Imagine a woman being sentenced to prison for life for a crime she did not commit, spending nine years, five months and 24 days sitting in a cell paying for someone else’s crime.
While she was in prison her son commits suicide, her daughter gets pregnant and she misses it all. This is what Joyce Ann Brown had to endure little more than 15 years ago.
Brown, who had all of the charges against her dropped in 1990, and eventually had her record expunged in 1994, spoke for the SMU Criminal Justice Clinic yesterday.
Brown said she wants to reach law students, the future of the justice system, and tell them her story.
Brown was convicted in 1980 and charged with aggravated robbery in which a murder occurred. She was sentenced to life in prison, and she was not available for parole until the year 2000. It was not until November 3, 1989, that she was released from prison.
Kerry Fitzgerald, who is now a justice on the 5th District Court of Appeals in Dallas, was her defense attorney. He also spoke for the SMU Criminal Justice Clinic and made an introduction for Brown.
Fitzgerald said things were hopeless in 1987 to 1988. He walked out of his office one evening and went to a nearby church to pray.
“I said there were a lot of people getting out of prison-mine is the most innocent-I need help,” said Fitzgerald. “He listened.”
According to Fitzgerald, 30 to 45 days later, Jim McClesy, who worked with Centerious Ministries, came to see Fitzgerald and Brown. “McClesy did an extraordinary job with the case,” said Fitzgerald. “And I say thank you to the good Lord every day.”
Fitzgerald performed a series of small but effective magic tricks. He used them as analogies to Brown’s character.
He said when he performs these tricks, what he says will be remembered; it is more effective than just speaking. He used ropes to represent Brown’s “integrity” and “passion” and asked an attendee to say “hocus pocus” at designated moments.
Since Brown has been released, she started her own business called “Mothers (Fathers) for the Advancement for Social Systems,” which is a non-profit organization that helps people who have been released from prison to “readjust to life without bars.”
She began her business in her garage with a $50,000 grant, and is now running a half-million dollar business with over 6,000 square feet in the Wells Fargo building.
“When you have someone’s life in your hands, make sure you don’t just throw that person away to the wolves,” said Brown. “I have a reason to be to be angry with the system, I just don’t have time.”
