Reflections, a Year After Exoneration
Michael Morton got released a year ago thanks to the Innocence Project. Photo by Jorge Sanhueza-Lyon/KUT NewsBy Tyler Pratt
Today it’s been one year since Michael Morton’s release from prison.
Morton spent more than 20 years behind bars after being convicted of murdering his wife in Williamson County. He was freed after DNA evidence pointed to another suspect.
Morton spoke at the Texas Capitol this morning about his experiences over the past 26 years and the difficulties his lawyers had obtaining the evidence that eventually exonerated him.
“The odd thing about it is that the Innocence Project was willing to say, ‘look, Texas statute allows this. We will pay for all the expenses. Just let us have it and we’ll do it,’” Morton said. “And for reasons that haven’t been elaborated on or maybe articulated, to mine or anyone else’s satisfaction that I’m aware of, is that they fought this. And fought this. And fought this.”
The Innocence Project is the New York legal group that represented Morton. Now he’s pushing legislators to pass laws aimed at preventing prosecutors from withholding evidence — and punishing them if they do.
