The Innocence Center

Wow! What a year! 🤩 Peep the thread for a highlight of everything we’ve done so far. Go to theinnocencecenter.org for more information about our mission and how you can support! ⚖️

🎉 Celebrating One Year of Impact at The Innocence Center! 🎉 One year ago from August 1, we opened our doors with a vision to transform the criminal legal system by freeing wrongfully convicted individuals, educating the public on causes of wrongful convictions and assisting exonerated people as they reenter society. 🌟 What We've Accomplished in Our First Year: 🔓 Freed 3 wrongfully convicted individuals who served a collective 63 years in prison  📜 Helped pass 2 new California laws on innocence issues  🤝 Hired a team of five innocence experts and established a Board of Directors made up of former California Innocence Project staff and alumni. Collectively, the Board and Staff have decades of innocence experience, freeing more than 40 people who have served 560 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. 🛠 Formed critical partnerships with legal technology companies and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation 🌐 Became an official member of the Innocence Network  🎙 Launched a new season of "For the Innocent” in collaboration with Legal Talk Network Looking ahead, The Innocence Center aims to exonerate even more clients in the next year. Currently, the Center is investigating and litigating about 60 wrongful conviction cases and also working to expand access and reach to clients in prison. Through legal technology, the Center can add to the prison’s existing iPads which facilitates communication with clients. Join us in this journey! Learn more about our work and how you can support our mission at TheInnocenceCenter.org. #InnocenceCenter #WrongfulConvictions #JusticeForAll #ForTheInnocent #Exoneration #CriminalJusticeReform

🌟Next up on our #MeetTheTeam: Introducing Grace McSpadden, our fantastic summer Policy Intern! 🌟 Grace is a rising Junior at Occidental College, where she's majoring in Politics with a minor in History. Originally from Austin, Texas, Grace is currently calling Los Angeles home. During her time with The Innocence Center, Grace has tackled everything from scheduling to research projects, including the exciting task of drafting our 2025 legislative agenda. Her passion for public policy has only deepened through her work here, and she's set to take her enthusiasm global with a semester abroad in Paris, studying international relations! We’re grateful for Grace’s contributions and can’t wait to see where her passion for politics takes her next! 📚

🎉 Happy Birthday to TIC’s Executive Director, Michael Semanchik! Today, we’re not just celebrating another year for Mike, but a full year of his incredible leadership! He’s the kind of leader who truly values and uplifts every member of our team, making sure we all shine in our roles. From getting The Innocence Center off the ground to hustling for those crucial federal and state grants, Mike’s dedication keeps us going strong. And let’s not forget his networking magic—whether he’s chatting about the Pittsburgh Steelers or making key connections, he knows how to make things happen. When Mike’s not fighting for justice, he’s all about family time—whether he’s making Kandi bracelets for the Taylor Swift concert or coaching his son’s Little League team, Mike’s got the work-life balance down to an art. Thanks for being such an amazing leader, Mike! Join us in wishing him a very happy birthday! 🎂🎈

🎙️ New Episode Alert! 🎙️ For the Innocent on Legal Talk Network has dropped a powerful new episode that you can’t miss! 🎧 Imagine this: You’ve spent decades behind bars, fighting tirelessly for your freedom. Your lawyer is confident you’ll get a new trial, but nothing is guaranteed. Then, out of the blue, the prosecution offers you a deal: Walk free today… but only if you admit to a crime you didn’t commit. 😮 Would you take it? What would you do? Dive into this gripping episode where we unravel the heart-wrenching decisions faced by the wrongfully convicted. 💔 Listen now and join the conversation: https://lnkd.in/gecA6qmc #ForTheInnocent #WrongfulConvictions #Innocence #Justice #LegalTalkNetwork #TrueCrime

🌟Next up on our #MeetTheTeam series is Lexi McGinn File! Before beginning her senior year of high school, Lexi spent a week with the TIC team as an intern. Lexi aspires to be a rising star in the field of psychology, and she also happens to be the niece of our Senior Staff Attorney, Audrey, all the way from Nebraska! 🌽 With her interest in psychology, Lexi dove into studying eyewitness memories for a few of our cases, and we’re thrilled to share that she did an incredible job. Her findings were presented to the team last week, and we couldn’t be more impressed! ✨ Lexi, you’re destined for a bright future, and we’re so proud to have had you with us. Keep shining! 🌟

🌟 #MeetTheTeam: Lesley Forbes 🌟 Today, we're shining a spotlight on Lesley Forbes, our incredible volunteer paralegal. Lesley's hard work and generosity have made a tremendous impact on our team and the work we do at The Innocence Center. Coming to us with a long history of working with San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) Company, Lesley reached out to volunteer almost immediately after we launched our website a few months ago. Since then, she has played a key role in helping TIC revamp its initial intake system and efficiently managing all the legal mail that comes through the office. Despite having just retired from SDG&E this month, she has graciously committed to staying on as our volunteer paralegal, even though she could be enjoying her retirement elsewhere. Beyond her incredible work with us, Lesley is a dedicated foster caretaker for animals in need and loves to travel. We are extremely thankful to have Lesley on board. Her organization and dedication are key to the smooth operation of our office intake system. Thank you, Lesley, for all that you do!

🌟 Our next spotlight in the #MeetTheTeam series shines on Shane Montal, an amazing volunteer at The Innocence Center! Shane is a rising senior at La Jolla Country Day School in San Diego. Outside of his studies, he enjoys surfing, playing volleyball, and hiking. When asked about his experience volunteering, Shane shared, "After hearing about the life-changing work of the services of The Innocence Center, I felt an urgent call to be a part of it. Also, as a politics enthusiast and a history buff, I have seen and read many accounts of how policy changes can impact all of us, and I am so grateful to have been able to be part of such a remarkable organization that drives such meaningful change, and has helped so many.” Thank you, Shane, for all your hard work and dedication! Your passion and commitment make a significant impact on our mission. 🌟

🎉 Happy Birthday to our incredible Director of Policy and Development, Jasmin Harris ! 🎉 Jasmin, pictured here with her two adorable nieces, always comes to work with a smile on her face and never fails to keep our clients at the forefront of every conversation. She is changing the system, paving alternative routes to free our clients, and making a significant impact every day. When Jasmin is not changing the system or helping our clients, she’s being an amazing cat mom to her beloved Mufasa! 🐱💕 Join us in celebrating Jasmin today and wishing her all the happiness in the world! 🥳🎂🎈

🌟 #MeetTheTeam: Lesley Forbes 🌟 Today, we're shining a spotlight on Lesley Forbes, our incredible volunteer paralegal. Lesley's hard work and generosity have made a tremendous impact on our team and the work we do at The Innocence Center. Coming to us with a long history of working with San Diego Gas and Electric (SDG&E) Company, Lesley reached out to volunteer almost immediately after we launched our website a few months ago. Since then, she has played a key role in helping TIC revamp its initial intake system and efficiently managing all the legal mail that comes through the office. Despite having just retired from SDG&E this month, she has graciously committed to staying on as our volunteer paralegal, even though she could be enjoying her retirement elsewhere. Beyond her incredible work with us, Lesley is a dedicated foster caretaker for animals in need and loves to travel. We are extremely thankful to have Lesley on board. Her organization and dedication are key to the smooth operation of our office intake system. Thank you, Lesley, for all that you do!