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The Sun Does Shine | Anthony Ray Hinton | Talks at Google — Transcript

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0:00[Music]
0:06for 30 years
0:08Anthony Rea Hinton was a dead man
0:10walking prosecution seemed to take my
0:20life from me 58 years old
0:23hitman lived more than half his life
0:25inside a cage Holmen Correctional
0:27Facility in southern Alabama today he's
0:30seeing and experiencing things for the
0:32first time in decades he is welcome home
0:39a party in his honor hosted by the equal
0:42justice initiative led by attorney Bryan
0:44Stevenson and his team of attorneys who
0:46fought for decades to win Hinton's
0:49freedom thank you for giving me my life
0:51back
0:52just being here as a team you can say
0:57that you got a handsome man off there
0:59for his nightmare began in 1985 Ronald
1:03Reagan was president back to the future
1:05was a box-office hit and under the cover
1:08of darkness to Birmingham restaurant
1:10managers were shot dead at closing time
1:12just months apart a third victim another
1:15man who survived the shooting and helped
1:18identify 29 year-old wife near a Hinton
1:20as the killer you're a free man now what
1:23does that mean to you I mean everything
1:25I mean you never think about your
1:30freedom when she's taken away from you
1:33couldn't put a price tag on it all the
1:35back oh so much about the world has
1:38changed but the greatest still is a
1:40world without his mother she died while
1:42he was locked away it can't get no lower
1:45for me I'm not a shame but I'm proud of
1:50that's the busted love of my life he
1:53goes back to the home they shared
1:55together now abandoned town I hate to
1:57see it in this shape it's his first time
2:00there since the night it was all taken
2:02away this is the room where hint his
2:04mother kept her 38 caliber revolver
2:06police said it was the murder weapon
2:08Hinton's court-appointed public defender
2:11higher to suppose a ballistics expert
2:12too
2:13the prosecution's claim about the murder
2:15weapon a persuasive expert he was not so
2:19his ballistics expert was blind in one
2:21eye yes that's correct
2:22he had to ask how to turn on the machine
2:24he couldn't see it
2:26he had to X somebody please help
2:29so when he put him on the stand as my
2:32witness they crucified Him I say they
2:39gonna find me guilty Hinton was
2:41sentenced to death he was ordered to
2:43spend the remainder of his life in
2:45prison living inside a 5x7 cell pretty
2:48much sleep in a fetal position because
2:51your feet hanging over the bed you only
2:53have me bed then it's mounted to the
2:55wall and I taught it and that's what I
2:58lived in for 30 years
3:00they took my dirty my 40 my feet but
3:06what they couldn't take my joy
3:16I couldn't do a plane about the years
3:19but I could control my joy 53 inmates
3:24were executed at Holeman while Hinton
3:25was on death row
3:26my dogs remember would be seized so many
3:29people that I got to know be executed he
3:33languished in prison for years before
3:35his case reached appeals court I was had
3:37never been so convinced of someone's
3:39innocence than I had in mr. Henin's case
3:41no one asked judge sue Bell Cobb was one
3:44of those appellate court judges who
3:46believed his story
3:47there was no incriminating evidence he
3:49didn't have anything from the robbery
3:50there were no fingerprints this is
3:52extremely unusual his appeal was to die
3:54but his team kept fighting now we had
3:57exhausted every State Court appeal and
3:59it was the United States Supreme Court
4:01that finally intervened the result was a
4:03new trial the break Hinton had been
4:05waiting for but just a few weeks ago the
4:07state of Alabama dropped the case after
4:10a new look of the evidence could not
4:11match the bullets to the gun and Hinton
4:14was released since any bitterness why is
4:27that bitterness kills the soul I cannot
4:34hate because my Bible teach me not to
4:37hate I've seen hey that is worse what
4:42would it profit me to hate
4:55[Applause]
5:05let me start off by saying how fitting
5:10it is to be in Seattle you didn't
5:16disappoint me in the rain but 29 years
5:24ago I tried out for the sea Alabama and
5:32got was told to come back for I am a was
5:38a great baseball player all through high
5:43school my batting average was 618 the
5:47season I made all-star every year and I
5:55had hoped to make it to the pros but
5:58then he'll open these doors thirty years
6:06of pure hell I lived in because eight
6:15racist white men had the power the means
6:22and the motive to put me in a 5x7 those
6:30eight white men had every intention of
6:33executing me for crime they knew that I
6:36didn't commit I truly wish that I could
6:40look you in the eye and tell you that
6:43the state of Alabama made an honest
6:45mistake I wish I could look you in the
6:49eye and tell you race had nothing to do
6:51with it
6:52but the state of Alabama did make him
6:55understand estate and race had
6:58everything to do with it I have to
7:04myself what type of justice system we
7:07have in this country that we can put a
7:11man in a hole for 30 years simply
7:18because of the color of his skin and
7:21because the only thing that the state of
7:26Alabama said linked me to the murderer
7:28was a gun blisters u.s. citizens should
7:34actual self how is it that it would take
7:3630 years to determine whether something
7:39match or don't match 30 years you wake
7:48up one morning in July and I don't know
7:51have either of you ever had the pleasure
7:53of being in Alabama in July well I'm
7:58trying to tell you something this is
7:59true you don't want to come to Alabama
8:02in July it's too hot
8:04and so this hot day I woke up like in
8:07other morning and about 12 or 1 o'clock
8:10in afternoon my mother was in the
8:13kitchen and I went in to get a glass of
8:16her lemonade and as I was pouring this
8:20lemonade my mother asked me was I going
8:24to revive her that night and I said yes
8:26ma'am for in the south no matter how old
8:28you get you say yes ma'am no ma'am yes
8:31sir no sir out of pure respect for your
8:33elders and so I said yes ma'am I'm going
8:36and I got this glass of lemonade and
8:38went outside about 15 minutes later I
8:41brought the glass back inside and there
8:44my mother was again in the kitchen
8:47she said what time revival start tonight
8:50and I said some o'clock mama and she
8:55looked at her watch and she said well
8:56you got time to go out there and cut
8:57that grass I gave my mother this baby
9:01look and they used to work but it didn't
9:04work this day and I looked at my mother
9:07nice mama I promise you tomorrow I will
9:09cut that grass my mother looked at me
9:13and she said I'm trying my best to see
9:16how
9:17that you get you'll cut the grass
9:20tomorrow out of me telling you to go cut
9:23the grass and she gave me that look that
9:27only she could give me and she finally
9:28said boy you better get out there and
9:31cut that grass and I goes outside and I
9:34fire up the lawn mowing twenty-five
9:35minutes into cutting the grass I just
9:38happened to look up and there stood two
9:41white gentlemen that I never seen before
9:43I cut the lawn more off and I said can I
9:46help you one of the gentleman said yes
9:49we are detective from birmingham police
9:51department we're looking for answering
9:53their a hint i said that would be me
9:56again how can I help you
9:58he said we have a warrant for your
10:00arrest and I said for what he's we will
10:04to explain that to you later but right
10:06now we want you to put your hands behind
10:09your back I complied I put my hands
10:12behind my back they put the handcuffs on
10:14me and proceeded to put me in the police
10:17car and I said hold up at least allow me
10:22the chance to go in and tell my mother
10:24that I'm being arrested for something
10:27the detective said we can't let you go
10:29back in the house and we are for about
10:31two minutes and finally the other
10:33detective said I didn't go in and tell
10:35his mother you been arrested and I go in
10:38and I just show my mother the
10:40handcuffing like in a good mother she
10:43began to scream in hallo all of those
10:46handcuffs doing on my baby
10:48one of the detectives said take him
10:50outside while I stand here and talk to
10:52his mother a few minutes later he comes
10:55outside and we proceeded to go to the
10:58county jail
11:00he turned around and he said answering
11:02they do you own a firearm I said no he
11:06said do your mother home I'm fine I said
11:09yes and told him what kind every day
11:14anyone that meets me that aware of this
11:16case they ask me one question
11:19why did you tell the police about a gun
11:24they had no knowledge of and I tell them
11:27that all of my life I'm
11:30I have always told me if you haven't
11:33done anything you have no reason to lie
11:36if you haven't done anything you have no
11:39business running that day I told the
11:44truth they dropped me off at a
11:47substation they turn around and go back
11:49to my mother house and talk to her and
11:51she give them the gun they kept the gun
11:55they come pick me up and we proceeded to
11:57go to the county jail again I actually
12:00used to take at least 50 time why am I
12:04being arrested and they never would
12:05respond and after global the father I
12:08said detective why are y'all arrested me
12:11this city was set to detect off he turn
12:14around he looked at me and he said you
12:17really want to know why we arresting you
12:19I say yes he said we charging you with
12:22first-degree robbery first would be
12:25kidnapping first-degree attempted murder
12:27I say oh you got the wrong guy he said
12:31let me tell you something and let me
12:33tell it to you right now I don't care
12:36whether you did it or didn't do it but
12:38I'm gonna make sure you found guilt over
12:40it I said for a crime that I didn't
12:43commit he said you must have a hearing
12:46problem because I just told you I don't
12:49care whether you did it or didn't do it
12:50he said but you remember this if you
12:53remember nothing else I am going to make
12:57sure that you found guilty of it we
13:02drove the Father and he turn around and
13:04he said by the way there's five things
13:07they're going to convict you
13:09would you like to know what they are and
13:11I said yes he said number worn you black
13:15number two a white man is gonna say you
13:18shot him whether you shot him or not I
13:21don't care he said number three you're
13:26gonna have a white prosecutor number
13:28four you're gonna have a white judge and
13:30number five you're gonna have an
13:34all-white jury he said do you know what
13:37that's spelled and he looked at me and
13:40he said conviction conviction
13:43conviction conviction conviction and as
13:48we got to the police station they put me
13:51in this hole and self about two and a
13:53half hour and finally the detective came
13:55in and I said detective can you please
13:59tell me the date and the time that these
14:02crime took place he goes through his
14:05notes and he tell me the date and the
14:07time and I reply detective you telling
14:10me the truth
14:12couldn't have been meaningful hours had
14:14worked at that particular date and that
14:16particular time and I said thank God I
14:19said thank you Jesus
14:22my supervisor happened to be white
14:25here's his following on me here's the
14:27address where I work at you can go out
14:29and check and he left about four and a
14:32half hour later he came back in and he
14:34said I have good news and bad news
14:37the good news is we no longer going to
14:40charge you but first-degree robbery
14:42first we kidnap first degree attempted
14:44murder your alibi checks out
14:47he said but now the bad news we have
14:53decided that we're going to charge you
14:57with two counts of first degree capital
15:00murder I said but detective I haven't
15:05killed anyone he said didn't you
15:08remember when I told you on the way here
15:10I don't care whether you did at the
15:13Dender he said that stairs was in effect
15:17he looked at me and he said and by the
15:20way I truly believe you didn't do it he
15:26said persist y'all is always taking up
15:29for one another
15:32take this rep for your homeboy we tears
15:37down my eyes and running down my cheeks
15:40I looked at this detection I said
15:42detective I don't have a homeboy in this
15:46world that I would take this rap for our
15:52goals before judge
15:54a judge read me my rights and tell me
15:58what I'm being charged with he tells me
16:02in acts me do you have an attorney and I
16:08said no he said can you afford an
16:10attorney and I said no he looks back in
16:13his courtroom and he called this
16:15attorney up front and tell this attorney
16:17that he want him to represent me on two
16:20counts of capital murder without even
16:23actually my name the attorney looked at
16:26me and he says I did not go to law
16:30school to do pro bono work I looked at
16:35this attorney and I said would it make a
16:38difference to you if I told you that I
16:42was jealous
16:44the attorney looked at me and he said
16:47the problem with that statement is that
16:51all y'all y'all always doing something
16:55Indian saying you didn't do it this is
16:58the attorney that I had to go and
17:01believe that was going to rep me zit me
17:04to the best of his knowledge
17:06I sit in jail a year and a half before I
17:10go to trial in that year and a half I've
17:13seen this attorney maybe twice I go to
17:17trial my trial lasted for about three
17:19weeks the jury come back with a guilty
17:23verdict the judge proudly standing up in
17:27San sandy ray Hinton you have been found
17:30guilty on two counts of capital murder
17:34and it is to all of this court that I
17:38tzimmes you to death in that judge had
17:43the audacity to say may God have mercy
17:47on your soul the prosecution ran out
17:50that day and told the media that today
17:52the state of Alabama got the worst
17:55killer that ever walked the streets off
17:59the streets that day only wasn't true
18:02and on December 17 19
18:0786 I was transported to death row and at
18:12mo Alabama once arriving at at mo
18:16Alabama for the next three years I did
18:20not say a word to another human being
18:23for three years I went into this dark
18:27place displays where I didn't even think
18:30that I could go myself I went into this
18:33place where I didn't want to see anyone
18:37I didn't want to hear about anyone and
18:39that was my refugees this dark place for
18:44three years
18:46every time the God would ask me a
18:48question I would take a pen or pencil
18:51and write my response but never would i
18:54speech going into the fourth year I woke
19:01up approximate warning him to the sound
19:04of a grown man crying a man that I had
19:06lived by for three years and never asked
19:11him his name or where he was from I
19:14wasn't there to get to know anyone I
19:16wasn't there to toupper friend in the
19:24one all I know I was there for something
19:27I didn't do
19:28but at early age my mother taught me in
19:31compassion my mother told me no matter
19:34what Warren does in life he or she still
19:38deserve compassion and it was that
19:40compassion that I hollered through this
19:42brick wall and axes gentleman was he
19:45okay Chuck this man awhile to respond
19:49but finally he said I just got worried
19:52my mother passed I told him I was sorry
19:55to hear that
19:56and I said if anyone going to augur your
19:59case your mother will offer your case
20:02before God I told him a corny joke and
20:05we both kind of laughed a little bit and
20:08I laid back down and that's 6 a.m. I
20:11woke up and I realize that my boss and
20:16my sense of humor was back
20:18I tell people every day that I was born
20:21with two things there's nothing else in
20:23this world I was born to a mother who
20:25loved it me unconditionally and I was
20:29born with a sense of humor I'm just a
20:32big old country boy that no matter how
20:34beautiful you are no matter how young
20:37you all you are if you're walking out
20:39just happy to see you strumming fall I
20:42would be the first water running helped
20:44you up I would be the first one that you
20:47are you okay but the moment you tell me
20:50you're okay I'm gonna laugh at you for
20:51father I just believe that laughter is
20:55good for the soul in that morning I woke
21:01up and realized my sense of humor was
21:03bad the state of Alabama was in the
21:06process of executing 4mins and they had
21:09already executed too and I called this
21:13guard up to my cell and I said officer
21:15is there anything you can give me so I
21:19won't have to smell that flush burning
21:23the officer looked at me and he said no
21:26there's nothing I can give you but it is
21:30a consolation to you one day you'll get
21:34used to it and he looked at me and he
21:39said and by the way one day somebody
21:42will smell your flesh burn and it was at
21:46that moment that I sit back down on this
21:48bunk bed that was too small and I told
21:52my body that the mind had to leave in 30
21:59years I witnessed 54 men walk by myself
22:03only to be executed fire man's had
22:08decided that they no longer could take
22:10it they hung himself and three other men
22:13decided that they were slashed they
22:16wrists and bleed out and I kept saying
22:21how long can I survive this madness how
22:25long would it be before they come and
22:29get me when
22:31in the meantime until that time come all
22:34I knew that I had to somehow up here
22:37escape and as I sit on that bunk bed and
22:41I looked at my body and I said body
22:43their mind have to leave and it was as
22:47though my body was talking back to me
22:48and said do you promise to come back and
22:51I said yes and as soon as my body gave
22:55me permission to leave I left of all the
23:00places in the world to go for whatever
23:02reason I wanted to go see Queen
23:04Elizabeth please don't ask me why our 29
23:09year old black male wanted to go see
23:12Queenie lips but I don't know but that's
23:14who I wanted to see and in my mind I
23:17visualized and showing up at the palace
23:18I told the guard that I was there to see
23:21the Queen that goes in they tell the
23:24Queen she invite me in and we sit down
23:27and we talked about Prince Charles
23:30Prince William Prince Harris and of
23:32course the tragedy a lady precious time
23:35about 30 minutes into this conversation
23:38the Queen realized that she hadn't
23:40offered me anything to drink and she
23:42finally looked at me and she said mr.
23:45head - but you'd like some tea
23:49and I told I would love some tea and she
23:52said what would you like in your teeny
23:54and I told her some lemon she tell the
23:57bug to go out and bring me some lemon
23:59and I put the lemon in my tea and we
24:01continued to talk and I finally stand up
24:04and tell the Queen I must be leaving now
24:07that I can go wherever I want in my mind
24:10I didn't stop there I decided that I
24:14would do something that I said I would
24:16never do I decided that I would get
24:19married I was a young boy I said I would
24:21never get married
24:22but I decided that I would marry the
24:25talented and beautiful actress Halle
24:27Berry Halle Berry and I stayed married
24:31up here for 15 long beautiful years
24:36and if there's a such thing as a perfect
24:38wife Halle Berry was the perfect wife
24:41she always said yesterday and it's okay
24:44dude and when I loved most about us she
24:47didn't spend any money and then the God
24:51was there calling me and he's Anthony
24:54I've been calling you for 10 minutes
24:56where you was I sound was gone
24:59he's Anthony you have a legal visit I
25:02say I don't have an attorney because the
25:04state of Alabama don't point to an
25:06attorney to impulse conviction
25:08he's Anthony well somebody is out there
25:10pretending to be a lawyer why don't you
25:13get dressed and go see who it is I get
25:16dressed and I go out there and there's
25:18this lawyer from Boston I asked his
25:21lawyer who sent him
25:22he tells me a man by the name of Bryan
25:24Stevenson of equal justice initiative I
25:27asked his lawyer who is Bryan Stevenson
25:29and who was equal justice of Michigan he
25:32began to tell me he tell me how great
25:35this mr. Bryan Stevenson is and I looked
25:38at this lawyer and I said you keep
25:39telling me how good and how great Bryan
25:42stays in there but he can't be that good
25:44I said four because he have already made
25:48one fundamental mistake and he said what
25:51would that be I said did you not say you
25:54from Boston and he said yes I said we
25:56had this great Mr Bryan Stevenson
25:59contact me first he would have known
26:02that I am and be loving Yankee fan and
26:04there's no way Yankee fan on a Boston
26:07fan who ever worked together I said but
26:10for your sake I'm willing to put my
26:12personal feelings aside and let you work
26:15on my case and for the next three years
26:18this lawyer worked on my case came back
26:21every year to tell me what he was doing
26:23what he was trying to do and then going
26:26into the fourth year he's Anthony I
26:29really believe I can get you a life
26:32without parole
26:34and I said yet who a life without parole
26:37and he said I can get you I said life
26:41without parole is for you to people not
26:43innocent people I say I told you that I
26:46am innocent
26:48you won't Mina stand up and say that I
26:50did something when I did in order to
26:53save my life
26:54I said I couldn't never stand up until
26:56that line I said if the state of Alabama
27:01is hell-bent on executing me for a crime
27:04they know that I didn't commit so be it
27:07I say at some point in some time all of
27:10us must die I said but I don't want to
27:13die and I definitely don't want to die
27:16for something that I didn't do I said
27:18but I would never stand up and say I did
27:21something when I didn't do it I said I'm
27:25trying to tell you something that my
27:27mother told me when I was 12 years old
27:30my mother called me and she said if you
27:33man enough to bend down and pick up a
27:36rock and if you man enough to throw that
27:40rock you should be man enough to say you
27:43throw that rock I said this is one rock
27:46I didn't throw therefore I could never
27:50stand up and say I throw this rock when
27:53I didn't I say insist you don't believe
27:56in me I have no choice but to fight you
27:59he looked and he said you serious I say
28:01yes I say I need a lawyer that believed
28:04in me but more important I need a lawyer
28:07that is willing to go to jail for me if
28:09necessary I said what I really truly
28:11thank you for what you've done and what
28:14you were trying to do I said after today
28:17you no longer represent me and as he was
28:21going out the front door and they were
28:22taking me back taught myself something
28:24in my mind said you got to be the
28:26dumbest person in the world you find the
28:29only lawyer that you had and just as
28:31that thought in my mind another thought
28:34said you did the right thing always
28:36stand up for what you believe in always
28:38stand up for principle and as I got
28:41closer to my cell the God were watching
28:43TV and actors God what was he watching
28:46he said watching Bryan Stevenson and I
28:49said oh that's the man I said you mind
28:51if I stand here and listening him a
28:53moment he says sure Bryan Stevenson was
28:56talking about why we don't need a death
28:58penalty in this country and for whatever
29:00reason I
29:01at that moment this is the man that I
29:04needed to represent me later that night
29:06I wrote mr. Stevenson a letter thanking
29:09him for sending the lover the lawyer and
29:11I told mr. Stevenson then I would like
29:15for him to become my lawyer I said but
29:18before you say yes or no all our actions
29:21that you read my transcript I said once
29:24you read my transcript if you find one
29:26thing in my transcript that points to my
29:29guilt
29:30do not worry about becoming my lawyer do
29:33not worry about sending me a lawyer I am
29:35perfectly willing to die for something
29:38that I know I didn't do in the state of
29:41Alabama no I didn't do about three
29:43months later I get a reply from mr.
29:45Stevens of saying he would read my
29:47transcript try most later I get a letter
29:52saying that he had made arrangement to
29:56come to death row to see man I cannot
29:59explain it but the moment I shook this
30:00man hand I knew that God had sent me his
30:04best lawyer and as we sit there we
30:07talked about our childhood and finally
30:10we got into the case I said mr.
30:12Stevenson if no two guns is alike the
30:16state of Alabama is lying and I know
30:18they're lying if no two guns is alike
30:21those bullets couldn't match and I said
30:26mr. Stevenson I need you to do me a
30:28favor he looked at me and he said what
30:30is the favor I need you to hire a
30:33qualified ballistic expert I said mr.
30:38Stevenson all of my life I lived in the
30:44south
30:45I don't want you to hide just any
30:48qualified expert but I need this
30:54qualified expert to be a white
30:58southerner and he must be a male
31:04I said mr. Stevenson you can go out and
31:07find the best white female in the
31:10country her word is no good on the
31:13witness stand in the state of Alabama I
31:17say any different cannot be a person of
31:21color
31:22I said missus tyrannies have to be a
31:27white Southern male the state of Alabama
31:32only recognized one of their own and I
31:37said mr. Stevenson
31:39I need this white man to be the best of
31:45the best
31:46I need him to believe in the death
31:48penalty but above all of that I need him
31:53to just tell the truth mr. Stevenson
31:56left that day and told me that he would
31:58try and find this particularly expert
32:03about six months later I get a call and
32:07say call your attorney he tells me that
32:09he found three of the world we know now
32:12an expert two of them live in Texas and
32:15one of them live in Virginia he said
32:19they are the best of the best he said
32:23what I need to inform you that these
32:25three means only testified for the
32:29prosecution
32:30they have never testified for the
32:34defense he said another way of what I'm
32:36trying to tell you these men put me is
32:39on death Road they have never testified
32:43to get one off I said mr. Stevenson did
32:47you remember to ask them would they just
32:50tell the truth
32:51and he said they said they would tell
32:55exactly what they ever didn't say I say
32:58if you can afford it hide those three
33:00means I can't tell you today that they
33:04came to Alabama but they came on three
33:07separate occasions every one of them did
33:12their own testing and they came to the
33:14conclusion
33:15that the bullish that the state of
33:16Alabama said match indeed did not match
33:19they even did something that I didn't
33:22know they were trying to do they even
33:24tried to make the gun match and they
33:25still couldn't make it match we get this
33:28new evidence and we go to the turn of
33:30general a man by the name of Bill prior
33:33acts him to reexamine the bullets and he
33:36was quoted as saying it would be a waste
33:39of the taxpayer money it would be a
33:42waste of my time to take one hour to
33:45reexamine those bullets and for not
33:49doing his job george w bush appointed
33:53him to a federal lifetime appointment
33:58once he leave office another attorney
34:01general will take over and he too
34:03refused to take one hour to reexamine
34:06the bullets he lose in the next election
34:11and a man by the name of Luther strange
34:15we go to him and he to refuse to take
34:19one hour to reexamine the bullets I said
34:24on Alabama death row extra 16 years and
34:29while I sitting there I lost the love of
34:36my life and my mother and I told mr.
34:40Stevenson once I found out that my
34:43mother had passed I told mr. Stevens and
34:47I didn't give a damn about that case if
34:51the state of Alabama wanted to hang me
34:53they could do it today if the state of
34:55Alabama wanted to execute me they can do
34:58it today I don't care in the law I
35:00didn't see me being in the world without
35:04my mother and I hung up I didn't say
35:09goodbye didn't say thank you
35:11and as I tried to lay down that night it
35:14was as though my mother came in my cell
35:16and stayed in my ear all night telling
35:19me that she didn't bring me up to be a
35:22quarter I can hear my mother telling me
35:25I've always taught you to fight
35:30my mother had been my biggest
35:33cheerleader all of my life when I did
35:36good she was there to cheer me on and
35:39when I did bad she was there to say
35:41you'll get him next time and early that
35:44morning I called mr. Stevenson to
35:46apologize and I told him that I wanted
35:49him to give the state of Alabama as much
35:53hell as he possibly could we went before
35:5814 judges in Alabama and they all
36:00refused to do the right thing and
36:02finally mr. Stevenson said I need to
36:05take your case to the United States
36:06Supreme Court he said what I need to
36:11inform you that if the United States
36:12Supreme Court ruled against you in two
36:16years the state of Alabama will execute
36:19you I looked at mr. Stevenson and I said
36:23take my case to the United States
36:26Supreme Court
36:27two years after file in my case to the
36:30United States Supreme Court they did
36:33something that they have never done in
36:35the history of the courts all nine
36:38judges ruled in my favor
36:42they sent the case back to Alabama would
36:44we go before a trial judge the
36:48prosecution stand up and say Your Honor
36:50it is with deepest sadness that we have
36:54to inform this court that we have lost
36:57the gun and questioned the judge give
37:01them time to relocate the gun she said a
37:06court date we go back they comes in and
37:09they say Your Honor it was great
37:10pleasure that we informed the court that
37:13we found the gun but it was sadness that
37:16we have to inform the court again now we
37:18have lost two bullets that goes to the
37:22car and all this time I'm sitting in
37:25jail thinking that the prosecutor had
37:29lost the bullet but he had his own
37:31expert reexamining the books the man
37:35that said that the bullets match 30
37:37years ago was called back to
37:41to reexamine only this time he examined
37:48the bullets and he informed the
37:49prosecutor that the bullets do not match
37:54the way they match thirty years ago but
37:59the bullet is match exactly the same
38:01that they did 30 years ago
38:03bullets are like fingerprints they don't
38:06change my life was not worth them
38:11telling the truth
38:1330 years ago I didn't have the lawyer
38:15that I had in nineteen in 2005 now the
38:21state of Alabama cannot no longer tell a
38:24lie not only do I have a better lawyer
38:27but I had three of the world-renowned
38:29experts who was waiting to debate
38:33distinct they expert even challenged
38:35estate expert come and show us how you
38:38got this match the expert in Alabama
38:42refused 30 years of pure hell all
38:52because the color of my skin the state
39:01of Alabama had every intention the
39:05executors innocent man and had it not
39:09been for Brian Stevenson I wouldn't be
39:11here today
39:13had it not been for those experts that
39:20was willing to tell the truth I wouldn't
39:22be here today the state of Alabama will
39:26seek injustice in the high as justice as
39:29they could and that would be to execute
39:37tomorrow will be three years that I've
39:41been free
39:45and to this day no one ever had the
39:58decency to say mr. Hitchens
40:03we saw heavy not apologize because I was
40:15born a person of color every day I could
40:21in my mind I try to plan out five nobody
40:26have had the decency to say I'm sorry
40:35the state of Alabama was seeking justice
40:43and I've come to see how to actually
40:48wouldn't prefer hell question where's my
40:55justice where do I get justice for
41:00better yet who do I get justice for all
41:10of you for half think that the justice
41:12system is blind that is exactly what
41:20they want you to believe that the
41:21justice system is blind every now and
41:24then they will show you this lady with a
41:26mask over-faced
41:28and you see this blind for me but she
41:34know exactly what race you are she knew
41:39exactly what gender you are she know
41:42exactly what college she went to she
41:45know exactly what neighborhood you live
41:47in
41:48she know exactly something that perhaps
41:50all of us stole her to know she know
41:55exactly how much money you have in the
41:58bank
41:59and she put all of those things together
42:02and when you find himself in our
42:05courtroom he they have already been
42:07determined whether you gonna be found
42:09guilty or not guilty we have two sets of
42:15justice in this work but those of you
42:17who have been fortunate enough to have
42:19money inherit money however you got it
42:21you have the ability to buy justice for
42:25those of us who please fair and don't
42:30have anything we are the one that is
42:33filling up the prison because we cannot
42:36afford a decent defense there is over
42:42two million means and women incarcerated
42:45in this country that is more people than
42:47in some third-world country
42:49and some of them are there simply
42:54because of the color of the skin and
42:56there's those that are there because
42:59they didn't have the money to hide
43:02decent defense I asked you where's my
43:11justice
43:12I actually what would you do if they
43:16came for you what would you do if you
43:20were charged with a crime you know you
43:22didn't commit what would you do if you
43:27didn't have the money to pay for a
43:29defense what would you do if you took a
43:33polygraph test and passed but yet no one
43:36believed it you what would you do is the
43:41judicial system look at you more for the
43:44color of your skin than the merits of
43:46your case or what you do is you was
43:49sentenced to death what would you do if
43:53you had to spend the rest of your life
43:55in a Cell the size of your bathroom
43:59what would you do if you've been waiting
44:03all your life to die for a crime you
44:06didn't commit
44:07how would you survive
44:10what would you do after 30 years they
44:17finally set you free now who would you
44:22be what would you do that book it's the
44:35second greatest book that ever been
44:37written I know because I know it off for
44:41that book I know that that book would
44:47touch you in some way that book put the
44:54legal system on trial that book put you
44:58on trial if you was one that believed in
45:01the depth of that book would ask you to
45:04look at theirs name and see can you tell
45:07who was Emerson who was guilty because
45:09my name was once on that list and now
45:13she read this book I want you to put
45:15your name on that list and after every
45:1710 name say Emma's every day in this
45:22country the government cares in your
45:25name and don't matter that you live in
45:28Seattle you are still responsible for
45:30the government in Alabama no matter how
45:34you go home and wash your hand and put
45:36on this good smelling soap or whatever
45:38that innocent blood is still on your
45:40hand because we as citizens we sit by
45:47and we say nothing we do nothing we
45:49allow the government to do as they
45:52please and they would have me to believe
45:54that they are doing the right thing I
45:58was to one hundred and fifty second as
46:01honoree that had gone off different
46:05how many means and women need to be
46:08exonerated before we as a country decide
46:13that enough is enough we don't need no
46:16death penalty because once we execute
46:19someone that is innocent and one
46:22we find out that they Trudeau's Ellison
46:24there is no coming back I am a true
46:29believer that what affected me today
46:31could very well affect you tomorrow
46:34ask yourself I could have been your
46:38father your brother I could have been
46:40your best friend acts yourself how would
46:44you feel if the system that you know
46:49would take your father someone you love
46:52someone you care about and put them in a
46:55hole for 30 years and have every
46:58intention on executing them simply
47:01because they didn't have the money
47:02simply because it was born of a
47:05different skin tools acts yourself how
47:10would you feel because I've had people
47:12to come up to me and say mr. Hinton I'm
47:14truly sorry for what happened to you but
47:17isn't that the price we pray for having
47:20law and order and I looks at those
47:23people that tells me that you have a
47:26right to your opinion but I would like
47:28to ask you to be honest with me
47:30would you feel that way if I had been
47:34your brother if I had been your father
47:37if I had been your grandfather if I had
47:40been someone that you truly love and
47:42care about would you feel that is the
47:45price that we pay this system is badly
47:49broken I'm at an age where it won't
47:54affect me much longer but I where about
47:57you young people you must ask yourself
48:00what type of legal system you want to
48:03inherit and better yet what type of
48:07system you want your children to inherit
48:12if you're satisfied they let us stay the
48:18way it is if you're not satisfied I
48:22often tell people I don't believe in
48:24margin in its strength
48:25I believe in margin to the ballot box
48:28and I believe in voting and I believe in
48:32bone
48:34the way that we need to vote I do not
48:37vote during races line I do not vote on
48:39gender I do my homework I act a tough
48:46question and if a politician would have
48:51you to believe that you are more safe by
48:54having our death penalty that politician
48:57is lying to you
48:59so tisha shows that states that don't
49:02have what that fella did murder rate is
49:04far less then states that have a death
49:07penalty I hope then once you read this
49:14book it would change your heart it would
49:19teach you about forgiveness in this book
49:22if you read nothing else read about a
49:27man that I became friend where there was
49:30a KKK member a man that had went out in
49:33the street and hung a young black man in
49:35the middle of the streets and everybody
49:38was looking at this man because he had
49:41three caves in front of his name and I
49:43raced those through the case all of this
49:48man life from the day he was in his
49:51mother womb his mother his daddy told
49:54him to hate his community taught him to
49:57hate and I actually profound question
50:00what was Child Protective Service when
50:02this young boy was being taught to hate
50:06why was this village that we often say
50:09and take a village to raise a child
50:11where was this village when this young
50:13man was being taught to hate I didn't
50:17hear from the village until it was time
50:19for him to be tried and convicted in
50:22this village sentence him to death and
50:26when he came to death Road just as he
50:30was taught to hate I along with other
50:34blacks told him how to love and on the
50:38night of his execution they asked you to
50:42thing what would you like for your
50:44father meal
50:46you have anything you would like to say
50:49I am proud to stand here and say that my
50:54friend Henry Francis left his world
50:58saying that all of my life my mother and
51:02father my community taught me to hate
51:06but the very people they taught me to
51:08hate all the people that taught me how
51:11to love and Henry Hades father words was
51:15in this night I leave this world now
51:21knowing her true love feel nice just as
51:26someone teaches you something someone
51:28can teach you another thing today I hope
51:32that I have said something that will
51:35make you go home and think about a
51:38corrupt system that at some point in
51:46some time you will come face to face
51:50with thank you ladies and gentlemen for
51:52listening to my story
52:01[Applause]
52:18thank you for coming in and telling your
52:20story today and I I wanted now that
52:22you've gone through this and now that
52:24you understand how the legal system has
52:27failed you here are do you have thoughts
52:32or advice about how we can prevent the
52:35legal system from continuing to do this
52:37and to shine more transparency on the
52:39cases like for instance when you said
52:42repeatedly that that the state would not
52:46look at your case spend an hour looking
52:49at your case and is is there something
52:51that that could bring transparency to
52:53that type of that that type of failure
52:56for justice well let me first say that
52:58as long as we have a death penalty in
53:00this country whether it's through human
53:05error through pure racism whatever we
53:08going to continue to execute innocent
53:11people the only way we will never
53:13execute them some people is that we
53:16don't have a death penalty in the first
53:18place but during my years on death row
53:24when we went to the Attorney General in
53:27acts for him to reassembled evidence
53:30there is no law that governs them to
53:34re-examine the evidence I think we need
53:37to have a law placed in every state that
53:40when there is question of evidence they
53:44should be made to go back and recheck
53:46that with this and if you still disagree
53:48someone as an independent should come in
53:51and settle this dispute
53:53there's no reason your tax dollars been
53:57wasted on me for 30 years when we could
54:00have resolved this but as long as the
54:02United States Supreme Court have given
54:04something that perhaps none of you know
54:07the United States Supreme Court have
54:09forgiven prosecutors a blank check they
54:13can't be sued they can get up there and
54:15lie they can get up there and fabricate
54:18evidence and you can prove that they did
54:21but you damn can't turn around and Sue
54:24them but he has to go if you get up
54:26there in life or anyone and they prove
54:29later that you lie
54:31prostitution can charge you with perjury
54:32I just believe that all of us should be
54:35upon the same rules and regulation if
54:37you're gonna be charged with perjury
54:39watching the prosecutor be charged with
54:42the same thing we need to study and make
54:44our laws better than equal for everybody
54:46and I just think that these types of
54:48problem won't occur but as long as we
54:50have the system the way it is and we've
54:53been led to believe that the state have
54:56the right they are the one who have to
54:59prove whether you did something like
55:01them don't believe that you don't have
55:03to prove that you didn't do it and if
55:05you don't have the money to prove it
55:07chances are you won't prove it
55:09and I just think we need better laws to
55:11put on the book to force the prosecutor
55:14to reexamine the evidence we need to
55:17outlaw the fact that they can't be sued
55:20because what prosecutors won't go out
55:22there and just tell lies to get a
55:25conviction his motives to get his men a
55:27conviction he can and then he wants to
55:30be up for just ship and he want to be
55:32able to say I said more men to Alabama
55:35death or I said more men's and women to
55:37prison than in on a judge but what he
55:39don't tell you most of them was
55:42fabricated most of it was lies and bit
55:44off lines and I just think that is
55:46unfair that you can be charged for line
55:49and he can't that's a double standard
55:51and I'm against that thank you very much
55:54for coming to talk to us
56:00you
56:09you

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