Interview opportunties dealing with the wrongly convicted and the West Memphis 3

AIDWYC

The Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

WRONGFUL CONVICTION - EXPERTS WILL GATHER FOR A DAY-LONG CONFERENCE  FOLLOWED BY 20th ANNIVERSARY GALA FOR ASSOCIATION IN DEFENCE OF THE WRONGLY CONVICTED

 

What: The Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted (AIDWYC) will be hosting “BACK to the FUTURE” a day-long educational conference, gala dinner and an evening of festivities in recognition of its 20th Anniversary. It is intended to be a celebration of all that has been accomplished. It is also an event whose purpose is to raise awareness and much needed funds to support the work on cases.

When: Saturday, November 23, 2013

Time:  Conference 8.30 am to 5.30 pm. Gala: 7pm-to-midnight

Where:  Hyatt Regency, 370 King St W. Toronto, ON M5V 1J9

Tickets: Conference and/or Gala tickets available from AIDWYC ( www.aidwyc.org )

Who: Jason Baldwin (West Memphis Three) is the Keynote Speaker at AIDWYC’s Gala Dinner. He will be introduced by film director Atom Egoyan (his new non-fiction film, Devil"s Knot, examines the West Memphis Three murder and subsequent trial). Mr Baldwin will be in Toronto early and is available for a limited number of interviews. He joins a long list of wrongly convicted Canadians and Americans who will be in Toronto to participate in this milestone event.

AIDWYC Co-President, lawyer Ralph Steinberg is available for interviews, as are lawyer and AIDWYC founder James Lockyer and AIDWYC board member Ron Dalton, ( who himself is a wrongly convicted Canadian who spent 9 years in prison for a non-murder).

Also speaking and available for interviews (prior arrangement requested) are New York lawyers and co-founder’s of the Innocence Project Barry Scheck and Peter Neufeld, the godfather of innocence work and founder of Centurion Ministries, James McCloskey,  co-host of the Fifth Estate, Linden MacIntyre, Special advisor to the Commissioner of the Elliot Lake Inquiry and former Special Advisor on wrongful convictions to the Department of Justice, Stephen Bindman, retired Kingston, Ontario Chief of Police, William Closs, Judge Anne Derrick, QC of the Provincial and Family Court of Nova Scotia, Professor Tim Moore from the Department  of Psychology at Glendon College, who is a consultant and expert witness in criminal trials both in Canada and the United States, Justice Murray Sinclair, Chair of the Truth and Reconciliation Commission of Canada.

WHAT: Leading experts in their fields  who will be taking part in seminars covering topics that include: History of Innocence Work, Shaken Baby Syndrome, the Role of the Crown in Preventing Wrongful Convictions, the Role of Bias in the System, False Confessions/Plea Bargains, the relationship between Forensic Science and Miscarriages of Justice and the Long Way Home – the wrongly convicted and their families share their stories. 

SUPPORT MATERIAL:  Sammy Ray Welch has recently produced and directed a 6-minute video about the organization and it can be viewed at: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TGD2PA2HLLQ (Preview) (Preview) This video is available for free use by the media.

Toronto lawyer and retired Toronto Star investigative reporter Harold Levy has written about AIDWYC and the wrongly convicted over the past two decades. He also writes an award-winning blog about exoneration cases involving disgraced Ontario coroner Charles Smith.

 In preparation for the November 23 conference Levy has worked with videographer George Socka to interview four people about the plight of the wrongly convicted in Canada and the United States. Over the course of two weeks they interviewed Rob Baltovich, John Artis, Ralph Steinberg and Sean MacDonald. These videos are available for free use by the media:  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TTPeARoq8a0&feature=youtu.be

 The Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted is a national, non-profit, charitable organization dedicated to identifying, advocating for, and exonerating individuals convicted of a crime that they did not commit and to preventing such injustices in the future through education and reform.

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The media is invited to cover the conference and the  gala - please contact Stephen Weir for press passes and to arrange interviews. The public is welcome to attend “Back to the Future”.  Tickets can be purchased through AIDWYC’s website http://www.aidwyc.org. 

CONTACT:  Stephen Weir at 416-801-3101 or 416-489-5868. stephen@stephenweir.com.