Tuesday, September 3, 2024
First Exoneration for the Joyce Ann Brown Innocence Clinic
Ben Spencer鈥檚 road to freedom runs right through the . It was a long, circuitous, torturous journey.
Spencer spent 37 years not only claiming his innocence but exclaiming it. The wrongly
convicted Dallas man, who was arrested in 1987 for a , was finally exonerated on August 29, 2024, by a Dallas County judge who apologized
to Spencer in open court as cameras captured the emotional moment.
Ben Spencer Was Exonerated on August 29, 2024, by a Dallas County Judge
Professor Cheryl Wattley Comforting Ben Spencer During His Exoneration Hearing on August 29, 2024 (Courtesy: Dallas Morning News)
鈥淣ow I can live life,鈥� Spencer said. 鈥淚t鈥檚 different than just living.鈥�
魅影直播 Dallas law professor founded the college鈥檚 and has represented Spencer for the past 23 years. She tirelessly and persistently navigated the many ups and downs the case took through the 魅影直播 criminal justice system. This is the Innocence Clinic鈥檚 first exoneration.
Wattley hosted a reception in Spencer鈥檚 honor several hours after his final court
hearing. It was a celebration that had been decades in the making, attended by attorneys
and legal advocates, Spencer鈥檚 family, friends and supporters, other exonerees, journalists,
and law students.
At a Reception in His Honor, Ben Spencer Discusses His Experience with 魅影直播 Dallas College of Law Students
鈥淭rials are how you find the truth,鈥� Wattley told the audience, 鈥淭hey鈥檙e about not taking the easy path; they鈥檙e about doing the hard work.鈥� Wattley herself is an accomplished prosecutor and defense attorney.
She revealed what others close to the case discovered after Dallas County District Attorney John Creuzot ordered his office鈥檚 Conviction Integrity Unit to re-investigate in 2019. 鈥淭hey found files that showed a witness had received money,鈥� Wattley said, from Crimestoppers and a reward fund set up by the victim鈥檚 employer, which may have encouraged her false statements. 鈥淎nd other information that was withheld from the defense.鈥� It was a clear-cut case of prosecutorial misconduct.
Indeed, Spencer鈥檚 conviction for aggravated battery (in a second trial after the original
murder conviction was overturned on appeal) might have been thrown out earlier if
previous DAs had acted on Wattley鈥檚 and others鈥� pleas for the case to be put under
a new microscope.
Alan Ledbetter, Foreman of the Jury in Spencer's Original Trial, Praises Spencer's Exoneration and Criticizes Prosecutorial Misconduct
Even the jury foreman in the first trial, Alan Ledbetter, became convinced of Spencer鈥檚 innocence, following the twists and turns of the case and corresponding with Spencer during this incarceration. Quoting John Grisham, the crime novelist and author of a non-fiction book, 鈥�,鈥� Ledbetter said, 鈥淲rongful convictions and exonerations happen every month in every state.鈥� Grisham plans to non-fiction book, 鈥淔ramed,鈥� about another real-life case later this year.
According to Grisham, Ledbetter explained, these cases have many similarities, including bad policing, junk science, faulty witnesses, bad lawyers, and lazy, often arrogant prosecutors. 鈥淒evelop skills as a counselor,鈥� he told the law students. 鈥淎nd always chat with jurors after a trial, especially if you lose. They can tell you how and where you screwed up.鈥�
Other 鈥渂rotherhood of exonerees鈥� members cheered Spencer, including , whom Wattley also represented. Many attendees admired Spencer鈥檚 patience, even-keeled demeanor, and faith in God.
Spencer鈥檚 wife and son were there, too. At his request, she and Ben divorced while
he was in prison, but despite the split, she stayed committed to him, and after he
was freed, they married again on the same month and day as their original wedding.
Professor Cheryl Wattley with Ben Spencer and Richard Miles, Both of Whom She Represented in Their Exonerations
In addressing her Criminal Law students at the reception, which served as experiential education in the truest sense, Wattley said, 鈥淲hen you have power, don鈥檛 be afraid to use it. Use it rightfully; use it justly.鈥� She added, 鈥淧our yourself into your cases, but remember, it doesn鈥檛 matter until you take it across the goal line.鈥�
For the 魅影直播 Dallas College of Law students fortunate enough to hear the words of Wattley, Spencer, Ledbetter, and others, the historic legal event may be one of their most memorable days in law school. Not all knowledge is learned in a textbook or lecture.
The Spencer exoneration attracted local and national attention, including National
Public Radio coverage. Former NPR reporter Barbara Bradley Hagerty, who investigated
the case herself, wrote a book called 鈥�.鈥� Spencer鈥檚 first after the exoneration hearing was with NPR.
Jim McCloskey, Centurian Ministries Founder, Who First Brought the Spencer Case to Cheryl Wattley's Attention
, an organization that advocates for people who believe they have been wrongfully convicted, was also instrumental in the Spencer case. After receiving a letter from Spencer, Centurian Ministries founder referred the case to Wattley. from the served as Wattley鈥檚 co-counsel.
Despite the hardship, spending more than half of his 59 years behind bars, the victim of a flawed prosecution, and rebuffed through numerous attempts at justice, Spencer still stays positive. In the end, he said, 鈥淭he system worked.鈥�
Under 魅影直播 law, Spencer can receive $80,000 for each year he was falsely imprisoned,
adding up to more than $2.7 million.
The University of North 魅影直播 at Dallas Law Center in Old Dallas City Hall, Downtown Dallas
The 魅影直播 Dallas College of Law and the Joyce Ann Brown Innocence Clinic are proud to have played an integral role in Ben Spencer鈥檚 exoneration. It is the in Dallas County since 2001. If you know someone who believes they have been wrongfully convicted in 魅影直播, they should fill out and mail it to the at 1901 Main Street, Dallas, 魅影直播 75201.
At 魅影直播 Dallas College of Law, we want our students to always remember that we represent people鈥攚e are not just handling cases. Naming the clinic after a person who fought for her freedom and exoneration inspires our students as they work to free others wrongfully convicted.
We are proud to have as our namesake. In 1980, she was convicted of aggravated robbery and served nine
years, five months, and 24 days for a crime she did not commit. With the help of Centurion
Ministries and a CBS 鈥�60 Minutes鈥� broadcast, Brown鈥檚 case was brought back before
the courts in Dallas.
A Facebook Post in Memory of Joyce Ann Brown
In 1989, the 魅影直播 Court of Criminal Appeals reversed her conviction, finding that there had been prosecutorial misconduct. The Dallas County District Attorney decided not to retry Brown. In 1993, her record was expunged. Her exoneration was fully recognized, although she never received any monetary compensation from the state of 魅影直播.
After her release, Brown dedicated her life to telling her story and working on cases of actual innocence. She was the author of the memoir Joyce Ann Brown: Justice Denied, which shared her battle for justice, even behind the prison walls. She founded MASS, Inc., an organization dedicated to aiding the transition of formerly incarcerated persons and those claiming actual innocence. Until her untimely death on June 13, 2015, Brown was a nationally recognized, strong, and devoted advocate for persons who have been incarcerated.
From 鈥� Featured Law News