No less than five state and federal judges have found that Kris Helton was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder because an "inexperienced" assistant public defender, Gerod Hooper, failed to investigate and present jurors with "inviolable" and "persuasive" proof of his innocence. Even so, he remains wrongfully incarcerated in a state prison just because another attorney, Mel Black, failed to ensure a timely filing of his federal habeas petition (a purely procedural technicality unrelated to the merits of his ineffective assistance of counsel claim against Hooper). This is fundamentally unfair. Even United States Senator Patrick Leahy, a ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has written, "As a former prosecutor, I know that nothing presents a greater risk of convicting an innocent person than an incompetent lawyer. Far too often, defendants find their lives in the hands of underpaid court-appointed lawyers who are inexperienced, inept, or uninterested." Please sign this petition to help family members, friends, and other supporters use the immense power of the people and social media to free Kris for a crime he did not commit. For additional information, visit www.freekrishelton.org.
After a number of technical issues and crashes of our original petition on www.change.org, we decided to start this second petition on www.ipetitions.com. Thanks to the overwhelming support of people around the world, we easily exceeded our goal of obtaining 100 signatures!Thus, We are closing this petition, If you missed out on showing your support, please sign our brand new petition at www.freekrishelton.org/apps/guestbook. Thanks again for your support.
Updates
April 20, 2014
The increase in momentum is providing leverage for the formal legal brief we are currently finalizing. We are using this surge in interest to schedule meetings with representatives from the review board who have previously been unresponsive.
Reached 100 supporters
April 20, 2014
8 Comments
Kris was at the 7-11 when this happened. I remember the store receipt being brought up at trial but the jury didnt see it right. This is so wrong he needs to be home.
Kris Helton is my nephew and has been wrongfully convicted! I have read the statements from witness that was given to the lawyers and they said that Kris was at the Seven-Eleven store and even proved it with the recite at the time this happened. My sister, his mother faught with all her might to help get him out, there wasn't a day that she didn't think of her son. I am sad to a say that she has passed on not getting to see judice done for Kris in setting him free. He has been over 20 years now doing time for a crime HE DID NOT COMMIT!!!!! SEND THIS CASE TO THE APPEALS COURT AGAIN AND PLEASE READ ALL THE MISTAKES THAT HAD BEEN DONE. Thank you. Kathy Caudill (Kris Helton's Aunt
How can they keep him when the judges know he had a bad lawyer. Open the case back up.
Free him now. He is innocent.
JUSTICE FOR KRIS HELTON!!!!! 20 years is way too long for a guy who didnt do it. Lawyers messed this up big time.
Send his case to appeals court again
Free Kris Helton because he is innocent and wrongfully incarcerated
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No less than five state and federal judges have found that Kris Helton was wrongfully convicted of first-degree murder because an "inexperienced" assistant public defender, Gerod Hooper, failed to investigate and present jurors with "inviolable" and "persuasive" proof of his innocence. Even so, he remains wrongfully incarcerated in a state prison just because another attorney, Mel Black, failed to ensure a timely filing of his federal habeas petition (a purely procedural technicality unrelated to the merits of his ineffective assistance of counsel claim against Hooper). This is fundamentally unfair. Even United States Senator Patrick Leahy, a ranking member of the Senate Judiciary Committee, has written, "As a former prosecutor, I know that nothing presents a greater risk of convicting an innocent person than an incompetent lawyer. Far too often, defendants find their lives in the hands of underpaid court-appointed lawyers who are inexperienced, inept, or uninterested." Please sign this petition to help family members, friends, and other supporters use the immense power of the people and social media to free Kris for a crime he did not commit. For additional information, visit www.freekrishelton.org.
After a number of technical issues and crashes of our original petition on www.change.org, we decided to start this second petition on www.ipetitions.com. Thanks to the overwhelming support of people around the world, we easily exceeded our goal of obtaining 100 signatures!Thus, We are closing this petition, If you missed out on showing your support, please sign our brand new petition at www.freekrishelton.org/apps/guestbook. Thanks again for your support.
Updates
April 20, 2014
The increase in momentum is providing leverage for the formal legal brief we are currently finalizing. We are using this surge in interest to schedule meetings with representatives from the review board who have previously been unresponsive.
Reached 100 supporters
April 20, 2014
8 Comments
My ex-wife went through all the evidence given at the trial. The evidence showed that Kris was not even present at the time of the death of the infant. His attorney would not allow Kris to speak at the trial in his own defense and led Kris to believe he would be freed. Kris did not know the ones that investigated his case but the mother of the baby knew them very well. This showed in the way the investigation was carried out. Someone else murdered the infant and it was covered up by convicting Kris, who is definitely not guilty of this crime.
Kris was at the 7-11 when this happened. I remember the store receipt being brought up at trial but the jury didnt see it right. This is so wrong he needs to be home.
Kris Helton is my nephew and has been wrongfully convicted! I have read the statements from witness that was given to the lawyers and they said that Kris was at the Seven-Eleven store and even proved it with the recite at the time this happened. My sister, his mother faught with all her might to help get him out, there wasn't a day that she didn't think of her son. I am sad to a say that she has passed on not getting to see judice done for Kris in setting him free. He has been over 20 years now doing time for a crime HE DID NOT COMMIT!!!!! SEND THIS CASE TO THE APPEALS COURT AGAIN AND PLEASE READ ALL THE MISTAKES THAT HAD BEEN DONE. Thank you. Kathy Caudill (Kris Helton's Aunt
How can they keep him when the judges know he had a bad lawyer. Open the case back up.
Free him now. He is innocent.
JUSTICE FOR KRIS HELTON!!!!! 20 years is way too long for a guy who didnt do it. Lawyers messed this up big time.
Send his case to appeals court again
Free Kris Helton because he is innocent and wrongfully incarcerated
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My ex-wife went through all the evidence given at the trial. The evidence showed that Kris was not even present at the time of the death of the infant. His attorney would not allow Kris to speak at the trial in his own defense and led Kris to believe he would be freed. Kris did not know the ones that investigated his case but the mother of the baby knew them very well. This showed in the way the investigation was carried out. Someone else murdered the infant and it was covered up by convicting Kris, who is definitely not guilty of this crime.