Case Profile Second Chance for Juveniles Everyone has the capacity to change In 2012, the Supreme Court decided a landmark case in Miller v Alabama, holding that mandatory life-without-parole sentences for all children 17 or younger convicted of homicide are unconstitutional. hidden Our Work Since 2012 and the Miller v Alabama decision, the Arizona Justice Project […]
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Case Profile Larry Youngblood Exonerated through post-conviction DNA testing In 2000, Larry Youngblood was the first person in Arizona to be exonerated through post-conviction DNA testing. In October of 1983, a 10-year-old boy was abducted from a carnival in Tucson, Arizona, driven to a remote desert location, and sodomized repeatedly for over an hour by
Case Profile Drayton Witt Case dismissed with prejudice Drayton was convicted in 2002 of second-degree murder after being accused of shaking his nearly 5 month old baby to death. Steven Witt was born a “blue baby” with the umbilical cord wrapped tightly around his neck, had aspirated meconium (fecal matter inside his lungs), and was
Case Profile John Watkins Mis-Identification – Misconduct by Police – Exonerated by DNA John Watkins was convicted for a sexual assault that occurred in Gilbert, Arizona on May 26, 2003. The victim in this case was a 48-year-old unmarried woman, who was forced off the sidewalk by an unknown person and into the bushes where
Case Profile Louis Taylor Spent 42 years in prison for arson he did not commit Longtime Arizona Justice Project client, Louis Taylor, was freed April 2, 2013 after spending 42 years in prison. Louis Taylor has always maintained his innocence of the 1970 Pioneer Hotel fire that took 29 lives. Attorneys from the Arizona Justice
Case Profile Betty Smithey Granted absolute discharge after 48 years Betty Smithey went to prison for murder when John F. Kennedy was president (1963). She had major mental problems at the time stemming from her tumultuous upbringing in orphanages and foster homes – suffering physical, sexual, and emotional abuse. Had this evidence been produced at
Case Profile Khalil Rushdan Granted Relief on the Claim of Vindictive Prosecution The Federal District Court overturned Khalil Rushdan’s conviction on evidence of vindictive prosecution. Khalil was convicted March of 1997 in Pima County for 1st degree felony murder. He was sentenced to life in prison with the possibility of parole after 25 years. hidden
Case Profile Marjorie Phillips Abused by her husband. Convicted of double homicide. Marjorie Phillips was convicted of a double homicide. She was released after criminal defense attorney Bob Hirsh, Professor Andy Silverman, and a team of law students from the University of Arizona proved that Marjorie should not be imprisoned because she was abused by
Case Profile Bill Macumber Jury never heard the multiple confessions of a third party In 1975, Bill Macumber was convicted of two counts of first-degree murder for the shooting deaths of Tim McKillop and Joyce Sterrenberg in 1959. He was sentenced to two concurrent terms of life imprisonment. The Arizona Supreme Court reversed the convictions
Case Profile Michael Levy Suffered brain aneurysm while serving 5-year sentence for possession of meth At the young age of 25, Michael Levy suffered a brain aneurysm and stroke while serving a five-year prison sentence for possession of methamphetamine for sale in Cochise County. Due to his incarceration, Michael was not receiving the critical care
