TOO MANY WRONGFULLY CONVICTED - The Innocence Project

ANTHONY ROBINSON CARLOS LAVERNIA • 2000200010 YEARSAnthony Robinsonwas apprehended in aUniversity of Houstonparking lot by campuspolice who believedthat he matched thedescription given by arape victim. Ten yearslater, out on parole,he began saving moneyto pay for a DNA test,which led to hiseventual exoneration.Robinson is a recentgraduate of ThurgoodMarshall School ofLaw and is pursuing adegree in Chinese Law.JAMES O’DONNELL • 200015 YEARS 2 YEARSCuban immigrantCarlos Lavernia wasarrested in 1984 forrape and then linkedto seven other assaultsin the Austin area andcharged as a serialrapist. A victim in thecase testified thatLavernia was the onlyone in the lineup who“anywhere nearresembles” the policesketch. Laverniaserved 15 years of a99-year sentencebefore DNA testingproved his innocence.Based on the descriptionof a rapist publishedin the local newspaper,James O’Donnell wasidentified by a StatenIsland resident. Thevictim identified him ina live lineup, althoughher friend, also at thescene of the crime,did not. Two rounds ofDNA testing showedthat O’Donnell couldnot have been theperpetrator.WILLIE NESMITH • 2000 FRANK LEE SMITH •200018 YEARS 14 YEARSTEXAS TEXAS NEW YORK PENNSYLVANIA FLORIDAWillie Nesmith’sinitial trial for the rapeof a Dickinson Collegestudent resulted in ahung jury. He hadbeen identified by twowitnesses who placedhim near the sceneof the crime. He wasconvicted in his secondtrial and served 18years before DNA testingexonerated him.TOO MANY WRONGFULLY CONVICTEDAfter 14 years ondeath row, Frank LeeSmith died of cancerin January 2000, beforehe was exonerated ofrape and murder. Afterhis death, a bloodsample from Smithobtained by the stateprosecutor’s office wassubjected to DNAtesting. The resultscleared Smith andimplicated another man.they refused to “accept responsibility”for crimes they did not commit.www.innocenceproject.org | 17