Two Los Angeles men, Giovanni Hernandez and Miguel Solorio, spent years behind bars, wrongfully convicted of heinous crimes they didn't commit. Despite their youth, Hernandez was accused of killing a 16-year-old in a drive-by shooting at age 14 and was sentenced to 50 years to life. Solorio, on the other hand, was handed a life sentence without parole in 1998 for a shooting that resulted in an elderly woman's death.
District Attorney George Gascón, who reviewed both cases, announced in 2021 that both men were actually innocent. The evidence for their innocence, Gascón said, included new FBI phone records analysis showing Hernandez was never at the crime scene but at home with his family, as he'd always claimed. In Solorio's case, it was determined that the conviction was based on mistaken identification.
Both men were overjoyed when they were eventually set free, with Hernandez expressing gratitude to his family, lawyers, and the Juvenile Innocence and Fair Sentencing Clinic at Loyola Law School. He plans to help others in similar situations. "I want to be a voice for those who can't speak: those still in juvenile prison, those who have cases pending in L.A. County jail, and those who have been in prison for decades for crimes they didn't commit," he said.
As for Solorio, he could hardly believe the turn of events. After spending 25 years inside for a crime he didn't commit, he was finally released in time for Thanksgiving. The adjustment to freedom wasn't easy. New faces, learning to use an iPhone, and simply buying shoes were all challenges he had to overcome.
For Hernandez and Solorio, the road to freedom wasn't easy. But they never gave up hope, and their families never gave up on them. Their exonerations serve as a reminder of the importance of ensuring that our justice system works for everyone and that mistakes don't lead to unjust sentences.
Sources:
- (CNN)
- (CBS News)
