Overturning Wrongful Convictions
February 25, 2024
Hosted by The Express Yourself! STAR On-Air Teen Team
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Guest Information
Episode Description
“True peace is not merely the absence of tension: it is the presence of justice.” ? Martin Luther King Jr. Julia hosts a fascinating and insightful hour about the wrongful convictions of young people. She begins by citing the incarceration of Kenneth Hovland, who faced four decades of wrongful conviction. She also highlights DNA testing. The emergence of DNA technology has not only enabled us to identify perpetrators with unprecedented accuracy but has also served as a beacon of hope for those who have been wrongfully convicted. Organizations like the Innocence Project have tirelessly championed the use of DNA testing to exonerate innocent individuals, offering them a second chance at freedom and redemption. Since 1989, a staggering 575 people in the United States alone have been exonerated based on DNA testing. These are individuals who were once deemed guilty beyond a shadow of a doubt, yet whose innocence was revealed through the power of science and perseverance. Julia then interviews teen Bijan Taheri, founder and director of Youth for Innocence, an organization dedicated to overturning wrongful convictions. Through volunteering, Youth for Innocence gives students first-hand experience with criminal law, aid lawyers in investigating the thousands of letters they receive from prisoners claiming innocence while taking the first step for prisoners to achieve their exoneration. They provide an initial training program to teach student volunteers to evaluate cases, examine new evidence, and assist pro bono attorneys with RT notes and summaries of cases. Volunteers then apply this knowledge to real-life cases, gaining first-hand experience with legal work and the administration of justice, and earning community service hours. Bijan personally conducted RT notes for defense attorney Ellen Eggers, as seen on Netflix’s Innocence Files Episode 5, on cases to reinvestigate and exonerate innocent prisoners. The conversation is riveting and the topic is of critical importance. Tune in! Follow us: https://www.starstyleradio.com/expressyourselfteenradio • https://www.facebook.com/ExpressYourselfTeenRadio/ • https://www.facebook.com/BTSYAcharity/ • Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/expressyourselfradio/
Express Yourself!
Sunday at 3 PM Pacific Time on VoiceAmerica Empowerment Channel
Express Yourself! is an entertaining adolescent fusion program where passion, productivity, and possibility populate the airwaves. Produced by Starstyle Productions, LLC as an international outreach program of Be the Star You Are! charity, the radio program, Express Yourself! is a show for, by, and about teens. Hosted by teens and teenage field reporters from around the country, Express Yourself! is THE destination for teens to be heard. Within the walls of the young adult community, listeners are uplifted and encouraged to be the stars of your own life. Through collaboration and conversation, a global campus of young people express their views. Topics include anything that kids talk about-books, music, making a difference, technology, school, art, humor, writing, tough talks, health, sports, films, family, friends, foes, fashion, and fun. Come play in STAR country and Express Yourself!, Sundays at 3 PM Pacific on VoiceAmerica Empowerment.
The Express Yourself! STAR On-Air Teen Team
Broadcasting since 2011, twenty-seven young people from around the United States have regularly shared their passions and interests as hosts and reporters on Express Yourself! These teens are not afraid of the tough topics and thrill at the opportunity of interviewing a variety of guests including authors, actors, Olympians, scientists, musicians, poets, and experts of varied disciplines. As volunteers with Be the Star You Are! 501 c3 charity (http://www.BTSYA.org) the Express Yourself! teens are accomplished youth striving to make a difference on our planet and are dedicated to sharing ideas while having fun and giving a voice to the voiceless. Meet our STARS at http://www.ExpressYourselfTeenRadio.com.
