For the past thirty years I’ve been practicing law as a civil litigator. I take pride in helping to find justice for everyday folks whose lives are turned upside down by the negligence of others. But, when I began writing my novel A Criminal Defense, I knew that I wanted to focus on the criminal side of law. First though, I needed to do some research. So, I headed down to the court house.

I watched murder trials, preliminary hearings and arrangements. Cases became very real to me in a way I wasn’t expecting. I saw the families of the victims and the families of the defendants. Families on both sides of the isle were torn apart and a person’s life was hanging in the balance. Justice was hanging in the balance.

One of my favorite movies is “Shawshank Redemption,” where an innocent man goes to prison when his wife was murdered. I can’t help but wonder, how many innocent people really do end up in prison. It certainly happens. With modern day science and technology and, break-throughs in DNA evidence, we are seeing cases were people have been exonerated after spending decades in prison for crimes they did not commit.

The 17th Century English jurist, William Blackstone, is quoted by Ben Franklin as saying, “It is better 100 guilty Persons should escape than that one innocent Person should suffer.” I can’t imagine spending one day in prison for a crime I didn’t commit. So, I decided to see what I could do to help.

I had a meeting with the Legal Director at the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. It was an interesting meeting to say the least. The Innocence Project receives over 300 letters from inmates a month asking for their help. This year, thanks to the PA Innocence Project’s efforts a number of innocent men and women have received exoneration's right here in Philadelphia.

I’ve decided to donate my time and some of my law-firm resources to the Pennsylvania Innocence Project. I’ll keep you posted on what becomes of my work with them. Stay tuned.

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