On April 28th, 46-year-old Frank Sterling became a free man after spending 18 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Sterling was cleared of a 1988 murder after another man confessed to the killing. Sterling said he confessed to the murder because of sleep deprivation and coercion. He fought for years to get evidence at the scene tested for DNA, which eventually led to the man who confessed. Sterling said walking out of jail was like heaven.
The injustice suffered by Frank Sterling is not an exception – he is the 253rd person exonerated through DNA evidence and according to the Innocence Project, he will not be the last. The Innocence Project is a non-profit legal clinic dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted people through DNA testing. The first DNA exoneration in the U.S. was in 1989.
Each individual exonerated through DNA is unique. Their convictions were different, and their experiences after exoneration vary. The Innocence Project says collectively, they illustrate the criminal justice system’s failings and the need for reform.
On Your Call, we’ll speak with three men who collectively spent almost 55 years behind bars. They were released because of DNA evidence. What does society owe these men? Compensation is crucial, but beyond that, where’s the justice and accountability? What will it take to reform the system?
Press play to listen to “Your Call” with Rose Aguilar:
Press play to listen to “Your Call” with Rose Aguilar:
Guests:
- Seth Miller, executive director of the Innocence Project of Florida
- James Bain was released from prison in December 2009 after serving 35 years for a crime he didn’t commit
- Rick Walker was released from prison in 2003 after serving 12 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit
- Kirk Bloodsworth was released from prison in 1993 after serving almost nine years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit. He spent two years on death row
Your Call is daily call-in show on KALW 91.7 FM in San Francisco and 88.9 FM in Santa Cruz.
Help us Prepare for Trump’s Day One
Trump is busy getting ready for Day One of his presidency – but so is Truthout.
Trump has made it no secret that he is planning a demolition-style attack on both specific communities and democracy as a whole, beginning on his first day in office. With over 25 executive orders and directives queued up for January 20, he’s promised to “launch the largest deportation program in American history,” roll back anti-discrimination protections for transgender students, and implement a “drill, drill, drill” approach to ramp up oil and gas extraction.
Organizations like Truthout are also being threatened by legislation like HR 9495, the “nonprofit killer bill” that would allow the Treasury Secretary to declare any nonprofit a “terrorist-supporting organization” and strip its tax-exempt status without due process. Progressive media like Truthout that has courageously focused on reporting on Israel’s genocide in Gaza are in the bill’s crosshairs.
As journalists, we have a responsibility to look at hard realities and communicate them to you. We hope that you, like us, can use this information to prepare for what’s to come.
And if you feel uncertain about what to do in the face of a second Trump administration, we invite you to be an indispensable part of Truthout’s preparations.
In addition to covering the widespread onslaught of draconian policy, we’re shoring up our resources for what might come next for progressive media: bad-faith lawsuits from far-right ghouls, legislation that seeks to strip us of our ability to receive tax-deductible donations, and further throttling of our reach on social media platforms owned by Trump’s sycophants.
We’re preparing right now for Trump’s Day One: building a brave coalition of movement media; reaching out to the activists, academics, and thinkers we trust to shine a light on the inner workings of authoritarianism; and planning to use journalism as a tool to equip movements to protect the people, lands, and principles most vulnerable to Trump’s destruction.
We urgently need your help to prepare. As you know, our December fundraiser is our most important of the year and will determine the scale of work we’ll be able to do in 2025. We’ve set two goals: to raise $110,000 in one-time donations and to add 1350 new monthly donors by midnight on December 31.
Today, we’re asking all of our readers to start a monthly donation or make a one-time donation – as a commitment to stand with us on day one of Trump’s presidency, and every day after that, as we produce journalism that combats authoritarianism, censorship, injustice, and misinformation. You’re an essential part of our future – please join the movement by making a tax-deductible donation today.
If you have the means to make a substantial gift, please dig deep during this critical time!
With gratitude and resolve,
Maya, Negin, Saima, and Ziggy