Making an Exoneree 2020 - The Story of Terrel Barros

"Guilty Until Proven Innocent" exposes the injustice that resulted in the wrongful conviction of Terrel Barros, who was sentenced to two consecutive life terms plus 30 years. After 8 years of incarceration, Terrel still firmly maintains his innocence and is actively fighting for his exoneration in order to reclaim his life—for himself and his loved ones.

This film was created by three Georgetown undergraduates—Nourjannah Hendi, Caroline Porterfield, and Leonardo Teixeira—within the context of a Georgetown University course taught by Professor Marc Howard and Adjunct Professor and Exoneree Martin Tankleff.

Terrel has an upcoming hearing on his actual innocence, and his attorney will request a new trial based on newly discovered evidence.

To support Terrel’s exoneration, please follow @exonerate.terrelbarros on Instagram and sign the petition at change.org/freeterrelbarros.

___________________________

About Making an Exoneree:

For the third straight year, the Prisons and Justice Initiative sponsored a groundbreaking class called “Making an Exoneree,” in which 15 Georgetown undergraduate students worked to free five individuals who have served a combined total of 94 years in prison for crimes they did not commit.

Co-taught by PJI Director Marc Howard and his childhood friend Marty Tankleff (himself an exoneree who served almost 18 years in prison), the students created short documentaries on each case, based on extensive interviews with eyewitnesses, attorneys, experts, family members, and the incarcerated “clients” themselves.

The 2020 cohort had to overcome the added challenge of Covid-19, which restricted their travel and ability to work together at Georgetown since early March. Nonetheless, the documentaries they have produced are extraordinarily moving and powerful.

Normally the class culminates in a major public event that attracts a huge live audience to watch the premieres of the documentaries and also to hear the voices—live by phone from prison—of the potential exonerees. The 2019 event also featured Valentino Dixon, who was himself exonerated on September 19, 2018, thanks to the work of the 2018 cohort of this class. We expect more exonerations to come in the near future.