Exoneree Jeff Deskovic speaks tonight in New York

Tonight in New York City, exoneree Jeff Deskovic will talk about his wrongful conviction and the 15 years he spent in prison for a murder he didn’t commit. The event, which is open to the public, will be held at 6 p.m. at Baruch College, at 55 Lexington Ave. in Manhattan (room number VC 3-215).

Deskovic was arrested when he was just 16 years old. After long hours of improper interrogation without food, Deskovic falsely confessed to the crime. He was convicted despite DNA results showing the biological evidence of someone else at the crime scene. In 2006, the Innocence Project requested that the same evidence be subjected to more sophisticated DNA testing so it could be checked against a state database of convicted offenders, and it matched the identity of the person who committed the crime. Deskovic was exonerated, and today he speaks around the country about his experiences and his work to prevent future wrongful convictions.

Read more about Deskovic’s case here

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Deskovic is one of more than 75 DNA exonerees who were wrongfully convicted arrested when they were between 14 and 22 years old. They lost the prime of their lives for something crimes they didn’t docommit.. The Innocence Project today launched a national campaign to mobilize young people in an effort to free the innocent and prevent wrongful convictions.

Learn more in today’s blog post on the new campaign

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