Tennessee Innocence Project Hosts Inspired by Innocence Oct. 27th
Tennessee Innocence Project will hold its biggest event of the year, the 2022 Inspired by Innocence fundraiser on October 27th at the Music City Center. The music will showcase innocence work across the State and highlight the organization’s four exonerees; honor exemplary legal professionals in the community; and feature a keynote address from Roger Mitchell, Jr. MD FCAP.
TIP’s First Memphis Event Covered by the Commercial Appeal
“Although [TIP] is based in Nashville, [Executive Director Jessica] Van Dyke knew in 2019 Memphis and Shelby County would be a big part of [its] work.”
-The Commercial Appeal
Meet Yasmine Mukahal, TIP Newest Board Member
Yasmine (pronounced Yes-meen) Mukahal was initially drawn into the world of wrongful convictions the same way many millennials in America were: through the hit podcast, Serial. Yasmine is TIP's newest Board Member and serves as Director of Campus Recruiting for HCA Healthcare.
Meet Amy Richards
“The more research we did on the subject, we learned how many people are serving time for crimes they didn’t commit,” Board Member Amy Richards said. “We have an incredible justice system, but it isn’t perfect.”
Exonerated Tennessee woman on not answering to anyone anymore
Her freedom was a long time coming.
"A lot of people said I should be angry, " Watkins said in a recent interview with The Tennessean. "But I'm not angry. God don't want me to be angry....
~The Tennessean
Freedom after 30 years!
On Tuesday, May 10, Tennessee Innocence Project client Claude Garrett's conviction was vacated and dismissed, and he walked out of prison a free man! After asserting his innocence for 30 years, the Court overturned Mr. Garrett's conviction for murder, the result of a 1992 house fire.
TIP On CBS Sunday Morning
TIP was featured on CBS Sunday Morning on Sunday, April 17th. Watch the segment today.
2021 Annual Report
Learn about the Tennessee Innocence Project’s accomplishments in our 2021 Annual Report, now available!
Two More Exonerations in Tennessee
"These kinds of cases where people are wrongfully convicted don't need to be, and shouldn't be, adversarial,” Gichner shared. “We welcome the opportunity to work with prosecutors across the state to identify and do something about wrongful convictions."
Meet Garry Ferraris
Labor and employment law attorney Garry Ferraris has always been focused on making his community and state a more equitable place.
Meet TIP’s Summer Intern
I chose TIP for several reasons. During the past two years of law school, I have become increasingly aware of the access to justice crisis in our nation and increasingly more interested in working to change it. A lack of access to justice, especially for people without requisite financial resources, results in far too many individuals being convicted of crimes they did not commit.
Meet Andrea Hayduk
Andrea Hayduk says she doesn’t have a story for how she ended up in law. But the passion in her voice as she describes wrongs in the criminal justice system shows she ended up in the right place.
Meet Brad MacLean, TIP’s New Board President
A schoolteacher who started Vanderbilt Law at age 28, Brad MacLean says his journey to criminal post-conviction defense and policy reform was a “calling.”
Envision Innocence 2020
On October 22, the Tennessee Innocence Project held our annual fundraiser, Envision Innocence. Thank you to our event sponsors and the supporters who donated to the Tennessee Innocence Project during this campaign! We are cannot do this work without your support.
