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Robert Hinds hasn't added a story.
Detroit native and innocent Michigan lifer, Robert T. Hinds, was wrongfully charged with first-degree premeditated murder and felony firearm as a juvenile, convicted of both charges and sentenced to life in prison without parole at the age of 17.
After maintaining his innocence for years, Hinds and his supporters discovered a miscellaneous case file maintained by the Detroit Police Department through a FOIA request. This case file contained exculpatory evidence that was wrongfully withheld from his state-appointed defense attorney during his trial in 2001. Within this miscellaneous case file, was an overwhelming amount of DNA and physical evidence supporting his claims of actual innocence including an untested hair follicle with the root attached and usable fingerprints that were found at the crime scene, along with police tip sheets and credible witness statements.
Exculpatory Evidence Was Withheld That Could Exonerate Mr. Hinds.
Brady Violation Issues And Newly Discovered Evidence
See
Kyles v. Whitley, 115 S.Ct. 1555, 514 U.S. 419, 131 L.Ed.2d 490, 63
U.S.L.W. 4303, (1995).
See Strickler v. Greene, 119 S.Ct. 1936,
527 U.S. 263, 144 L.Ed.2d 286, 67 U.S.L.W. 3683, 67 U.S.L.W. 4477,
(1999).
See People v. Chenault, 495 Mich. 142, 845 N.W.2d 731, (2014).
Corrupt Justice is Injustice!
Ineffective Assistance of Appellate Counsel and Clarity Regarding DNA Evidence
On appeal by right, Hinds’ appellate counsel, Randy E. Davidson, erred by stating within the statement of facts that Hinds was linked through DNA evidence to the crime that is the subject of this matter. These are not the facts of the matter and resulted in the Court of Appeals and Federal District Courts incorrectly indicating in each of their opinions respectively that Hinds was linked to the crime by DNA evidence. Per trial transcripts dated April 10, 2002, pages 15 and 20; April 16, 2002, pages 174, 175, 183, and 184, the judge indicates Hinds was not linked through DNA. The DNA results indicated Hinds could not be excluded from two samples (C1 and E2). It was further confirmed no one in the courtroom could be excluded from the DNA Samples, The DNA results were inconclusive. Appellate counsel’s error was discovered between 2007 and 2008 by a prison paralegal. Appellate counsel later sent Hinds a letter indicating he never received any forensic report indicating Hinds was linked to the crime.
Hinds’ advocacy team asserts that had this evidence been provided to his trial attorney and heard by the jury instead of wrongfully withheld, he would have never been convicted. In April 2020, Hinds filed an exoneration application with the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU).
Unfortunately, due to a lack of funding and staffing, the CIU reported to the Detroit Free Press in December 2021 that it has 1800 applications, 1000 open investigations, and 30 open cases. Despite the substantial evidence submitted to the CIU in Hinds’ exoneration application, his case is one of the 1000 open investigations that has yet to be assigned to a staff attorney, which means that his nightmare of wrongful imprisonment continues with no expected release date in sight.
This fundraising campaign is being created to raise funds to pay for the expensive and ongoing legal expenses of Hinds' fight to prove his innocence after 20 years of wrongful imprisonment.
Concerned family and friends of Hinds have started a petition on his behalf to urge the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit to expedite the investigation of his exoneration application. Supporters can sign the petition for Hinds’ freedom at www.change.org/freeroberthinds. More detailed information about Hinds’ exoneration journey and the evidence discovered that proves his innocence can be reviewed at A Life for A Life Urban Initiative. Hinds can also be contacted directly at www.jpay.com using the inmate ID 410196.
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