Alfred Dewayne Brown and his daughter after his release from Texas death row.
We just received new pictures from Alfred Dewayne Brown after his release from Texas death row. He wants us to express his extreme gratitude to everyone who has donated to help him. He sounds happy on the phone and is quick to laugh. He told us that in addition to learning how touch screen cell phones work, he enjoys feeding the horses out in the fresh air everyday, one of the activities he longed to do while locked up in solitary confinement on Texas death row for ten years.
We're just $535 short of our goal of raising $5,000 for Dewayne.
Donate to help Dewayne Brown.
We have five days to go on the campaign, so please donate if you have not yet had a chance. If you cannot donate, please help spread the word to others who may be able to donate.
After more than ten years on Texas death row for a crime he did not commit, Alfred Dewayne Brown walked free and into the loving arms of his family and friends on June 8, 2015. "I went in an innocent man and I came out an innocent man," said Brown. Now, he needs your help so that he can rebuild his life. What would you do after ten years on Texas death row? Would you even have money to buy clothes or food or have fun? Can you please help him?
Alfred Dewayne Brown
Alfred Dewayne Brown has been placed on the
Death Penalty Information Center's Innocence List as Exoneree #154.
Click to donate. Everything donation gets us closer to making Dewayne's transition from death row to freedom a little easier.
Lisa Falkenberg, a columnist for the Houston Chronicle, took notice of Dewayne and wrote a series of articles concerning his case and the Grand Jury. Making waves around the world and winning the coveted Pulitzer Prize for her series, Ms. Falkenberg has shed light on the barbaric Grand Jury system in Harris County, from threatening witnesses to using ex-cops to serve as foreman (on nine juries). It took the new DA, Devon Anderson, seven months and two days, to announce that Harris County has no evidence to bring charges against Dewayne and he should be set free.
Dewayne spent 12 years, 2 months and 5 days behind bars for something he had no part in. That is 4,449 days or 106,776 hours of his life that was stolen from him. Nearly every one of those days were spent in solitary in a cell no larger that a small bathroom.
Typical Cell on Texas Death Row Occupied by One Person in Solitary Confinement
Living with the fact that he could be executed any day. Torn away from his family, not being able to be a father to his daughter. For this, the State of Texas needs to compensate Dewayne. But, it will be a long time, if ever, that he gets any compensation from the state. That is why he needs your help now.
This is where the people of the world come in. Dewayne needs your help now to get on his feet. He needs to rebuild his life that Harris County and the State of Texas stripped from him. Going straight from solitary to the "free world" is no easy task. He needs time to adjust being able to make decisions on his own, at a pace that is comfortable to him. We can never give these years back to Dewayne. But, we can help him manage more comfortably. Please give what you can. Everything makes a difference.
Read more about the day Dewayne was released here.
In a related development, the Houston Chronicle reports that the prosecutor in the case of Anthony Graves was disbarred on June 11 by the State Bar of Texas. Graves' case is similar to that of Dewayne Brown's, because like in the Graves case, Brown's prosecutor was found to have withheld exculpatory evidence. From the Chronicle:
Anthony Graves sat on death row for more than a dozen years and told anyone who would listen that the prosecutor in his 1994 capital murder trial withheld evidence, presented false testimony and lied to the judge.
At the time, few people believed the stunning allegations against Burleson County District Attorney Charles Sebesta.
On Friday, State Bar of Texas officials told Graves he was right and had disbarred Sebesta for prosecutorial misconduct, an exceptionally rare punishment for an elected district attorney.
Graves, who faced two execution dates and spent more than 18 years behind bars for a crime he did not commit, has become one of the signature exoneree cases in Texas during the last decade. He said the ruling against Sebesta was vindication and quoted Shakespeare.
"The worm has finally turned," he said. "And it's pointing toward justice now. It's a good day."
A few weeks after Graves was released in 2010, Texas Moratorium Network collected $3,500 and delivered it to him. He was eventually compensated by the state but only after his initial application for compensation was denied. It was not until June 2011 that Texas finally compensated him.
The current fundraiser is being conducted with the consent of Dewayne Brown, who will receive all funds raised, minus the 3 percent charged by the credit card processing company. We have also obtained consent from Dewayne's legal team. While Indiegogo Life doesn't charge a fee, payments are handled by third-party processors who charge a 3% transaction fee.
At the end of the 30 day campaign, the donations will be transferred directly to a bank account set up by Dewayne's legal team for his exclusive benefit.
The fundraiser organizers are a group of Texas death penalty abolitionists who want to help Dewayne. Organizers include Pat Hartwell, Scott Cobb, Hooman Hedayati, Gloria Rubac, Delia Perez Meyer, and Lily Hughes, as well as the organizations Texas Moratorium Network, Texas Death Penalty Abolition Movement, Campaign to End the Death Penalty, and others to be listed as they endorse the fundraiser.
If you prefer to donate by check, you can send a check to:
Texas Moratorium Network
3616 Far West Blvd, Suite 117, Box 251
Austin, Texas 78731
Please write on your check that your donation is for Dewayne Brown.
Donations are not tax-deductible.
Click to donate.
