Justice for Terrell

JFT at Freedom March for the Wrongfully Convicted

2011-10-06T15:00:00.000-07:00

Members of the Justice for Mike Deloe and Justice for Terrell Johnson organizing campaigns rallied with family members and supporters on October 3^rd, as part of a national day to bring attention to wrongful convictions in the nation’s criminal legal system.

Mary Ann Lubas, Director of the Pennsylvania arm of the National Freedom March for the Wrongfully Convicted, began organizing the event in Pittsburgh three years ago, when her son Michael DeLoe was convicted of a crime that never occurred, while jurors slept through the trial.

The rally brought together formerly incarcerated people and family members of the wrongfully convicted to speak about their experiences trying to navigate the system and prove their innocence after they or their loved ones have been wrongfully accused. Lubas spoke about the execution of Troy Davis and cited statistics of wrongful convictions and why the death penalty should be abolished: “In the past 30 years, 273 people have been exonerated from prison sentences based on DNA evidence. Those that have been exonerated spent an average of 13 years in prison. 130 people have been exonerated from death row, and an estimated 10% of all people in prison are wrongfully convicted."

view video

JFT Fundraiser! Big Party Event! September 8, 2011

2011-08-30T15:52:00.001-07:00

Terrell Johnson has been in prison for 17 years for a crime he didn't commit. He and his loved ones have fought for and succeeded in getting a new trial. But Terrell still needs a legal team who will fight for what is right: FREEING AN INNOCENT MAN!

Join HRC and the Justice for Terrell Campaign at the Shadow Lounge on September 8, 2011 for a night of fun to raise $$$$$ for a legal team. There will be phenomenal performances by:

Vanessa German

Jasiri X

Krunk Jazz Band

Raisaunya Jones

Andre King

Also there will be a silent auction, 50/50 raffle, DJ and more!

Come out and dance, laugh, listen and celebrate the hope and spirit of justice because 17 years of imprisonment is the REAL CRIME.

$7-15 dollar suggested donation (no one will be turned away for lack of funds)

Show starts at 8 pM

Trial Postponed: Defense Files Motions

2011-03-04T12:05:00.001-08:00

Terrell Johnson's trial scheduled to begin the end of February has been postponed, perhaps until May. On February 28th, the court held hearings on defense motions to suppress certain evidence the prosecution is attempting to admit. The judge has ordered briefs, and will set a trial date after ruling on the suppression motions.

Come out to the Rally: Trial Begins January 28, 2011

2011-02-21T15:58:00.000-08:00

On Monday February 28th, 2011 the Justice for Terrell Campaign, the Human Rights Coalition, community members and human rights defenders will gather outside the Allegheny County Courthouse in Pittsburgh to support Terrell Johnson, a resident of Hazlewood who was framed and convicted on a murder charge in 1995. We need everyone! Terrell Johnson successfully won a new trial last year that is scheduled to begin this week.

Supporters will gather at 8AM for a press conference at 8:30. After the press conference, we will head up to Judge Machen's courtroom 326 to witness and support Terrell's fight for justice.

Jury selection is scheduled for Friday February 25th, and the trial will begin February 28th. It is scheduled to last for up to five days. So clear your schedule, come out, and let's FREE TERRELL.

Wrongful Convictions at the East Liberty Library

2011-02-21T15:21:00.000-08:00

The Justice for Terrell Campaign is having a discussion on wrongful convictions and Terrell Johnson's upcoming trial at 5:00PM on February 22, 2011 at the East Liberty Library. The address is 130 S.Whitfield St Pittsburgh PA 15206. Call for directions 412-363-8232. The discussion will last about an hour and will include interactive discussion and participation, along with facts and information sharing.

Trial Date Changed

2011-01-25T10:37:00.001-08:00

Terrell Johnson's trial has been postponed so the judge can go on vacation. Ugh! The jury selection is now scheduled for February 25 and the trial is scheduled to start the following week, probably Monday February 28, 2011.

Wrongful Convictions at the Black & White Reunion

2011-01-23T18:01:00.001-08:00

The Justice for Terrell Campaign organized a workshop on wrongful convictions at the Black & White Reunion in East Liberty this weekend. People talked about their experience with the justice system and police in Pittsburgh and got the low down on Terrell Johnson's case. Below is some info from the workshop publications.

Statistics on wrongful convictions:

With 2.5 million people incarcerated in the U.S. if only .01% of those inside are wrongfully convicted, that makes 25,000 people.

According to a study conducted by the Innocence Project, of 70 cases overturned based upon post-conviction evidence…
• Over 30 of them involved prosecutorial misconduct;
• Over 30 of them involved police misconduct which led to wrongful convictions;
• About 15 of them involved false witness testimony;

Terrell Johnson's case involves prosecutorial misconduct, police misconduct and false witness testimony. Also...

Government Misconduct
In far too many cases, the very people who are responsible
for ensuring truth and justice – law enforcement officials and
prosecutors – lose sight of these obligations and instead focus
solely on securing convictions.

Informants/Snitches
In more than 15% of cases of wrongful conviction
overturned by DNA testing, an informant or jailhouse
snitch testified against the defendant. Often,
statements from people with incentives to testify –
particularly incentives that are not disclosed to the
jury – are the central evidence in convicting an
innocent person.
People have been wrongfully convicted in cases in
which snitches:
• Have been paid to testify
• Have testified in exchange for their release
from prison
• Have testified in multiple distinct cases that they
have evidence of guilt, through overhearing a
confession or witnessing the crime.

Bad Lawyering
The resources of the justice system are often stacked against poor defendants. Matters only become worse when a person
is represented by an ineffective, incompetent or overburdened defense lawyer. The failure of overworked lawyers to
investigate, call witnesses or prepare for trial has led to the conviction of innocent people. When a defense lawyer doesn’t
do his or her job, the defendant suffers. Shrinking funding and access to resources for public defenders and courtappointed
attorneys is only making the problem worse.

Letter Writing-Meets Video-Meets HipHop

2011-01-05T15:20:00.000-08:00

This Friday, January 7, 2011, HRC FedUp! and the Justice for Terrell Campaign will be at the Kelly Strayhorn Theater for the first annual STOP THE VIOLENCE Holiday Talent Showcase. The event will be hosted by lowacit entertainment and Mark C. Producations with cash prizes and special guests The Undalrds and J'aira Pryor. As if that's not enough, the Justice for Terrell Campaign will be doing a video and speak out in support of Terrell Johnson's upcoming trial and letter writing campaign.

Tune in to community organizer, Saundra Cole, with support from One HOOD MEdia's new crime scene investigation footage and find out what's what. In addition, the Justice For Terrell Letter Writing Campaign will be happening on all surrounding clipboards. So come out and STOP THE VIOLENCE by writing to public officials and law enforcement workers who have held an innocent person behind bars for 16 years.

Complete Event Info

Where & When

Kelly Strayhorn Theater
5941 Penn Ave (East Liberty)
Pittsburgh PA 15206
January 7, 2011 5:00 PM

For more info call Mark 412-734-1067

Ticket Outlets

10 Dollars @

Mo Gear
East Liberty 6022 Penn Ave Pittsburgh PA 15206
412-661-6070

Up Beat Records
Wilkinsburg 1008 Wood St Pittsburgh PA 15221
412-731-3719

Dorseys Records
Homewood 7614 Frankstown Ave Pittsburgh PA 15208
412-731-6607

Justice for Terrell-Letter Writing Campaign Launch

2010-12-20T19:34:00.000-08:00

Join the Human Rights Coalition-Justice for Terrell Campaign on December 22, 2010 at 5129 Penn Avenue, 7pm for the launch of a letter-writing campaign in support of Terrell Johnson.

Terrell Johnson has been wrongfully incarcerated for the last 16 years for a murder that the Pittsburgh police department and District Attorney's office know he did not commit.

On February 7, 2011, Terrell will finally be given a new trial.

The Justice for Terrell campaign is asking our friends and supporters to join us by writing two letters to people with the power and influence to end this injustice immediately:

1) Honorable Kim Berkeley Clark was the original prosecutor in Terrell's case. She used perjured testimony to secure a conviction that helped pave her way to higher office.
2) District Attorney Stephen Zappala offered to release Terrell last year if he would admit to a crime he did not commit: Terrell refused the deal.

Help us send a strong message and mobilize support of Freedom for Terrell this Wednesday.

Our blogspot link to letter writing campaign page

Hazel Hastings "Terrell Johnson" Interview with Bill Moushey of the Innocence Institute of Point Park University

2010-11-30T11:39:00.000-08:00

Hazel Hastings talks about her relationship with Evelyn "Dolly" McBryde -- the woman whose testimony landed a Pittsburgh man, Terrell Johnson, in prison for a crime he says he did not commit.

Link to video on Vimeo

Hazelwood Freedom Festival 2

2010-08-12T13:37:00.000-07:00

Join HRC/Fed Up! and the Justice for Terrell campaign for a summer block party in Hazelwood featuring music, fire-jugglers, face-painting, food, and other entertainment, along with literature and information tables about other social justice struggles and community projects. Contact us about tabling opportunities.

There will be speakers as well, including formerly incarcerated people and family members of the wrongfully convicted and those resisting abuse and torture in PA prisons. Come and share your story and link struggles.

Where: Lewis Playground, in front of the YMCA, 4817 Chatsworth Street, Left off of Second Avenue 2 lights before corner store

When: Saturday, August 14, 2010, 5-9pm

Why: Because Terrell Johnson has been incarcerated for 16 years for a crime he did not commit; because the police and DA know this; because he has a new trial scheduled in October; and because we are going to organize and mobilize to force the DA to free Terrell and all those wrongfully convicted.

City Council Open MIC PICS

2010-06-02T13:27:00.000-07:00

City Council Open MIC

2010-06-01T13:25:00.000-07:00

On Tuesday, June 1st, the Justice for Terrell Campaign, the Human Rights Coalition-Fed Up! chapter, One Hood, community members and human rights defenders will gather outside the City County building in Pittsburgh in support of Terrell Johnson, a resident of Hazelwood who was framed and convicted on a murder charge in 1995. Terrell has successfully won a new trial, scheduled for August 2nd, after newly discovered evidence proved that the Commonwealth's star and only witness that implicated him in the homicide was lying through her teeth.

Supporters will gather at 9:00 a.m. with the press conference scheduled for 9:30 a.m. After the press conference, supporters will attend the City Council meeting and voice their support for Terrell and demand his immediate release during the public comment period of the meeting.

Terrell's wife andlead organizer of the Justice for Terrell Campaign, Saundra Cole, says he could be home by now. "The DA's office offered Terrell a deal last fall: cop to a lesser plea, accept a 7-15 year sentence, and walk out of prison today. He refused because he is innocent."

Terrell was sentenced to life in prison based on the perjured testimony of a corrupt witness, Evelyn McBryde, who was cutting deals with the cops in exchange for favorable treatment in her own cases, one of which involved the prostitution of her own children. The Innocence Institute of Point Park recently published on their website that McBryde called them just after midnight on April 1, stating, "I'm not going to be involved in (Johnson's) case."

Even if she were to testify, Terrell's counsel will call witnesses that prove that the testimony that led to his conviction in 1995 was false from start to finish. Dinah Brown will testify that Evelyn was not at her residence that night, as originally claimed, and has photographic evidence to disprove McBryde's description of her apartment. Another witness, Kenneth Robinson, will testify that he was with McBryde at the time of the shooting in another house in Hazelwood, making it impossible for her to have witnessed the shooting.

A new trial will also allow Terrell's counsel to call his two alibi witnesses, both of whom were inexplicably not called during the first trial due to the gross ineptitude of his lawyer. Two other men, Harold Cabbagestalk and Dorian Moorefield, were also charged in the shooting death of Verna Robinson. All three were tried separately. Cabbagestalk was convicted on the lesser charge of conspiracy and Moorefield was exonerated. Both were tried after Terrell and each had competent lawyers that were able to demolish McBryde's perjured testimony.

Verna Robinson was murdered on the evening of July 21, 1994, after Pittsburgh police officers dropped her off at her mother's home in Hazelwood instead of placing her in protective custody. Verna was supposed to be in the witness protection program because of her testimony regarding another shooting in the Hazelwood area.

"The DA's office is attempting to coerce Terrell into accepting a deal in order to cover up their criminal misconduct in illegally warehousing an innocent man in prison for 16 years for a crime they know he did not commit," adds Paradise Gray of One Hood.

"Every night the cops and Commonwealth attorneys who conspired to frame Terrell and continue to hold him despite the proven absence of evidence get to go home to their family," points out Saundra. "Terrell goes to sleep in a prison cell while his wife and children are forced to go another day without him at home. This is cruel beyond words and we will not rest till he is free and these authorities are held to account for their crimes."

Terrell Johnson Case Summary

2010-05-10T08:48:00.000-07:00

Terrell Johnson Case Summary

Terrell Johnson has spent the last 16 years locked in a state prison, separated from his children and loved ones, for a murder that Pittsburgh police know he did not commit. Terrell was charged with murder in the death of Verna Robinson after he refused to provide false testimony against two other men suspected of involvement in her killing. Verna , who was supposedly in the witness protection program for providing testimony regarding a shooting, was dropped off by police at her mother’s house in the community in which she was to be protected from. The only “evidence” used to convict Johnson consisted of the false testimony of Evelyn McBryde, who told police she witnessed the murder two weeks after it occurred and only after being arrested for theft. McBryde could have faced 50 years in prison due to her extensive record, which included charges of prostituting her children. Instead, charges were dropped against McBryde in exchange for her testimony against Terrell and two others. Because Terrell’s trial lawyer failed to conduct a proper investigation, the jury never knew of her record or other serious falsehoods in her testimony. Terrell’s alibis were also not called due to bad legal decisions. The other two men charged in the killing were found innocent of the homicide (one was found guilty of conspiracy) in separate trials because they could afford adequate lawyers.

In August of 2009, Terrell was awarded a new trial after Kenneth Robinson came forward with the information that McBryde was with him the night of the shooting, several blocks away from the murder scene in a Hazelwood basement.

In September of 2009 Terrell was offered a deal: admit to a lesser charge and be released immediately for time served. He refused the deal.

The new trial is scheduled for August 2, 2010, but there is one problem: the Commonwealth’s only witness—a proven liar with a lengthy criminal record—does not want anything to do with the case.

Terrell is currently being held on false charges based on zero evidence. He could have been released last year, but that would not be justice. Join the Justice for Terrell Campaign and mobilize to pressure the District Attorney to immediately drop these false charges and Free Terrell.

Please sign the online Petition: "Justice For Terrell Johnson"

Case Links

Tainted snitch says she won’t testify in a retrial for the man she helped convict: http://innocenceinstitute.org/blog/tainted-snitch-says-she-wont-testify-in-a-retrial-for-the-man-she-helped-convict/