In 1995, Obie Anthony was wrongfully convicted of murder. He was sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole and nearly escaped death row. Anthony spent 17 years in prison until he was freed last October with the help of the Northern California Innocence Project. Now, in an opinion piece for “The Reporter,” Anthony continues his fight for justice through his voice as an exoneree and an advocate of Prop 34.
California Proposition 34 will replace the death penalty with life in prison without the possibility of parole for convicted criminals. Anthony notes that across California, hundreds of innocent people have been wrongfully convicted of crimes and three innocent men were sentenced to death. He argues that we cannot run the risk of executing innocent men and women and therefore must eliminate the death penalty in California.
Anthony explains that Proposition 34 will set aside $100 million for the advancement of forensic science, to test DNA evidence, and to pay for crime labs to solve rape and murder cases. It will also save California $130 million dollars a year through the elimination of costly trials.
Read Obie Anthony’s article here.