National Freedom March for the Wrongfully Convicted

NATIONAL FREEDOM MARCH FOR THE WRONGLY CONVICTED
RALLY WILL BE HELD ON STEPS OF THE CITY COUNTY BUILDING
 
Pittsburgh, PA-June 22 - A National Freedom March for the Wrongfully Convicted is being held Saturday, June 27, 2009 on the steps of the Pittsburgh City County Building at 11 a.m. According to a recent report released by the Pew Center on the States, the U.S. correctional population -- those in jail, prison, on probation or on parole -- totaled 7.3 million, or 1 in every 31 adults.   Speakers and informational materials will be available at the event.  18 states are actively participating with marches in their states across our country to their State Capitol or City Hall.
 
”Pennsylvania is just one of many states holding simultaneous Freedom Marches to raise public awareness of the up to 730,000 people in the correctional population that may have been wrongfully convicted,” said MaryAnn Lubas, Director of the Pennsylvania Chapter of the National Freedom March.  “In the last 3 decades 238 Americans have been exonerated with DNA evidence after spending an average of 12 years incarcerated,” Lubas added.  The National Marches are being coordinated by The Raye of Hope Organization, a group dedicated to raising awareness of wrongful convictions.
 
Keynote Speaker at the March will be Dave O’Hara, a member of False Allegations Solution Team, (F.A.S.T.). Falsely accused of a crime that cost him dearly financially and emotionally, he is now dedicated to helping others that were wrongfully accused and convicted.
 
O’Hara’s speech will provide insights into the devastation wrongful convictions can cause to the innocent and their families.  He will address the need for systematic reform to help reduce these injustices. He will also speak on the role that judges play in perpetuating wrongful convictions by putting procedure over innocence, rubber stamp denial of appeals, and generally looking for every means possible to affirm convictions regardless of the facts or the quality of the defense upon which the fairness of trials are based.
 
Another speaker, will be Rick Morris, Executive Director of the DaRon Cox Legal Defense Fund.  “Innocent citizens are locked up in the United States everyday,” said Morris,  “If people were more aware that their tax dollars were being used to warehouse innocent people, they would be morally outraged.  This Freedom March is a critical first step toward enlightening people as to the depth of the wrongful conviction problem across the country.”
 
Representatives from Pennsylvanians for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, The Innocence Institute, The Innocence Project/PA Chapter and the ACLU have also been invited to speak.
 
Please join us at this worthwhile event.  More information on the National Freedom March for the Wrongfully Convicted at www.freedommarchusa.org.

For Further Information:                                    
MaryAnn Lubas
724-695-1964
mlubas2@yahoo.com

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