is the director of Outreach and education for the Innocence Project of Texas. Miss Vasquez took on the role after serving nearly 13 years for a crime that never occurred.

I would like to welcome you to our Wrongful Conviction Day Virtual Event Series.  I am super excited to be part of the International Wrongful Conviction Day Committee big shout out to all my new family in Canada and whoever is in the U.S.

I would like to thank the committee for supporting this event and allowing me to highlight some amazing and courageous people who were wrongfully convicted.

Since 1989, over 3,320 wrongful convictions have been revealed across the nation. This issue doesn’t just impact those who’ve been wrongly incarcerated — but their loved ones and communities as well. 

In San Antonio, Texas, Anna Vasquez and her three friends were accused of a brutal crime. Because they had all come out as lesbians, they were wrongfully convicted for the assault of two young girls. The women are now known as the San Antonio Four, and Anna fought for her innocence for 22 years.

Anna Vasquez is the Director of Outreach and Education for the Innocence Project of Texas. Ms. Vasquez took on that role after serving a nearly 13-year prison sentence for a crime that never occurred. Ms. Vasquez and three of her friends, who became known as the San Antonio Four, were convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child in a case that dates back to 1994 when Ms. Vasquez was 19. Ms. Vasquez and her friends spent 24 years fighting for their innocence. In 2016, the court of criminal appeals deemed all four innocent. Ms. Vasquez is now dedicated to sharing her experience in the hopes of improving the justice system and preventing similar occurrences.

Ms. Vasquez currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Houston Forensic Science Center, the Innocence Network Executive Board, and the San Antonio Crime Coalition.

Having a conversation with the grandson of one of the jurors in the trial of the two men who murdered Emmett Till.

Dwight Vick grew up in a small Mississippi town, Coffeeville, and moved to Tempe, Arizona to start a new life.  Earning his Ph.D. from Arizona State University, he teaches courses at Texas A&M International University and Excelsior College.  He published three books on substance abuse policy in America, community panel drug courts, and tenure in higher education.  He is a regular contributor to PA Times

Russell Little is an attorney in Houston, Texas. He has practiced trial law for 36 years. He is licensed to practice in Texas in both state and federal court. He has tried over 200 cases both to a jury and the bench.

Russell’s first published book was Murder For Me, a murder mystery, in 2016. It was a Best Seller on Amazon when it was launched.

Russell also writes children’s books with his wife of 37 years, Melinda. They were inspired to write the stories about their 3-year-old granddaughter, Vivienne.

They live in Houston, Texas, and have three children, Katie, Will, and David, and a son-in-law, Patrick.

Founder and Executive Director for the Utah Justice Coalition. Darcy first took a Criminology course her Freshman year at Utah State University in Logan, UT where she found her love and passion for reform work. Darcy then headed after her freshman year to Virginia where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. It was at George Mason University where she first toured a local prison and also became better educated about the death penalty. Darcy changed her position to support repealing the death penalty in college understanding how broken the system is, how costly the process is and ultimately had the change of heart realizing that government and society had no place putting people to death. Darcy interned in the juvenile justice system working with a shelter for at-risk teens in northern Virginia, working to make a difference in their lives. Darcy moved her family to Utah and became active in Utah politics in 2009 as a citizen lobbyist in support of fiscal accountability and transparency. She co-founded the Utah Tea Party movement organizing citizens to unite and take action in their local communities. She organized campaigns to assist citizens to become County and State Delegates, elect fiscally responsible representatives as well as pass constitutional and State Powers legislation. Over the years, she has supported common sense reforms to the criminal justice system and opposed legislation which violates civil rights and due process. She has worked as a family rights champion, working to assist families affected by CPS and the court system over years. Darcy has working tirelessly at keeping families together. Darcy has utilized her staffing and HR professional background to help citizens find jobs post prison. She has forged partnership with like-minded organizations to promote a holistic approach to reentry from prison including faith based programs and corporate partnerships.

This is a special edition with some of the ladies from The Jack Family.  Jenna Jack the wife of Brian Jack, Brianna the daughter of Jenna and Brian, Nisha the wife of Eugene Jack, and Alexandria the daughter of Lionel and Daphine Jack!  

Jeanette Jones originally from Louisiana. She moved to Houston in 1992. Some months later she met her husband Min. Robert Jones.  They were married for 18 years and were blessed with 4 children. Her husband passed in 2014.  She was left to finishing raising her four children.  Jeanette experience another devastation with her son going to prison.  She talks about how she dealt with it and talked about plea bargaining within the criminal justice system.

Lone Star College-University Park, criminal justice professor Jermaine Johnson, Ph.D., has proven that despite hardships and setbacks, personal growth and professional fulfillment are not just possible, but probable. Johnson’s journey growing up in New Orleans, Louisiana, has taken him from gridiron star to law enforcement professional, to college professor, to dedicated mentor.

Andy Kahan joined Crime Stoppers of Houston in June 2018 as its first-ever Director of Victim Services and Advocacy.

Prior to Crime Stoppers, Andy served as the Victim Advocate for the Mayor’s Office and Houston Police Department for 26 years before retiring and joining Crime-Stoppers of Houston to resume his career as a Victim Advocate. Andy Kahan received his Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice in 1983 from the University of Houston. He worked as both a Parole and Probation Officer before becoming the first victim advocate in the country to work in a Mayor’s Office. His responsibilities included working with local crime victim’s rights organizations to facilitate the pooling of resources and the exchange of information, accompanying and representing victims before the Parole Board, putting crime victims in touch with local crime victims' support and advocacy groups, and court accompaniment.

Anthony Graves, U.S. Death Row Exoneree #138, spent 18 ½ years behind bars, 16 of these years in solitary confinement and 12 years of my sentence on death row.

Alexandria Jack, owner of Alex & Co. communication, tells her story of success and how the title, “If Emmett was Alive Today” Podcast came to be.

Joshua Stockton was wrongfully convicted served his time and was released!  Later in life he committed a crime and was convicted.  He was released on parole and he is suffering the consequences for his wrongful conviction crime!  Is this fair? Listen to Joshua story.

Dr. Hank Byrd is the founder of Churches With A Mission. (CWAM).  CWAM is ministry has partnered with other churches to help raise the bar of discipleship.  It also is a support group for the formerly incarcerated men and women who wants to make a change.