Remembering Sam Sommers

Remembering Sam Sommers, Whose Research on Race Supported the Fight for Freedom
for Wrongfully Convicted People

Dr. Sam Sommers lent his expertise to support the wrongfully convicted

Overturning even one wrongful conviction requires an enormous effort; it takes a team and a community.  At the New England Innocence Project (NEIP), our legal efforts rely on collaborations with pro bono attorneys, investigators, forensic analysts, and social scientists, among others. This week, NEIP mourns the loss of Dr. Sam Sommers, a psychology professor and director of the Racial Diversity and Equity Lab at Tufts University, who lent his expertise to support the wrongfully convicted–including our client, Edward Wright–and bring them home to their families.  

Sam was an experimental social psychologist whose research focused on race, social perception and judgment, and the psychology of intergroup relations and racial bias. Over the course of his career, he shared his expertise on the impact of race in the criminal legal system, including exposing its staggering racial disparities. He was generous with his time and supported NEIP clients who had been misidentified by a cross-racial eyewitness identification or who were convicted based on racial stereotypes at trial or during jury deliberations.

Sam’s focus on race was essential to our work and to understanding the stories of our clients. Based on National Registry of Exonerations data, Black people are far more likely to be convicted of crimes they did not commit than white people. For example, innocent Black people are seven times more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder than white people. And although Black people make up less than 14% of the U.S. population, they account for nearly half of all exonerations.

Sam’s most recent collaboration with NEIP involved a careful examination of the role of race in Edward Wright’s wrongful conviction out of Springfield, Massachusetts in 1985. Eddie, a Black man, was tried before an overwhelmingly white jury after the prosecutor challenged every potential Black male juror in the courtroom before the trial began. Eddie was prosecuted for the murder of a white woman, who was his friend, and the prosecutor repeatedly and gratuitously emphasized the victim’s race and used racialized language in questioning witnesses and addressing the jury. Eddie was also seated away from his attorney for the duration of the trial. In an expert report that was submitted to the court in support of Eddie’s Motion for New Trial, Dr. Sommers concluded that “the staging of the trial, including where Mr. Wright was seated, would have risked activating longstanding stereotypes of Black men and danger.” Our fight to overturn Eddie’s wrongful conviction is ongoing as we await a decision on his Motion for New Trial, and we are saddened that Sam cannot be here to see the impact of his contributions. 

Sam’s commitment to racial justice was unwavering. We are forever grateful for his invaluable assistance–in Eddie’s case and so many others. His voice, wisdom, and expertise will be sorely missed, but his legacy lives on in the families he helped reunite and the ongoing fight for freedom.

Advocacy Update: Expanding the Time to Petition for a New Trial in N.H.

We believe that if someone is innocent and in prison, they should be able to go to the Court when there is new evidence about their case. Right now, in New Hampshire, wrongfully convicted people only have three years to go back to the Court, and that leaves innocent people languishing in prison.

Earlier this month, we testified in New Hampshire in support of SB141, a bill that would expand the time for an innocent person to petition for a new trial where they've uncovered new evidence or new forensic evidence, key tools that can prove someone's innocence. You can view an excerpt from this testimony below.

"This [three-year] timeline is virtually impossible to meet in wrongful conviction cases. In 2016, the National Registry for Exonerations reported that an average exoneration took 11 years, almost three times the New Hampshire limit. Wrongful conviction work is slow for many reasons…the three-year limitation period is preventing viable claims of innocence from coming to light.

With the proposed changes to this statute, New Hampshire can bring itself in line with the rest of the country and with scientific understanding. There is no value in a wrongful conviction based on false or misleading evidence. This bill would offer a meaningful pathway to correct these wrongful convictions in New Hampshire." 
— Cynthia Mousseau, N.H. Staff Attorney, New England Innocence Project 

There are many more steps in the legislative process, but if it passes, it could significantly impact members of our community who are wrongfully incarcerated in New Hampshire.

Honoring the Legacy of Exoneree, Bobby Joe Leaster

New Book About Bobby Joe’s Case and Life, Justice Under God, Benefits NEIP

Pictured: Judge Christopher Muse (right) with client Bobby Joe Leaster on Bobby’s 35th birthday.

“He was a client, then a friend, then a brother.” — Judge Christopher Muse

Bobby Joe Leaster served 15 years in a Massachusetts state prison for a murder he did not commit. With the help of father-son team, Robert and Christopher Muse, he won his freedom and worked for decades with at-risk youth as one of Boston’s preeminent street workers.

Christoper Muse, now a retired judge, launched his new book about Bobby Joe’s case and life, Justice Under God, on Amazon on January 8, in celebration of what would have been Bobby Joe’s 75th birthday.

“It was personally rewarding for me to write this book, not only to honor Bobby Joe’s life and legacy but to raise awareness about wrongful convictions and help bring necessary change to the criminal justice system.

The appellate courts, for too long, defaulted to their stubborn adherence to the principle of Finality of Conviction.  When I gave Bobby Joe the bad news from his fourth rejected appeal, he asked with the first hint of anger I had ever observed: ‘How did I get a fair trial if I am innocent?’”
— Judge Christopher Muse

“Bobby Joe Leaster’s story continues to teach us the power of hope and the importance of creating systemic change to prevent future wrongful convictions.” 
— Radha Natarajan, Executive Director, NEIP

100% of the royalties from the book will go to the New England Innocence Project in support of our fight against injustice in the criminal legal system for people like Bobby Joe.

Watch our new video, Making Freedom Possible

Shortly after I started at the New England Innocence Project six years ago, I had the chance to watch our client, Gary Cifizzari, take his first steps in freedom after being wrongfully incarcerated for 35 years.

It was bittersweet to bear witness to this joyful moment that came as a result of years of legal work, amidst the devastating reality that Gary, like so many in our community, lost decades of his life wrongfully imprisoned and was released without restitution, support, or accountability from the state that wrongfully convicted him.

For more than 20 years, the New England Innocence Project has been fighting for freedom for people like Gary, who have been wrongfully convicted, while growing the movement for justice.

The importance of this work has never been more clear than in this moment in history. No matter what resistance we face, we will continue to fight to dismantle the systems that oppress us and work with our community, including Movement Makers like you, to make freedom possible and create a more just world.

As part of our 20th-anniversary celebration, I am honored to share our new video, "Making Freedom Possible," about the impact your support can have on our life-changing work to end wrongful convictions and support exonerees as they rebuild.

Will you take a moment to watch our “Making Freedom Possible” video and join our movement by making a matching gift today? As Exoneree Dennis Maher shares with us, “the reward of releasing [even] one person is felt for a lifetime.”

In peace and solidarity,

Jordan Salvatoriello
Senior Director of Communications
New England Innocence Project

P.S. Don’t forget to help spread the word about our work to end wrongful convictions by liking and sharing this video on Facebook and Instagram.

Running for Innocence 2024: Thank you for 10 Years of Support

On behalf of the Running for Innocence team and the staff of the New England Innocence Project, a big thank you to everyone who supported Running for Innocence on November 3, 2024, at the Genesis Battlegreen 5K/10K run/walk in Lexington, MA. We are grateful that you are a part of our community, fighting for justice for people who have been wrongfully convicted. 

The Running for Innocence fund provides a unique way to support innocence work in Massachusetts and throughout New England by directly supporting the cost of hiring experts and investigators to help incarcerated people prove their innocence. The fund is shared by the New England Innocence Project (NEIP) and its partners at the CPCS Innocence Program and the Boston College Innocence Program. 

This year marked the ten-year anniversary of the Running for Innocence team. In the years since we began, the fund has supported 53 case investigations, with 13 people freed following successful motions for new trial and 6 full exonerations.

Running for Innocence was born in the visiting room of MCI Norfolk. That is where NEIP board member and Director of the CPCS Innocence Program, Lisa Kavanaugh, first met former client Victor Rosario and learned of the role that long-distance running had played in allowing him to maintain his humanity during the 32 years of his wrongful imprisonment. Victor and Lisa co-founded the team in 2014, the year that he was granted a new trial and released from prison. This year, to commemorate the team’s 10-year anniversary, a small group hosted a Running for Innocence “walk” (pictured above) at MCI-Norfolk on the very track that Victor used to run on while wrongfully imprisoned.

Lisa spoke with Victor via Zoom and asked him what it meant to him to see the event become such a success over the last 10 years, helping others who were wrongfully convicted gain their freedom and reunite with their loved ones. You can watch his emotional reaction in the video below.

With your help, this year we were able to raise more than $25,000 to ensure the continued availability of this critically important resource to support the investigation of innocence cases in Massachusetts and throughout New England. Together, we look forward to your continued support and participation in the Running for Innocence team, including by joining us at next year’s walk/run on Sunday, November 2, 2025. 

Thank you!

This is What Community Looks Like

Thank you for being such an important part of our community.
We’re excited to share some of these memorable moments with you.

We’ve had a very eventful fall! Our community came together over the past several weeks in celebration and solidarity, in hope and in healing at events like Jammin’ for Justice, Running for Innocence, Voices of the Innocent, and Wrongful Conviction Day. We’ve worked together to grow the movement to free innocent people from prison. We’ve raised our voices in honor of loved ones who are still incarcerated. We’ve educated our legislators in an effort to shed light on wrongful convictions, and advocated for reforms to prevent future tragedies and help freed people to thrive.

For additional photos and information about our fall community events, please see below.

Upcoming Events & Ways to Get Involved

Jammin’ for Justice
October 24 | 6 - 9 p.m.
The Burren, Somerville

At the fourth annual Jammin’ for Justice event, the night’s theme, “Wounded but Not Broken,” symbolizes the loss and resilience that the Exoneree Network co-founders — Sean Ellis, Ray Champagne, and Victor Rosario — recognized in themselves and sought to embody in their work supporting others. Concert proceeds will help provide support for exonerees as they rebuild in freedom and ensure newly freed and exonerated people will have the opportunity to attend the 2025 Innocence Network Conference where this community can come together to heal after the trauma of long-term incarceration.

Enjoy a special line-up of musical guests, including the "Friends of Justice" band which will perform original songs of exoneration, the "Peace Players," led by exoneree Milton Jones, and the "OGs," led by exonerees Joseph Pope and Albert Brown, featuring songs they wrote and performed together while wrongfully incarcerated for crimes they did not commit. Tickets are on sale now, $25 in advance and $30 at the door.

---

Running for Innocence
November 3  |  Lexington, MA

This year marks the 10th anniversary of the Running for Innocence team! On November 3, our team will return to the Lexington Battlegreen 5K/10K with the goal of raising $25,000 in the fight for freedom. This event offers options for runners and non-runners of all ages and is a wonderful opportunity to meet and welcome our exoneree team members, all of whom inspire us to continue this important work.

Funds raised will help pay for the investigators and experts needed to free innocent people incarcerated for crimes they did not commit and support the Exoneree Network, which cultivates a thriving and safe community for exonerees and those who have suffered the trauma of long-term incarceration. Please join us!

---

“Unbroken”
October 19, 7:30 p.m.  |  Strand Theater, Boston

For one night only! On October 19, 2024 (7:30 p.m.), at Boston’s Strand Theater, the Jo-Mé Dance Theatre will perform “Unbroken,” a breathtaking dance performance that includes 4 works by choreographers Naoko Brown and Joe González, and features the story of Sean Ellis’ fight for justice after a wrongful conviction. Learn more and purchase tickets.