Help Juwan Deering Get Back on His Feet

The Michigan Innocence Clinic is thrilled to share that our long-time client, Juwan Deering, has finally been exonerated and released from prison. Mr. Deering served 15 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of arson and first-degree felony murder in 2006.

 

The Michigan Innocence Clinic has worked on Mr. Deering’s case since 2009; the Clinic learned in its investigation that the prosecution used junk science at Mr. Deering’s trial to convict him in a case where the fire in question was most likely an accident that had nothing to do with Mr. Deering.

 

Mr. Deering’s conviction was finally thrown out and all charges against him were dismissed after a 2021 reinvestigation of the case by Oakland County Prosecutor Karen McDonald showed that his constitutional rights were violated by the sheriff’s department and the original prosecution team. Paired with the evidence that calls into question the expert fire science testimony that the prosecution used at trial, the new evidence established that Mr. Deering is fully innocent, and he was wrongfully convicted based on junk science and official misconduct. He was exonerated and released on September 30, 2021.

 

After being wrongfully convicted and spending years in prison, Mr. Deering has no personal funds and he will not receive any compensation for his wrongful conviction for months. In the meantime, we are raising money for him so that he can meet the expenses and costs he is already encountering. Please help us by donating any money you can, and also sharing this across your networks.

 

Thank you so much for your generosity. Nothing could ever make up for the time Mr. Deering has lost, but we're so grateful for your help as he starts this fresh chapter.
Learn more about Juwan's case:

 

Detroit Free Press: https://www.freep.com/story/news/local/michigan/oakland/2021/09/30/juwan-deering-free-prison/5928691001/

 

NPR: https://www.npr.org/2021/09/30/1041970362/juwan-deering-michigan-freed-wrongful-conviction-fire-children-deaths

 

Channel 7 segment: https://x-default-stgec.uplynk.com/ausw/slices/9d8/be88c4e651db4a7dbe102614d7272948/9d85162bd735497794244560a91bebd1/9d85162bd735497794244560a91bebd1_e.mp4

 

The Detroit News: https://www.detroitnews.com/story/news/local/oakland-county/2021/09/30/man-freed-wont-face-new-trial-oakland-county-fire-killed-5-kids/5901347001/