Update on 10/28/26: Two years ago we raised the funds to get Darren James an attorney for post conviction relief. We have reopened donations, as additional legal fees are needed. Darren James has been in Angola Prison for 39 years now for a murder he did not commit.

With your donations, his legal team has have had tremendous success in the court. He received a unanimous favorable ruling by the 4th Circuit Court of Appeals and a unanimous Louisiana Supreme Court ruling granting him an evidentiary hearing on three issues:

1. There was material evidence supporting Darren’s innocence suppressed by the prosecution. Darren tried for decades to get this information himself. But he was not able to secure it until he obtained an attorney.

2. Inadequate legal counsel by his original public defender, who never interviewed his alibi witnesses.

3. The key witness who testified against Darren has now admitted his testimony was false.

Darren has an evidentiary hearing on January 14, 2027. We are seeking more funds for his legal team. Many hours are being spent in preparation for this hearing.

Please help Darren come home by donating. Your donations through Justice Partners are tax deductible.

Original Request:

I was yearbook editor in high school. My classmate Darren James did not want to take a picture, but I was pushy and made him take one. Then at the age of 19 he had the bad luck of living a block away from the murder scene of a white tourist and owning the same color jacket as the killer. To my horror, the yearbook pic was used as a man hunt photo as he was framed for this crime. He was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole and hard labor. Darren is innocent and has been incarcerated in Angola 37 years. He is a mentor and worked in the hospice for 9 years. A few months ago, I joined with Molly Fowler, a documentary filmmaker turned investigator in an effort to gain Darren’s freedom. I have viewed the case files myself. This is a terrible miscarriage of justice, those details will be his story to tell. Right now, we need to secure money for his legal representation and a deadline is looming.

Please donate and also share this message. Tax deductible funds will go directly to Justice Partners and earmarked for Darren James. #FreeDarrenJames