Reflections - Texas Wesleyan School of Law - Texas Wesleyan ...

Photo by Abby E. Dozier
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19th exoneree sees hope in
future of legal system
Following nearly 26 years in prison for a
crime he did not commit, Johnnie Lindsey
wants to be sure that the lawyers of
tomorrow know that they hold the fate of
many in their hands.
Lindsey, who is the 19th person to be
exonerated in Dallas County, was the
guest of honor at the Wesleyan Innocence
Project’s exoneree luncheon on Tuesday,
Feb. 3. The event was held in the law
school’s Bernie Schuchmann Conference
Center and was attended by more than 50
students, staff and faculty members.
Lindsey was charged with and convicted
of aggravated sexual assault at the age of
30. He then spent the next 25 years and 11
months of his life in prison. By choosing
to maintain his innocence, Lindsey was
never eligible for parole. He repeatedly
filed motions requesting to have his
case reviewed, and all but the last went
unanswered.
Exoneree Johnnie Lindsey speaks to students at the Wesleyan
Innocence Project’s exoneree luncheon. Lindsey said he
enjoys the opportunity to speak with law students and legal
professionals to remind them of the great responsibility
they carry.
campus
notes of interest about campus events
“I filed six motions to Dallas County for
[blood] testing,” Lindsey said. “I would
wait two years for a response. [The letters]
were never answered. I wrote my last
motion, my seventh, and finally a judge
appointed [an attorney] to my case.”
Lindsey was exonerated in September
2008, and just five months out of prison,
he spoke openly about his experience, with
little display of anger or resentment. When
asked about his view of the legal system
that put him in jail for another man’s
crime, Lindsey said he thinks the system
is fundamentally broken, though he has
developed a more positive outlook in recent
years. He credits “new blood” in the Dallas
County district attorney’s office, and said
that the younger people entering the legal
system have “better and brighter” ideas
than their predecessors.
Speaking to law students and other
members of the legal profession is
important to Lindsey, because he wants
them to be aware of the power they have.
“Don’t spend all of your time learning the
law and then become lawless,” Lindsey
told students. “The people I had to deal
with had no regard for the law. You hold
the future of a lot of people in your hands. I
can’t stress enough that it is up to you. You
are the future of the law.”
Symposium considers
alternatives to courtroom
The latest legal drama series or novel might
have you believe the courtroom is the only
place to hash out legal battles, but the other
– albeit less dramatic – option of settling
out of court, through alternative dispute
resolution, was the topic of choice at Texas
Wesleyan’s spring law review symposium.
On Friday, Feb. 13, the Texas Wesleyan
Law Review hosted a symposium on the
topic of alternative dispute resolution.
Ten speakers presented papers on subjects
ranging from arbitration advocacy to
mediation in domestic violence situations.
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An ethics panel focusing on ethical dilemmas
faced by mediators and arbitrators concluded
the day.
Presenters included Dallas attorney Harriet
Miers and Sharon Press, then director of
the Florida Dispute Resolution Center.
Miers, former White House counsel for
President George W. Bush, presented “The
Importance of Teaching Problem-Solving
in Law School.” She said that law schools
can improve the reputation of the legal
profession by teaching students to spot
issues and propose solutions.
“Law schools need to emphasize that this is
new concept law,” Miers said. “It’s not just
being a technician and applying rules.”
Press, who joined Hamline University
School of Law as the director of the
Dispute Resolution Institute in July,
presented “Reflections on Two Decades
of ADR in Florida Courts: Lessons
Learned for the Future.” Her lunchtime
presentation addressed how alternative
dispute resolution has developed in Florida
since state statutes were broadened in 1987
to grant trial judges the authority to refer
any contested civil matter to mediation
or arbitration, subject to limited Supreme
Court exceptions.
Symposium editor 3L Zach Burt said the
day’s presentations and panel provided a
great variety of information and knowledge
for attendees.
“The law review was honored to have
such a collection of experts in the field of
mediation, arbitration and collaborative
law for our symposium,” Burt said. “A
lot of issues were discussed and I feel a
lot of practical knowledge and advice was
delivered to all the symposium attendees.”
Symposium presenters included Adjunct
Professor Kay Elliott of Texas Wesleyan
School of Law; attorney Sherrie Abney of
Dallas; attorney Jeff Poster of Fort Worth;
attorney Mike Amis of Dallas; Judge Debra
Lehrmann of the 360th District Court of
Tarrant County; attorney Don Philbin of