Wrongful Conviction Expert. CRJ Advocate. Public Figure. Attorney. Founder-Deskovic Foundation. ITCHY Advisory Board Member. Global Advisory Council- Restorative Justice International
On Indigenous Peoples’ Day, the Deskovic Foundation for Justice honors Johnny Tall Bear, a member of the Iowa Tribe, who was exonerated after serving 26 years for a crime he did not commit. In 1992, Tall Bear was wrongfully convicted of murder based on an eyewitness misidentification and discredited forensic testimony. Despite no physical evidence linking him to the crime and his serious health limitations at the time, he was sentenced to life imprisonment. Thanks to DNA testing conducted by the Innocence Project and the cooperation of the Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Office, new evidence revealed that Tall Bear was innocent. DNA found on the victim and at the crime scene belonged to two unknown individuals, excluding Tall Bear entirely. His conviction was vacated in 2018, and he was finally freed after decades of wrongful incarceration. This case emphasizes the importance of reforming eyewitness identification practices and forensic science to prevent such injustices, particularly in Native communities, where systemic issues contribute to disproportionate rates of wrongful convictions. Tall Bear’s exoneration is a victory for justice, but it also serves as a call to action to prevent future injustices and to support those transitioning back to life after exoneration. #IndigenousPeoplesDay #JusticeForAll #WrongfulConviction #NativeRights #JohnnyTallBear #InnocenceProject #DeskovicFoundation #Exoneration #FightForJustice #PreventWrongfulConvictions #IndigenousJustice #EyewitnessMisidentification #ForensicReform #NativeAmerican #JusticeSystemReform #DNAExoneration #SystemicInjustice #SupportExonerees