Fifty-six Elon Law students participated in the Innocence Project this semester, reviewing credible claims of innocence by individuals convicted of crimes in North Carolina.
Elon Law student Mackenzie Myers serves as president of Elon Law’s chapter of the Innocence Project.
“What makes Elon Law’s Innocence Project so unique is that it affords students the opportunity to work on real cases entrusted to us by The Center on Actual Innocence,” Myers said. “While this type of work requires dedication, commitment and the desire to work towards ensuring the justice system lives up to its name, it is an extremely rewarding experience to know that we, as Elon Law students, could play a critical role in helping an innocent person obtain their freedom.”
The national Innocence Project litigation and public policy organization reports that since 1989, 333 people in 37 states have been exonerated through post-conviction DNA testing. The Innocence Project states on its website that “sentences served by DNA exonerees spans from five months to 35 years, and on average people served 13.5 years in prison (and several years on parole, in many cases) before they were exonerated through DNA testing.” The Innocence Project also notes that more than 70 percent of DNA exonerees are people of color (African American, Latino or Asian) and studies estimate between 2.3% and 5% of all prisoners in the U.S. are innocent.
Elon Law students participating in the Innocence Project for the fall semester include
- Mackenzie Myers (President)
- Merima Mustafic (Vice President of Case Managers)
- Alexandra Hall (Vice President of Training)
- Jennifer LaBeau (Treasurer)
- Elizabeth Leo (Secretary)
- Bronte Anelli
- Carlea Atkinson
- Anika Bailey
- Whitney Baker
- Leah Britt
- Pahola Burgos
- Sawyer Butto
- Kayla Campbell
- Chelby Carey
- Keirah Carmichael
- Jessica Chong
- Andrew Covington
- Tieranny Cutler
- Tiffany Fitzgerald
- Landon Hodges (Case Manager)
- Daniel Karlsson
- Todd Kendrick
- Natasha King
- Jasmine Limage
- Liliane Long
- Destiny Lowder
- Hannah Mains
- Sean McLeod (Case Manager)
- Russell Michalec
- Aarin Miles
- Caitlin Mitchell
- Kayla Mohr (Case Manager)
- Jaylyn Noble
- Nicole Opata
- Nicholas Patrick
- Kalie Pritchett
- Adam Roberts
- Jalisa Roberts
- Casey Simmons (Case Manager)
- D. Max Sims
- Billy Sivyer
- Brittany Spencer
- Melissa Stoll
- Stephanie Stradling
- Emily Troutman
- Paige VanKooten
- Spencer Warren (Case Manager)
- Candace Washington
- Melissa Watkins
- Janelle Wendorf
- Ashley Williams
- Phyniques Williams
- Danielle Wilson
- Raquel Wollaston
- Jasmine Young
- Rachel Zielinski