125 – how many people were exonerated in 2014; a record high number

80 million – how much money spent on wrongful conviction settlements in the past year alone

52% – how many of New York’s DNA exonerations involved eyewitness misidentification

48% – how many of New York’s DNA exonerations involved a false confession

150 – how many actual perpetrators were caught after 330 DNA exonerations in NY state

almost 20 – the amount of years Lorenzo has spent in and out of prison

16 – the amount of years Jeffrey Deskovic spent in prison

For more statistics and an in-depth look at wrongful convictions, read Lorenzo’s latest article in The Huffington Post “Ending Wrongful Convictions: No Room for Error” here on our site.

Dear supporters and future supporters,

I hope and pray all is well with everyone and your families. Your continued support of my cause and innocence is highly appreciated. My journey has been long and have taken a serious toll on my family, friends and myself. I’ve watched from afar as my kids turned into adults. I still recall my oldest daughter sending me pictures she had drawn in elementary school of stick figures and the words: I miss and love you.” Fast forward 2 decades later — she has gone to college, lives in her own house and now is a mother…

The wall that injustice has placed between family, friends and supporters of the innocent is literally indescribable. Our constant nightmare is relived every time we open our eyes still in prison. Wrongful convictions do not only affect innocent prisoners, it tears family structures apart. One thing we can NEVER get back is the lost time. I have a brother and 2 (two) sisters that have never came to see me during these 20 years. I’ve had no contact with my biological father in over 20 years. No choice of my own. Before my wrongful conviction was reinstated, I forgave them and let them know how much I needed them. I’m known to smile a lot and even through these tough times, my smile remains. Am I angry, bitter, frustrated and disappointed due to my situation? Without a doubt. I take this constant pain and anguish and direct it towards my fight to prove my innocence, at the same time educate society first hand on the struggle of innocent prisoners. There is no idea in regards of what it’s like to walk in the shoes of us innocent prisoners — there’s no ifs or buts about that.

I now have a new judge and I’m awaiting court dates, which should be very soon. In a lot of situations, the truth can help, hurt or change someone. For Lorenzo Johnson, the truth will eventually set me free. The sad thing is, the people society rely on to make sure justice is served are personally responsible for false arrest and conviction. They knew I was innocent from day one. Meanwhile, for 20 years an innocent man is in prison while a murderer walks the streets… A lot of times innocent prisoners get a backlash from speaking out in concerns with their wrongful convictions. I totally disagree with the notion that, you don’t want to make noise about our innocence and Etc. As if innocent prisoners and our families are supposed to be silent while we are steadily being tortured for being innocent. If our rolls were reversed, they also would want everyone to scream at the top of their lungs to whoever would listen. I’m a firm believer that by being silent, that helps wrongful convictions continue to be swept under the rug until necessary action is taken–that’s if that action is ever taken.

I’m human and at times I fall into mental slumps. I’ve been blessed to have an exoneree [Jeffrey Deskovic] as a best friend. Just recently, I was falling into a mental slump, I called Jeff and after speaking to him for a half hour, I was good. Innocent prisoners may have family, friends or supporters — but, no one can relate to our pain like someone who had/have our shoes on. I would like to thank the following exonerees who have been in touch with me: Jeffrey Deskovic, Derrick Hamilton, Eugene Gilyard, Obie Anthony, Jarrett Adams, Harold Wilson and William Lopes (RIP).

Once again, I want to thank ALL of my supporters. Please continue until we can make a difference. Feel free to use my articles. For those who can make a financial donation please do it’s needed. Everyone who writes me knows I personally respond. Feel free to contact me. For those outside of the country and would like to help raise awareness about my injustice, contact me.

“The Pain Within”
Free The Innocent,
Lorenzo ‘Cat’ Johnson

©9/27/15

The latest from Lorenzo Johnson’s blog with The Huffington Post is up and ready for you to read and share with friends and family.

“Every Sunday, people can tune in to CNN to watch Death Row Stories or BET for Vindicated and see how the judicial system has failed many innocent men and women. The time these wrongfully convicted individuals have spent in prison can be anywhere from a year to three or four decades.

Society gets an up-close look at judicial corruption from TV shows like these. Some viewers will never look at the judicial system the same way again — their faith in the courts has been shattered.”

Read the rest of Johnson’s moving article on our site here.

Throughout the past few years of Lorenzo’s entanglement with the judicial system, there have been a variety of legal documents that illustrate this process and his fight for freedom.

We have added some of these documents – his 3rd PCRA Petition in 2013, the following Supplements, the AG’s Response, and Lorenzo’s Reply to the AG – to this website to publicly provide further evidence of Lorenzo’s innocence.

Check them out here.

“I would like to thank the Pennsylvania Innocence Project for believing in my innocence and joining my legal team. Thanks.” – Lorenzo Johnson

In Lorenzo’s latest letter to supporters, he tells a story about an intern for the PA Innocence Project who had worked on his case. Lorenzo recounts this as an “inspirational experience” – he says he was inspired by the intern, who is now seeking a career in public defense to prevent other men and women from being wrongfully convicted.

While Lorenzo sees this intern as an inspiration, Lorenzo is an inspiration to us all.

In the same letter from August 16th, he discusses how he is working to advance himself while serving a sentence that he does not deserve.

“I was able to stay in the Warehouse Material Handling class I was in when I just recently returned back from court. I just received another opportunity to further my education to put to use when I come home. I am now certified in OSHA (Occupational Safety and Health Administration) and NCCER (National Center for Construction Educational Resources) through their 10 hour safety course. Please know that I am not just sitting here – where I do not belong – collecting dust.”

During his time in prison, Lorenzo has continued to pursue educational and occupational opportunities. He also writes for The Huffington Post and published his latest article, “I Was Wrongfully Convicted and So Are Too Many Others,” on August 25th. Lorenzo remains confident that justice will prevail and that he will soon get to use his certifications while enjoying the freedom he deserves. As he puts it,

“I feel my time is near for me to get totally vindicated.”

Lorenzo’s hope and his relentless fight are a source of inspiration. Let us use this inspiration to feed our desire for justice and take action. Free the Innocent!

To read more of this letter and to read all of Lorenzo’s statements, visit this page.

For those of you who do not already receive email newsletter updates with Lorenzo’s latest letters, articles, and legal concerns, please take a moment to sign the petition to free Lorenzo Johnson.

“When people hear about wrongfully convicted prisoners, they often ask why these individuals end up spending so much time in prison before they are exonerated. For the wrongfully convicted, the judicial system has failed twice – once in winning the wrongful conviction, but also in intentionally delaying exoneration for as long as possible.”

So begins Lorenzo’s latest article for The Huffington Post, “Hurry Up and Wait for Justice: The Struggles of Innocent Prisoners.”

The judicial system has failed him and many others. Lorenzo references the injustice dealt to Jeffrey Deskovic, founder of the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice and strong supporter of the Campaign to Free Lorenzo Johnson, who was incarcerated for 16 years before a DNA test exonerated him.

In this new article, Lorenzo touches on the stories of others who were wrongfully incarcerated, stating that “[he] could go on for days with examples of how justice is constantly being delayed for innocent prisoners.”

Read these stories and the entire article here, and take a stand to fight for justice!

Lorenzo Johnson and co-defendant Corey Walker’s families joined them in support as a Dauphin County judge held a hearing on Thursday, July 16 in Harrisburg.

Lorenzo’s brother Tyrone, Lorenzo’s wife Tazza, supporter La Tasha Williams, and La Tasha’s classmate Stacie Lindsay

The hearing concerned Corey Walker’s attorney, Rachel Wolkenstein. The Office of the Pennsylvania Attorney General (OAG) motioned the court to vacate its previous order which permitted Rachel Wolkenstein, Esq. – an attorney admitted to practice law in the state of New York – to temporarily practice law in the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania as counsel for Corey Walker. The OAG asserts that Ms. Wolkenstein violated rules of professional conduct by communicating with Lorenzo Johnson, who has been represented by Michael Wiseman, Esq. since 2006. The rules of professional conduct prohibit an attorney from communicating with another attorney’s client, except in certain, extremely limited circumstances. Ms. Wolkenstein argues that she did not violate any ethics rules and that the focus of litigation should be on convening an evidentiary hearing to flush out Lorenzo and Corey’s actual innocence claims.

The hearing was stopped at 3 PM, and a date for its continuance hasn’t been set. Nor, unfortunately, has a date been set for an evidentiary hearing where Lorenzo’s attorneys can present newly uncovered evidence of his innocence.

In an interview after the hearing, Lorenzo Johnson’s wife Tazza told FOX 43 reporters that she is “extremely frustrated. This is absolutely ridiculous. (Lorenzo) has been in prison for almost 20 years for a crime that he did not commit. And, we still cannot get a date for an evidentiary hearing that they agreed to have.”

Lorenzo Johnson deserves and needs a hearing that examines new evidence rather than merely muddles with attorney assignments. When will the justice system deliver justice?

Read the press release from FOX 43 for further coverage of the hearing.