Lawyer Johnson, wrongfully convicted and sentenced to death, shares his story

On March 25, 2016, our client Lawyer Johnson was a guest speaker at Northeastern University School of Law. Lawyer, a black man, was wrongfully convicted of murdering a white man in 1972. Lawyer’s conviction was based primarily upon the testimony of Kenny Myers, a police informant. Eventually a witness came forward and testified that she saw Myers shoot the victim. Racial bias permeated Lawyer’s trials. His second trial took place as court-ordered busing was beginning, a time of heightened racial tensions. Originally sentenced to death, Lawyer served ten years in prison before being freed. He describes this ordeal as a “legal lynching.”

Our firm represented Lawyer on his compensation claim under state law for his wrongful conviction. Howard’s former law partner, Michael Avery, won Lawyer’s freedom on a motion for a new trial.

Lawyer seeks speaking opportunities so he can share the story of his wrongful conviction and his career as an activist, advocate against the death penalty, and inspire conversations about changing our criminal justice system. Lawyer also enjoys presenting the artwork he created while he was in prison. If you would like to invite Lawyer to speak at your event, please contact Carmen at 617-742-4100.