8th Annual Stand for Innocence

Sponsors

Washington Innocence Project thanks the following generous donors who made additional gifts and in-kind contributions to support this event and our organization.

Exonerator

• Microsoft Corporation Justice Reform Initiative

Gold Table Sponsors

• Greg & Vale Gorder
• Vitalogy Foundation
• Loevy & Loevy
• Jackie McMurtrie
• Bill Gales
• Lara Zarowsky

Special Supporters

• Emerald City Flowers
• AniChe Cellars
• Raveena Brewing Company
• Ronn CM Creative
• Daltonic Films

2022 Champion of Justice

Professor Jackie McMurtrie

Jacqueline McMurtrie founded the Washington Innocence Project (formerly Innocence Project Northwest) —the nation’s third innocence organization — in 1997 as a program of the University of Washington School of Law. She oversaw the organization’s growth from a volunteer effort to a robust clinical law program until its establishment as an independent nonprofit in 2019. Jackie was lead or co-counsel in many of Washington Innocence Project’s 15 exonerations and remains an integral resource in her capacity Of Counsel.

Jackie’s deep influence within the innocence movement extends far beyond Washington State. More than two decades ago, Jackie gathered in with representatives from nine other innocence organizations to begin the collaboration that would eventually become the Innocence Network. Jackie served as a founding member from its inception in 2005 until 2019. Today, the Innocence Network is a global affiliation of 69 independently run and funded organizations dedicated to advocating for the actually innocent and redressing the factors contributing to wrongful convictions.

Jackie’s legacy of service and her heartfelt, client-centered practice of law continue to influence the generations of lawyers who are fortunate enough to have been her students.

Jackie’s dedication has been recognized by:

• The Washington Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
• The Washington Defender Association
• Washington Women Lawyers
• UW Outstanding Public Service Award (2012)
• WA-ACLU’s William O. Douglas Award (2013)
• UW Faculty Lecturer Award (2019)

Freed and Exonerated Family Panel

Facilitated by Board Member David Owens

Donovan Allen

Donovan Allen was exonerated in 2015 after serving 15 years following his wrongful conviction for his mother’s murder. Donovan, who had a history of emotional and learning disabilities, was taken to the police station where he was interrogated for five hours. He insisted he was innocent and, after agreeing to undergo a “computer voice stress analysis,” was allowed to leave. Donovan was again interrogated for nearly nine hours overnight. Still insisting he was innocent, he began to wonder out loud whether he “probably” had blacked out and killed his mother given that law enforcement was so certain that he had committed the crime. Donovan’s “confession” contained numerous and significant inconsistencies with the physical evidence from the scene. Years later, testing would reveal the DNA of the actual perpetrator and the results demonstrated that Donovan’s “confession,” as well as statements given by those who received benefits to testify against him, were false.

Ted Bradford

Ted Bradford spent almost 10 years in prison in the State of Washington for a rape he didn’t commit—and another four years awaiting a new trial—before he was retried and acquitted based on DNA evidence of his innocence in 2010. In 2012 Ted joined the Exoneree Band, a national touring group made up of men who each won their freedom years after being convicted of crimes they did not commit. The Exoneree Band gives people a unique perspective of the wrongful conviction story and hopes to inspire justice, healing and redemption through their music.

Amanda Knox

Amanda Knox is an exoneree, journalist, public speaker, and author of the New York Times best-selling memoir “Waiting to Be Heard”. Along with her husband, the novelist Christopher Robinson, she hosts the podcast “Labyrinths”. Between 2007 and 2015, she spent nearly four years in an Italian prison and eight years on trial for a murder she didn’t commit. The controversy over Amanda’s case made international headlines for nearly a decade and thrust her into the spotlight where she was vilified and shamed, a story told in the 2016 Emmy-nominated Netflix documentary about her wrongful conviction. Amanda now works to inspire others and shed light on the issues of wrongful conviction, criminal justice reform, truth seeking, and public shaming.

Ha’im Sharif

Ha’im Sharif spent 29 years wrongfully incarcerated on death row in Nevada. Ha’im was convicted of abusing and killing a young child based on faulty forensic evidence and coerced false eyewitness testimony. After investigation and evidence revealed that the child likely died from disease not homicide and a key witness recanted, Ha’im accepted a deal to time served and walked off death row in Ely, NV in June 2017. He lives in Longview, WA.

Event Schedule

6:00 | Registration

7:00 | Dinner

7:10 | Opening Remarks

Lara Zarowsky, Executive Director

7:30 | Program Begins

EMCEE David Owens, Board Member

7:45 | WashIP SFI 2022 Short Film

By Daltonic Films

7:50 | Champion Of Justice

Jackie McMurtrie, Introduction by Jeff Robinson

8:00 | Freed and Exonerated Family Panel

See details below

8:45 | Raise the paddle

EMCEE David Owens