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Dishonest Law Enforcement Testimony. Ineffective legal counsel.

James Larry Smith – Falsely accused of child molestation

James Larry Smith’s case came to us as a Justice Project evaluation more than eight years ago.

Mr. Smith was a man falsely accused of child molestation. We evaluated his case, as we have thousands of others. His case was found to be most disturbing and deserving of further attention.

Our evaluation demonstrated that he was convicted based upon the testimony of a less than honest law enforcement official. Like so many Justice Project cases, however, there was no DNA, no physical evidence and, his case had already suffered from the ineffectiveness of his first lawyers.

Over the next eight years, teams of volunteer law students and lawyers worked on Larry Smith’s case. We litigated his claims in State and Federal Court. Ultimately, we sought relief in the United States Court of Appeals for the Ninth Circuit. For procedural reasons -- having nothing to do with the real merits of his wrongful conviction -- we were unsuccessful.

Like so many of our inmate requestors, however, Larry Smith and his family have had nothing but genuine gratitude for the work of our student and staff volunteers. Larry sent us a letter of thanks which you can read here, and his mother also sent us a message of gratitude after his case was lost. These letters speak volumes for those deprived of a voice in the criminal justice system and may do more to explain why students, lawyers and others continue to volunteer with the Justice Project even in the face of overwhelming odds.

Contact the Arizona Justice Project if you know someone who needs assistance with proving innocence or competency to stand trial in the State of Arizona.