Pennsylvania Innocence Project 3rd Anniversary Party – Helix Dancing
Pennsylvania Innocence Project’s (PIP) 3rd Anniversary Celebration was celebrated with a cocktail reception last week at the Power Plant in Old City.
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| The innocence movement and the Pennsylvania Project have enjoyed a busy, productive year; they have exonerated or have been awarded reduced sentences for over 290 wrongly convicted people based on the advance development of DNA science. |
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| James Giles, Samantha Southal, Denis Lawler and Howard Scher; The Project works to exonerate those convicted of crimes they did not commit and to prevent innocent people from being convicted. Based at Temple University’s Law School, the Project is working with a small dedicated staff as well as partnering with several prestigious law firms in Pennsylvania; they do not limit themselves to cases in which biological evidence exists for DNA testing, but they also look at cases in which questionable forensic evidence or other investigatory issues are identified |
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| Chermei Wong, Chris Hanson, Mary Creamer and Dan Berman |
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| Joseph Nullmeyer, Ryan Hancock, Jen Sperling, Mike Lee and Jennifer Tobi; PIP is a Pennsylvania non-profit corporation under Section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code. Law students from Temple University Beasley School of Law, Villanova Law School, Earle Mack School of Law at Drexel University, and the University of Pennsylvania, earn credit while working for the Project investigating applicants’ cases. |
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| If the facts that are uncovered through investigation reveal new facts that support an innocence claim, the next step is to prepare a petition for a new trial; most often, this is in Pennsylvania state court using the Post-Conviction Relief Act (PCRA). Generally, law students will write the first draft, with either the legal director or the staff attorney working with them to perfect the filing. Before we file the PCRA petition in court, we invite a firm to co-counsel with us, pro bono. If co-counsel has particular concerns or suggestions for the petition before it is filed, then we all work together to have the petition in perfect order before filing in court. Once the PCRA petition is filed, Project lawyers and pro bono counsel share in the work and responsibility of moving the case forward as quickly as possible, including meeting with prosecutors to discuss the merits of the case and a possible disposition. |
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| Doubles Helix was a special aerialist performance by AirPlay Entertainment |
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| At the event they honored Pepper Hamilton LLP (Pepper Executive Partner receiving it is Bob Heideck) with the “Hero of Justice Award” which was presented by Richard Glazer, Esq. Executive Director of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project, |
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| Lacey Soslow, Rob Whitmore and Jen Sperling |
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| Theresa and Jim Figorski , Dechert LLP |
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| Another “Hero of Justice Award” given was given to John Thompson (r), who was saved from execution at the hands of the state of Louisiana by Morgan Lewis& Bockius lawyers J. Gordon Cooney (L) and Michael Banks (who wasn’t present), who represented him for 23 years. Check out the The Pennsylvania Innocence Project. Thanks to event sponsors: Pepper |
