Aaron Thomas, a partner at Taft Law, and Trish Palermo, an associate attorney at Taft Law, are volunteering with the Great North Innocence Project to support exonerated client Marvin Haynes as he pursues justice and compensation after his wrongful conviction. Both are generously contributing their legal acumen and passion for justice pro bono to ensure…
Read MoreMinnesota Supreme Court affirms Great North Innocence Project client entitled to post-conviction relief
Today the Great North Innocence Project (GNIP) announced that the Minnesota Supreme Court affirmed that lower courts’ decisions setting aside the second-degree murder conviction of GNIP client Robert Kaiser.
Read MoreJoin me in supporting GNIP’s freed clients: A message from exoneree Terry Olson
My name is Terry Olson and I am a proud 2016 GNIP exoneree. I first attended the Innocence Network Conference in 2018. Now, I invite you to join me in donating to the Great North Innocence Project’s campaign to send more freed and exonerated clients and their support people to this important event. I know…
Read MoreGreat North Innocence Project client exonerated after nearly 20 years in prison for wrongful conviction
The Great North Innocence Project (GNIP) announced today that their client Marvin Haynes will be released from the Minnesota Correction Facility – Stillwater after spending nearly 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. GNIP will hold a press conference with the Hennepin County Attorney’s Office (HCAO) and the Haynes family about…
Read MoreGNIP legal intern reflects on first-hand post-conviction litigation experience
Summer legal intern, Anna Mae Engel, accompanied GNIP’s managing attorney, Andrew Markquart, to Mississippi to support during the evidentiary hearing for GNIP’s client, Amy Wilkerson. Amy has been incarcerated for a crime that she did not commit for 18 years. Below, Anna Mae details what it was like as a law student to attend the…
Read MoreMothers Never Flag in their Fights for Justice
This Mother’s Day is especially meaningful at the Great North Innocence Project. Already in 2023, we freed our first client who is a mother and saw her reunited with her children, and also grieved the loss of a freed client’s mother who never forgot about him. Cassandra (Cassi) Black Elk was wrongfully convicted of felony…
Read MoreThe Making of an Innocence Attorney
On February 15, Great North Innocence Project Managing Attorney Jim Mayer joined friends and family of his very first innocence client to experience the height of any innocence attorney’s career: watching his client walk free from incarceration. The moment Michael Wearry exited Elayn Hunt Correctional Facility in Saint Gabriel, Louisiana, was a long time coming….
Read MoreThe Great North Innocence Project celebrates client’s release from prison after Minnesota Conviction Review Unit’s investigation
The Great North Innocence Project announced today that their client Thomas Rhodes will be released from Moose Lake Correctional Center after spending nearly 25 years in prison. His release is the result of a comprehensive review of his case by the Minnesota Conviction Review Unit, a partnership between the Great North Innocence Project and the…
Read MorePro Bono Champions of the Year Celebrate Successes and Talk Hopes for Their Client
At this year’s Benefit for Innocence, the Great North Innocence Project is debuting a new award, the Pro Bono Champion(s) of the Year Award, to recognize an individual pro bono volunteer or a pro bono team that have contributed significant time, expertise, resources, and passion towards investigating and litigating innocence cases in partnership with our…
Read MoreExoneree Michael Hansen Finds a Renewed Sense of Self in Tattooing
Kinship Collective Tattoo is a special place. Found downtown in quaint Northfield, Minnesota, the tattoo parlor is owned by Michael Hansen who leads a team of four additional tattoo artists. The space feels bright and energetic, with red and grey walls filled with framed paintings and oddities—many of which were gifts brought to Mike by…
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