Welcome Home John
HELP US WELCOME JOHN HOME!
Make a tax-deductible contribute to our "Final Stretch Fund" to cover the expenses for our remaining work and/or make a tax-deductible donation toward our
"Welcome Home John" package.
Shooting | Evolving Description & Identification | Police Investigation | Alibi |Alternative Suspect | Pretrial Investigation | Trial | Post-Trial Litigation | John's Pleas for Help | Innocence Matters Investigation | Help Us Help John
Check out this fun and easy way to get a special invite along with other cool thank you gifts!
| Learn More! | Join the Crowd! | Raise $$$! | Win Great Prizes! |
Click link below to learn more details!  |
Joining is easy: Just click the button that looks like this! Fill in the blanks: your name, goal, upload a photo, tell folks why they should give. And voila!, you're ready to roll. |
Ask everyone you know & would like to know!  Get them to click this button and select your team! |
Everyone who raises $500 by St. Paddy's Day (that's March 17) WINS! Everyone who raises $1,000 by March 31 WINS even more!! The person who raises the most (over $1,250) wins the most!!! |
It takes a lot of work and dedication to free the innocent. But it is also tremendously rewarding and fun.
JOIN US FOR SOME OF THE FUN! HELP US MAKE THE FINAL PUSH TO BRING JOHN HOME!
We're so very close to securing John's freedom . . . help us finish the job!
Since January 2010, Innocence Matters staff, interns, and volunteers have donated well over a thousand hours to investigate and collect evidence of John's innocence. Our team then presented John's compelling case of innocence in a 100-page habeas petition, supported with several hundred pages of exhibits. We are now nearing the end of our journey.
We remain extremely hopeful that the prosecution will acknowledge the merits of our petition. It took Judge Espinoza only seven days to see the strength of John's legal claims and issue this order to show cause. The district attorney's office continues to evaluate John's case and, we believe, has been sincere and thorough in their efforts to find the truth. Given the multitude of evidence in favor of innocence, we believe the prosecutors will ultimately support John's exoneration.
Although we are optimistic that John will be exonerated without protracted litigation, it is still possible that we will have to conduct a lengthy evidentiary hearing. In either scenario, we are confident that, based on the strength of John's innocence case, he will soon be reunited with his family.
We must be prepared to effectively respond to either contingency. Our Final Stretch Fund will be used to cover the costs of a possible evidentiary hearing. Funds collected through the Welcome Home John campaign will be used to help John make the transition from prison to normal life. Details for each campaign can be found below.
Final Stretch Fund!
Goal: $5,000
The evidentiary hearing will entail 200+ hours of pro bono legal services, many road trips, and considerable out-of-pocket costs to subpoena dozens of witnesses, some of whom are out-of-state; prepare direct and/or cross-examination; prepare demonstrative aids; conduct additional online research; draft reply to any opposition filed; consult experts; interview newly-discovered exculpatory witnesses; and so much more.
1) Donate: Make your tax-deductible donation to the John Smith fund, in whatever amount you can afford, by clicking this button.
2) Spread the word!: Ask your friends and family to join our efforts by sending a donation of $10 or more. Think of other people in your network who care about innocence, truth and justice. Let them know how they can make a difference.
Welcome Home John!
Goal: $5,000
Soon, John Smith will walk out of prison--a 36-year-old man--with nothing but the clothes on his back. Let's help him get off to a good start!
The Basics: John will need to hit the ground running. He can stay with family while he gets set up with a job and a place of his own. He will still need all the basics--clothes, shoes, toiletries, food, a way to commute--to get started with his job search.
Job #1--Getting a Job: John has his GED. He has some construction experience. He is bright, articulate, reflective, physically fit and strong, and eager to learn. He is willing to do any type of job.
Beyond the Basics: John has a lot of time to make up for and his ambitions extend far beyond acquiring the basics. In order to succeed, John will need the tools and resources of a modern society.
An education.
Maybe you know of a a scholarship or grant program that John qualifies for? Share it with us.
Tools of the trade.
In order to become marketable, John will need to acquire job skills and experiences to add to his resume. He will need a laptop, a prepaid cell phone, and internet service to effectively look for a job.
A steady diet of inspiration.
John is a strong and resilient man. Nevertheless, dealing with the transition from wrongful incarceration to freedom will present new challenges. We would like to help John find the inspiration and support he needs.
1) Shop & Send: Next time you are out shopping, pick up a gift certificate at a clothing store, shoe store, book store, a grocery chain, or a department store for John and send it to us. (Please make sure that companies have a Los Angeles branch)
- Check out our Wish List for John!
2) Donate to Innocence Matters & let us do the shopping for you: Make your tax-deductible donation to the John Smith Fund, in whatever amount you can afford, by clicking this button.
3) Tell Us About a Useful Resource:
- someone who is looking for workers--even for a temporary position?
- an organization that provides job placement services for people like John?
- a skill's program that will help John become more marketable quicker?
- a scholarship or education grant?
- a contact at an electronics store who you think might be willing to donate a computer, cell phone, and/or a year's worth of wireless internet and cell phone service?
- anything else that would help John get off to a good start?