Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project Receives Gift from Trust of Hubert James Williams

The Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project is honored to be the recipient of a generous gift from the trust of MAIP client Hubert James Williams.

In 1998, Williams, who went by James, was wrongfully convicted of attempted murder in Baltimore County, Maryland. There was no physical or forensic 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. Throughout 12 years of wrongful imprisonment, James fought persistently to clear his name. In November 2009, after a reinvestigation by the Baltimore County Police Department, James was exonerated of all charges and released from prison.

Following his exoneration, MAIP and co-counsel Baker Botts helped James obtain compensation for his wrongful conviction and imprisonment. In 2019, James received a little over $900,000 from the state. He established the Hubert James Williams Trust to hold these funds.

Sadly, James passed away in June this year. Despite the injustices he experienced, James remained a generous and empathetic 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. MAIP will use the funds to build the capacity of our exoneree support program, ensuring that our clients have the care and assistance they need as they navigate the reentry process and rebuild their lives.