Cooley Law School’s Innocence Project recently held an event commemorating National Wrongful Conviction Day at the law school’s Lansing campus. Pictured are (left to right): Duane Williams, whose conviction was recently vacated; Ann Garant, Cooley Law School Innocence Project managing attorney; Kenneth Nixon, exoneree; Tracey Brame, Cooley Law School Innocence Project director; and Darrell Siggers, exoneree.
The Cooley Law School Innocence Project commemorated the 11th annual National Wrongful Conviction Day recently by hosting a panel discussion.
The event featured the stories of exonerees Kenneth Nixon and Darrell Siggers; and Duane Williams, whose conviction was vacated in 2024.
Moderated by Cooley student Kara Rosengren, additional panelists included Innocence Project Director and Associate Dean Tracey Brame, and Innocence Project Managing Attorney Ann Garant. Wrongful Conviction Day began in 2013 as an effort of the Innocence Network, an affiliation of organizations dedicated to providing pro-bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted.
The initiative is focused on working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions, and supporting exonerees after they are freed.
Nixon was represented by Cooley’s Innocence Project and exonerated in 2021, while Siggers was exonerated in 2017.
Williams awaits a decision on whether his case will be retired.
They remain active in the Innocence movement, working with those who remain incarcerated as well as other exonerees.
Nixon has been instrumental in the vital work of the Organization of Exonerees, an exoneree support organization, and currently serves as the organization’s president.
During the presentation, panelists discussed what is considered suspect-first investigations.
“I was arrested before any investigation had taken place,” said Nixon. “My name came up, they immediately arrested me and then they sought to look for the evidence to prove I did it. I didn’t know what to do. My family didn’t know what to do. After the conviction, we were completely lost. Totally lost faith in the system.”
While speaking to students, Nixon shared it was because of the Innocence Project he was able to participate in the presentation.
“Because it was people that never gave up on us, we’re standing here today,” said Nixon.
Brame spoke about the importance of working on behalf of the wrongfully convicted, stating: “If you look in the news in a given day, somewhere in some state, someone's being exonerated, which is encouraging that there's so much work being done in this space to get people out.
“It also lets you know how many people are still there waiting for help.”
Additionally, Marla Mitchell-Cichon, former Cooley Innocence Project director, shared information about some of the work she is continuing on behalf of the law school.
She gave an overview of the posthumous pardon she is working on in the case of Maurice Carter.
In 1987, Carter was wrongfully convicted of a non-fatal shooting in the southwest Michigan city of Benton Harbor.
He was sentenced to life without parole. In 2004, his sentence was commuted due to his health, but his name was never cleared. Maurice died within three months of his release from prison.
Established in 2001, the Cooley Law School Innocence Project is the only post-conviction DNA innocence organization in the state.
Since its inception, the office has screened over 6,000 cases and is responsible for the exoneration of nine individuals: Kenneth Wyniemko (2003), Nathaniel Hatchett (2008), Donya Davis (2014), LeDura Watkins (2017), Corey McCall (2021), Nixon, Gilbert Poole (2021), George DeJesus (2022), and Louis Wright (2023).
It also helped to exonerate Lacino Hamilton and Ramon Ward, both in 2020, Terance Calhoun in 2022, and Crystal Mulherin in 2024.
The event featured the stories of exonerees Kenneth Nixon and Darrell Siggers; and Duane Williams, whose conviction was vacated in 2024.
Moderated by Cooley student Kara Rosengren, additional panelists included Innocence Project Director and Associate Dean Tracey Brame, and Innocence Project Managing Attorney Ann Garant. Wrongful Conviction Day began in 2013 as an effort of the Innocence Network, an affiliation of organizations dedicated to providing pro-bono legal and investigative services to individuals seeking to prove innocence of crimes for which they have been convicted.
The initiative is focused on working to redress the causes of wrongful convictions, and supporting exonerees after they are freed.
Nixon was represented by Cooley’s Innocence Project and exonerated in 2021, while Siggers was exonerated in 2017.
Williams awaits a decision on whether his case will be retired.
They remain active in the Innocence movement, working with those who remain incarcerated as well as other exonerees.
Nixon has been instrumental in the vital work of the Organization of Exonerees, an exoneree support organization, and currently serves as the organization’s president.
During the presentation, panelists discussed what is considered suspect-first investigations.
“I was arrested before any investigation had taken place,” said Nixon. “My name came up, they immediately arrested me and then they sought to look for the evidence to prove I did it. I didn’t know what to do. My family didn’t know what to do. After the conviction, we were completely lost. Totally lost faith in the system.”
While speaking to students, Nixon shared it was because of the Innocence Project he was able to participate in the presentation.
“Because it was people that never gave up on us, we’re standing here today,” said Nixon.
Brame spoke about the importance of working on behalf of the wrongfully convicted, stating: “If you look in the news in a given day, somewhere in some state, someone's being exonerated, which is encouraging that there's so much work being done in this space to get people out.
“It also lets you know how many people are still there waiting for help.”
Additionally, Marla Mitchell-Cichon, former Cooley Innocence Project director, shared information about some of the work she is continuing on behalf of the law school.
She gave an overview of the posthumous pardon she is working on in the case of Maurice Carter.
In 1987, Carter was wrongfully convicted of a non-fatal shooting in the southwest Michigan city of Benton Harbor.
He was sentenced to life without parole. In 2004, his sentence was commuted due to his health, but his name was never cleared. Maurice died within three months of his release from prison.
Established in 2001, the Cooley Law School Innocence Project is the only post-conviction DNA innocence organization in the state.
Since its inception, the office has screened over 6,000 cases and is responsible for the exoneration of nine individuals: Kenneth Wyniemko (2003), Nathaniel Hatchett (2008), Donya Davis (2014), LeDura Watkins (2017), Corey McCall (2021), Nixon, Gilbert Poole (2021), George DeJesus (2022), and Louis Wright (2023).
It also helped to exonerate Lacino Hamilton and Ramon Ward, both in 2020, Terance Calhoun in 2022, and Crystal Mulherin in 2024.
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