Just after midnight on July 25, 1990, a man was shot and killed in the parking lot of an apartment complex in Oakland, CA. Shortly after the shooting, police picked up 17-year-old Jerome Dixon, who had been hanging out with his friends nearby, and drove him to the crime scene and then to the police station. Police interrogated Jerome for 25 hours eliciting a confession. Despite no physical evidence linking him to the crime, Jerome accepted a plea deal for second-degree murder and was sentenced to 18 years to life in prison.
To learn more about false confessions:
https://lavaforgood.com/false-confessions/
To learn more and get involved:
Write to Governor Gavin Newsom's office in support of a pardon for Jerome. Email pardons@gov.ca.gov, and be sure to put Jerome Dixon's name in the subject line.
Contact your Representative or Senator and tell them you support the Protecting Miranda Rights for Kids Act, which would require police to notify and contact parents or guardians if their child is arrested or detained.
Get involved with the work of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition. Visit their website at https://antirecidivism.org/
Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.
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