Mr. Bailey after being released from prison. |
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David Perry, Mr. Wallace, and Jake Tapper before an interview on CNN.
Mr. Wallace, David Perry, and Cody Wilcoxson at a get-together after Mr. Wallace’ s release from prison.
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OUR CRIMINAL JUSTICE WORK
Tyree Wallace Walks Free After 27 Years of Wrongful Imprisonment
In November 2024, Tyree Wallace was released after nearly 27 years of wrongful imprisonment. Mr. Wallace was convicted of a 1997 Philadelphia murder despite evidence of his innocence. In 2019, he was introduced to Blank Rome through the Pennsylvania Innocence Project.
Initially seeking help with intellectual property rights for his prison mentorship program, MANN Up, his case inspired Blank Rome attorney David M. Perry to take on his full legal defense. David, along with Christopher Cody Wilcoxson and Scarlett L. Montenegro Ordoñez, filed a post-conviction petition in 2023, resulting in Mr. Wallace’ s life sentence being vacated in June 2024. During his incarceration, Mr. Wallace founded two nonprofits and mentored fellow inmates, among many other acts of kindness, exemplifying resilience and the transformative impact of pro bono advocacy.
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After Decades Behind Bars, William Bailey Is Home After 36 years of wrongful imprisonment, William Bailey— a U. S. Army Veteran who always maintained his innocence— was released in April 2024 thanks to the unwavering pro bono efforts of Blank Rome and the Pennsylvania Innocence Project(" PaIP ").
He was originally convicted in 1988 based on discredited testimony and suppressed exculpatory evidence. Mr. Bailey’ s path to freedom culminated in an Alford plea on April 4, 2024, allowing him to return home while preserving his claim of innocence.
The Blank Rome team— Lauren E. O’ Donnell, Robert M. Shinehouse, Huaou Yan, and Naomi Zwillenberg— dedicated years to uncovering the truth, collaborating with the Conviction Integrity Unit, and advocating for justice.
Justice Reclaimed After Defending a Survivor Against Double Jeopardy
Lauren O’ Donnell, alongside the Battered Women’ s Justice Project, National Defense Center for Criminalized Survivors, and a Pittsburgh attorney, stepped in to defend a woman accused of killing her abusive exboyfriend in self-defense. After a mistrial was declared at the original trial, Lauren joined the case to argue that a retrial would violate double jeopardy, as the mistrial had been improperly declared. Though the trial court rejected their argument, they pressed on and appealed to the Pennsylvania Superior Court. In a powerful turn of events, the appellate court reversed the decision, dismissed the charges, and set their client free.
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Mr. Bailey and his legal team.( From left to right: Blanca Castro( PaIP), Robert Shinehouse, Nilam Sanghvi( PaIP), Naomi Zwillenberg, Huaou Yan.) |
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Mr. Wallace ' s legal team.( From left to right: Christopher Cody Wilcoxson, Keir Bradford-Grey( Marrone Law Firm), Scarlett Montenegro Ordoñez, David Perry) |
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BRoader Impact • 5 |
BRoader Impact • 6 |