Michael Morton Speaks About Wrongful Conviction, Advocates Reform

For the first time since DNA testing proved Michael Morton innocent of the murder of his wife and identified a convicted offender as the perpetrator, he gave his first public speaking presentation to the Longview Greggton Rotary Club in Texas on Friday. Morton spoke about his wrongful conviction, the separation from his young son and his 25-year fight for exoneration. He is urging legislators to implement new laws that hold prosecutors accountable for misconduct and encouraged members of the Rotary Club to join the fight, according to the

Longview News-Journal

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“I am rebuilding my life, and I can unequivocally assure you that life is good, it is very good,” Morton said. “I want to make sure that what happened to me does not happen to you.”

 

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“I can’t get my 25 years back; there is nothing I can do to change it. I can’t bring my wife up out of the ground. I can’t re-establish every single thing I lost with my son, but we can do something,” Morton said.

 

“Little tweaks” in the judicial and bar systems could greatly encourage district attorneys not to bury evidence, Morton said.

Like Morton, other exonerees are out speaking about the issues that matter to them to schools, civic organizations, churches, and other venues nationwide. The Innocence Project believes that the personal stories of the exonerated provide the most compelling introduction to the problems of wrongful conviction. The Exoneree Speakers’ Bureau is made up of former Innocence Project clients who have become accomplished public speakers motivated by their desire to prevent future injustice.

 

Read the

full article

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To book an exoneree speaker or learn more about the Exoneree Speakers’ Bureau,

click here

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Read more about Morton’s case

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