14th Annual Awards Luncheon Honoree Spotlight: Patrice Gaines
At our 14th Annual Awards Luncheon this year, the Defender of Innocence award will go to Patrice Gaines. Patrice is an award-winning journalist, author of two books, motivational speaker, and advocate for criminal justice reform. Her brave early writing about the 8th & H case for The Washington Post garnered national attention and led to MAIP’s involvement in the case.
When Patrice started at The Washington Post in 1985, she was one of the few Black female reporters in the newsroom. The 8th & H case, in which eight innocent young men were wrongfully convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison, was one of the first stories she covered. Patrice had reported extensively in the neighborhood where the young men lived, and as a Black woman with her own experiences in the criminal-legal system, she understood the issues that plagued the system in a way that other reporters did not. She was devastated by the verdicts, but at the time, she felt powerless to change anything.
Ten years later, MAIP client and current board member Chris Turner, one of the defendants in the 8th & H case, wrote to Patrice from prison. His letter inspired Patrice to embark on a six-year long investigation of the case. She visited Chris and other defendants in prison, interviewed witnesses, and talked to the prosecutors and officers who had been involved in the case.
Patrice never gave up her pursuit of truth, even as she faced immense skepticism that the 8th & H men were innocent and that police and prosecutors might have acted improperly. After her article was published, Patrice continued to speak out for the 8th & H men. When Patrice was working on her story, MAIP had not yet been founded. However, as soon as Patrice learned of MAIP, she pitched the 8th & H case to us. We became involved in 2002 and have been representing Chris Turner since 2010.
Today, Patrice continues writing, speaking, and teaching about issues in criminal and social justice. Patrice’s courage, determination, and powerful writing shone a light on the grave injustices in the 8th & H case. We are so honored to present Patrice with the Defender of Innocence award.
Read Patrice’s article on the 8th & H case here.