IJLA November News:
For 25 years, IJLA has been fighting for freedom from prison for people who should not be there. The community our clients have formed with one another — one that stretches back to before our founding when they were incarcerated together — is now a cornerstone of our organization. In this new short film, which we debuted at our gala, you can hear from the people who have been with IJLA from the beginning.
The film focuses on the support IJLA clients have always given one another. Supportive relationships forged in prison while working on each other’s cases became community connections necessary for stability and survival once they were free. Recognizing the power of these connections, IJLA continues to hold frequent client gatherings, making space for conversation, education, fun, and advocacy.
As we celebrate our 25th anniversary we are proud to have been founded on the ideas of incarcerated people, and we are grateful that so many of our clients remain in community with us even decades after their release.
IJLA Board Director News
Innocence & Justice Louisiana is proud to welcome former Louisiana Gov. John Bel Edwards to its Board of Directors.
A lifelong public servant and attorney, Edwards brings decades of leadership experience and a strong commitment to a more just Louisiana. During his two terms as governor, he championed criminal legal system reforms that expanded rehabilitation opportunities, reduced incarceration, strengthened public safety, and generated significant savings for the state.
“Gov. Edwards has demonstrated throughout his career that justice and public safety go hand in hand,” said IJLA Executive Director Jee Park. “His experience bringing people together to tackle complex challenges will be a tremendous assets as we continue to fighting for freedom and fairness in Louisiana.”
Edwards said, “I am inspired by the excellent and Herculean work IJLA does to advocate for, and secure the freedom of, the wrongfully convicted, often serving a life sentence, who would otherwise have no legal counsel to find new evidence and exonerate them.”
Please join us in welcoming Gov. Edwards to the IJLA team. His leadership and dedication to justice will help strengthen our work on behalf of people impacted by wrongful conviction and unjust incarceration. You can read our full press release here.
IJLAs Inaugural Client Art Market
On October 2, supporters, staff, and community members gathered at IJLA’s office for a Client Art Market in honor of Wrongful Conviction Day. Featuring artwork created by Elvis Brooks, Henry James, Robert Jones, Raymond Flanks, Clydel Cummings, and books by Jerome Morgan, Calvin Duncan, and Dan Bright. The event offered a powerful reminder that our clients are more than the injustices they endured. Through painting, drawing, and other creative works, each artist shared a unique perspective, transforming personal experiences into expressions of hope, resilience, and possibility. We are proud to celebrate our clients’ talents and grateful to everyone who helped make the event a success. This will be an annual event!
IJLA in the Community
The IJLA legal team was in court in October, fighting for Maurio Alexis’s exoneration in St. John the Baptists Parish. Mr. Alexis has spent more than 30 years in prison for a murder he did not commit. After years of investigation and litigation, we are presenting new evidence that shows the prosecution failed to disclose information that key witnesses had motives to provide false testimony. In a case that relied on the testimony of four teenage witnesses, every living witness has recanted and said they were coerced into accusing Mr. Alexis. No physical evidence ties him to crime.
This hearing represents the culmination of years of work by our legal team, and is an important step toward seeking freedom for Mr. Alexis. We will finish the hearing later this month, and hope for a ruling before the end of the year. Please keep Mr. Alexis and his loved ones in your thoughts as these proceeding continue.
Recently, LSU’s Wrongful Conviction Clinic appeared in Lincoln Parish court in support of a motion for DNA testing of evidence in a post-conviction case. The judge ruled in our favor and we can now pursue testing for our client.
Third-year law student Matt Packard played an active role in the proceedings, working alongside IJLA clinic supervisors as part of the Clinic’s ongoing efforts to investigate claims of wrongful conviction.
Partnerships like this provide students with meaningful courtroom experience while contributing to the careful review of cases where DNA evidence may prove innocence.
We are proud to lead the LSU Law Wrongful Conviction Clinic in the pursuit of justice throughout Louisiana.
Last month, Earl Truvia, Jerome Morgan, Larry Delmore, Robert Jones, Raymond Flanks, Cedric Dent, Elvis Brooks, and Wilbert Jones participated in Dillard University’s Exonerated Voices event, held in conjunction with Becky Gottsegen’s exhibit “Exonerated: Portraits of the Wrongfully Convicted”, speaking about their wrongful convictions, exonerations, and the realities of rebuilding a life after release.
Together, these panelists spent 233 years incarcerated for crimes they didn’t commit. They spoke to a rapt audience about their experiences, their presence on that stage in itself a moment of triumph over the wrongs of the Louisiana criminal legal system.
Stand for Justice Shreveport
Join Innocence & Justice Louisiana on November 18 from 5:30-7:30 for our annual Stand for Justice, Shreveport meet-and-greet featuring Calvin Duncan, exoneree, author, and justice advocate.
After spending more than 28 years wrongly incarcerated, Calvin was exonerated in 2021. Since then, he has become a leading voice for justice reform and support for wrongfully convicted individuals. In 2025, he published his memoir, The Jailhouse Lawyer, and was elected Orleans Parish Clerk of Criminal Court.
Enjoy cocktails, hors d’oeuvres, and meaningful conversation with Calvin Duncan and members of the IJLA legal team as we come together to support the fight for justice in Louisiana.
IJLA IN THE NEWS
- Former Gov. John Bel Edwards joins our board of directors : Biz New Orleans highlighted IJLA’s appointment of former Gov. John Bel Edwards to its Board of Directors.
- Greg Bright featured on Wrong Conviction Podcast with Jason Flom: Greg reflects on his wrongful conviction, nearly three decades behind bars, and his journey home.