Help bring my son Keith home
Donation protected
Dolores- This campaign was started by me and my son's friend Harold Grigsby.
Six years ago my son was arrested for a crime he did not commit. He was only 16 years old, yet he was charged as an adult.
Despite his innocence, and like the other 97% of all criminal defendants in California, my son opted to plead no contest to these charges due to fear of a harsher penalty. These charges could have resulted in a lifetime conviction.
This plea includes a 16-year sentence and a strike.
My name his Harold Grigsby and my friend Keith is my biggest inspiration. His situation is the sole reason why my life trajectory changed. I was too falsely arrested when I was 16 years old and was set to accept a plea deal to a crime I bore no connection to. My brief encounter with the legal system shifted the paradigm through which I viewed success. But unlike Keith, I received a fair chance.
Now, six years since our arrests, Keith and I are both entering new lives. While I have the privilege to attend Harvard Law school, Keith may have to serve a 16-year sentence for a crime he did not commit.
The disturbing truth is that Keith’s story was almost mine; the real tragedy is that my story could have been Keith’s. He too could be on his way to Harvard. It is my personal responsibility to bring awareness to my friends' injustice and to leverage my law degree to ensure these injustices do not continue.
My son has already been sitting in San Joaquin County jail for the past 6 years and we are desperate to bring him home. We sincerely appreciate anyone who donates and or shares to bring awareness to my son's situation that is far too common for young Black men in America.
Six years ago my son was arrested for a crime he did not commit. He was only 16 years old, yet he was charged as an adult.
Despite his innocence, and like the other 97% of all criminal defendants in California, my son opted to plead no contest to these charges due to fear of a harsher penalty. These charges could have resulted in a lifetime conviction.
This plea includes a 16-year sentence and a strike.
My name his Harold Grigsby and my friend Keith is my biggest inspiration. His situation is the sole reason why my life trajectory changed. I was too falsely arrested when I was 16 years old and was set to accept a plea deal to a crime I bore no connection to. My brief encounter with the legal system shifted the paradigm through which I viewed success. But unlike Keith, I received a fair chance.
Now, six years since our arrests, Keith and I are both entering new lives. While I have the privilege to attend Harvard Law school, Keith may have to serve a 16-year sentence for a crime he did not commit.
The disturbing truth is that Keith’s story was almost mine; the real tragedy is that my story could have been Keith’s. He too could be on his way to Harvard. It is my personal responsibility to bring awareness to my friends' injustice and to leverage my law degree to ensure these injustices do not continue.
My son has already been sitting in San Joaquin County jail for the past 6 years and we are desperate to bring him home. We sincerely appreciate anyone who donates and or shares to bring awareness to my son's situation that is far too common for young Black men in America.
Organizer
Dolores Lavender
Organizer
Stockton, CA