15th Annual Awards Luncheon—Champion of Justice Honorees

Troy Burner 

Champion of Justice Award Recipient and Featured Speaker 

 

 

Troy Burner is a motivational speaker, community mediator, and criminal justice reform consultant. In 1994, when Troy was only 21 years old, he was wrongfully convicted of a murder he did not commit. His conviction rested on paper-thin evidence, namely the ever-changing story of a cooperating witness, who falsely testified to Troy’s presence at the crime scene in exchange for leniency. Despite his innocence, Troy spent more than 24 years in prison.

In 2017, MAIP and co-counsel Venable LLP filed an amended Innocence Protection Act motion that included a detailed recantation from the key witness in Troy’s case. Troy was released on parole in 2018, and he was finally exonerated in 2020. Today, Troy is an Associate at the Justice Policy Institute, where he works to bring justice to disenfranchised communities. He is also a caring and empathetic mentor who is always available to support fellow exonerees and formerly incarcerated people as they navigate life after prison. Thanks to Troy and Venable, in 2022, MAIP established the Venable-Burner Exoneree Support Fund to provide crucial reentry services to our freed and exonerated clients. We celebrate Troy for his commitment to criminal-justice reform and his tireless work to build and strengthen exoneree support systems in his community.

 

 

Hubert James Williams 

Champion of Justice Award Recipient

 

Photo Credit: The Baltimore Sun

 

Hubert James Williams, who went by James, was wrongfully convicted of attempted murder in 1998. There was no evidence tying him to the crime, and the State’s case was built on eyewitness misidentification and false testimony from an informant who was given leniency on his own charges. James was finally exonerated in 2009, after spending 12 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. With no family, James struggled with substance abuse and intermittent homelessness. Thanks to outreach by a social worker at the Veterans Administration, MAIP and co-counsel Baker Botts L.L.P. helped James obtain compensation for his wrongful conviction and imprisonment in 2019. He established the Hubert James Williams Trust to hold these funds.

Sadly, James passed away in June 2023. Despite the injustices he experienced, James remained a kind and generous man who cared deeply about others, especially those who had been wrongfully convicted. He bequeathed all remaining funds in the Trust to MAIP to help others like him. His transformative gift will enable MAIP to expand the capacity of our Exoneree Support Program.

We remember James for his compassion, generosity, and commitment to ensuring that exonerees have the services they need to thrive after prison.

 

The Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project’s 15th Annual Awards Luncheon will take place on June 26, 2024. Join us for an inspiring afternoon! You’ll hear powerful stories from our clients, meet advocates and other changemakers, and enjoy a delicious lunch while connecting with fellow community members. Purchase your tickets by June 20, 2024.