News and announcements
What’s happening at the Academy for Justice
What Happens When Community Violence Intervention Gets the Support it Needs to Thrive?
February 21, 2023 –The Appeal As cities look to make new investments in non-police responses to gun violence, the Bull City United program in Durham, North Carolina, shows the importance
The Weldon Project and Mission [Green] Announce the Release of Medical Cannabis Prisoner Luke Scarmazzo
February 3, 2023 –Cision Weldon Angelos, Founder of The Weldon Project and Mission [Green] which focuses on gaining the release of cannabis prisoners, announced today that he helped secure the
The Innocence Project’s 9 Must-Reads of 2022
December 21, 2022 –The Innocence Project From deeply moving personal storytelling to thought-provoking research, these new books are our must-reads of 2022 for those looking to deepen their understanding of
Texas Death Penalty Cases At High Court Raise DNA Issues
Story by Shannon Johanni; Two capital cases have wound their way through the Texas state criminal courts to the U.S. Supreme Court, highlighting substantial concerns with the state’s criminal justice system involving DNA and the death penalty.
Bail Reform: Last Week Tonight with John Oliver
HBO With midterm elections approaching, John Oliver discusses the issue at the core of many republican attack ads: bail reform. Oliver discusses research from the Academy for Justice’s Reforming Criminal
Fact-checking Arizona Democrats’ claim that Abraham Hamadeh misled about his legal experience
Valena Beety, a criminal law professor at Arizona State University’s Sandra Day O’Connor School, said law students in Arizona can practice law in court as part of an externship or clinic if they are supervised by an attorney with an Arizona Bar license.
Mission Green Launches New Clemency Initiative and Petitions President to Release Parker Coleman Who Is Serving 60 Years for Marijuana
Mission Green, an initiative of the Weldon Project (“TWP”), today announced the filing of a clemency petition for Parker Coleman, Jr., who is currently serving a 60-year federal sentence for marijuana-related offenses. This filing along with several other petitions comes on the heels of President Biden’s historic mass pardon of anyone previously convicted on a federal charge of simple possession of marijuana.
A Star Witness Recanted. But Tasha Shelby is Still Imprisoned for ‘Shaken Baby Syndrome’ Junk-Science.
“Even when the science has changed, even when there’s proof that false evidence was presented at trial, it’s still so so hard to reverse the conviction,” said Valena Beety, a member of Shelby’s legal team.