The University of Maryland Francis King Carey School of Law invites the University of Maryland, Baltimore community to attend a special event to celebrate the launch of a new partnership between Maryland Carey Law and the Maryland Office of the Public Defender (MOPD), the MOPD Innocence Project Clinic (IPC), at the law school. The event, which will be held at 5:30 p.m. on Sept. 17, is free and open to the public, but registration is required.
The evening begins with a private screening of “Sixteen Years,” a gripping documentary chronicling the journey of Jeffrey Deskovic, who was wrongfully convicted at age 17 for the rape and murder of a classmate — despite DNA evidence that excluded him. Represented by the Innocence Project, Deskovic was exonerated after serving 16 years in prison. The true perpetrator, who was serving time for a similar crime, was later identified through further DNA testing.
After the film, stay for a panel discussion featuring:
- Jeffrey Deskovic, attorney, advocate, and founder of The Deskovic Foundation
- Jia Rizvi, filmmaker of “Sixteen Years”
- Bernard Webster, a Baltimore County exoneree exonerated by DNA in 2002
- Erica J. Suter, JD, director of the IPC and moderator of the panel
Reception to follow.