Governor Wes Moore
Comptroller Brooke Lierman & Treasurer Dereck Davis
July 5, 2023. Maryland Board of Public Works Hearing
BREAKING NEWS!!!
Governor Larry Hogan has
signed my full Innocence Pardon!
Jan. 13, 2023 — “Obviously I am overwhelmed,” Huffington said in a Friday news conference. “Extremely grateful. Still trying to process everything, which I haven’t quite done yet. This has been a 42-year journey.”
He noted that his pardon came through on Friday the 13th, “and it was Friday the 13th in 1981 that I was wrongfully convicted by a jury.” He thanked Hogan, whom he has worked with on various task forces and boards over the last eight years, since his release in 2013. “I think it’s a testament to Governor Hogan’s leadership. He does what he believes to be the right thing in every instance,” Huffington said.
Dozens of Huffington’s friends, colleagues, and supporters gathered for a surprise celebration days after he was officially pardoned.
John spent 32 years in the Maryland prison system, including 10 years on Death Row. Maintaining his innocence, he ultimately secured his release from prison in 2013 through a Writ of Actual Innocence.
The diligence of the law firm of Ropes & Gray and the investigative journalism of the Washington Post uncovered key evidence proven through DNA testing to be been unreliable. The case’s Prosecutor has since been disbarred for withholding this exculpatory evidence.
About John
Currently, John is an internationally recognized motivational speaker. He is a trainer for statewide, mandated training programs in the Illinois Police Academies, presenting Wrongful Conviction Awareness and Avoidance classes. This training is the first of its kind for law enforcement in the United States. John also serves as a consultant in workforce development and criminal justice reform.
Previously, John served as the Vice President and COO of the Kinetic Capital Community Foundation. Prior to that, he served as the Director of Workforce Development for the Living Classrooms Foundation, and was responsible for directing workforce development and job training efforts for the Re-entry Program, as well as the Target Investment Zone in East Baltimore. This program serves as a national model of breaking the cycle of poverty, unemployment, and incarceration by using a multi-generational approach to provide low-skilled, unemployed, underemployed, and dislocated workers with multiple pathways to gain family-supporting jobs and achieve financial stability.
Press & media highlights
John Huffington spent 32 years in the Maryland Prison System—10 of which were on death row—after being wrongfully convicted of a 1981 double murder. Previously, juries twice convicted John of first-degree murder in the deaths of Diane Becker and Joseph Hudson. The first trial, in 1981, occurred in Caroline County and John was later granted a new trial due to evidence improperly introduced by the State. The second trial took place in Frederick County in 1983. He faced the death penalty after both convictions, but his sentence was later commuted to two life terms in prison.
Since his first trial, John had filed multiple appeals at the state and federal levels challenging the state’s case against him. In 2013, as the result of newly discovered DNA evidence that demonstrated that hairs discovered at the crime scene were not John’s, the Circuit Court for Frederick County, MD, granted him a Writ of Actual Innocence and vacated his murder convictions, and John Huffington was released from prison on bond. The faulty evidence came from an FBI lab that has been forced to acknowledge widespread mismanagement and false testimony. Flawed forensic testimony was given in 257 of the 268 trials in which hair evidence was used, and John Huffington’s trial was one of them.
Since his release from prison, John Huffington has been a tireless advocate for the re-entry community, and his work has been recognized by Baltimore City leaders including State’s Attorney Marilyn Mosby. He is now serving as the Director of Workforce Development for Living Classrooms Foundation, where he manages the workforce development department and its programming with 18 staff members and a $2 million budget. As part of his role, he manages Project SERVE, the same job-training program in which he enrolled upon being released from incarceration.
Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom is a production of Lava For Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1.
Welcome to episode 17 of HELL HAS AN EXIT Podcast with Bryan Alzate. On today's episode, Bryan sits down with John Huffington to discuss John’s incredible true story. At 18, John was an up-and-coming Maryland drug dealer, moving weight for the cartel and running with the Greek mob. However, before his 20th birthday, he found himself caught in a web of death, bad luck and worse timing.
On Memorial Day in 1981, police found the body of Diane Becker, 21, stabbed and beaten to death in her home in an Abingdon RV park. Her boyfriend, Joseph Hudson, a popular local disc jockey, was found shot to death a few miles away. The next morning, one of John’s acquaintances asked him to visit the police station and say they were together the night before. Immediately after giving the alibi, John was handcuffed for a double murder he didn’t commit, marking the beginning of a 32-year fight for his freedom.
During those 32 years, John lived in the prison’s law library, relentlessly searching for a way out. After decades spent battling a legal system that falsely accused him and a district attorney determined to keep him in prison, newly discovered DNA evidence in 2013 turned the case upside down. Don’t miss this story of redemption and advocacy only on this week’s episode of HELL HAS AN EXIT.
For more information please visit www.unitedrecoveryproject.com or call 833-999-1877.
PHILANTHROCAPITALISM
John N. Huffington
Living Classrooms Foundation
John Huffington, a falsely convicted felon who spent three decades in prison, shares his journey with host, Mathew Bishop for this episode of Philanthrocapitalism. John Huffington continues to give back to the community of re-entry citizens by assisting them in finding jobs, building a foundation for their livelihood and reaching a healthy mental state. The programs he directs are crucial to changing the poor reputations given to this community. 26:09 | 2017
Making a difference.
Exoneree Traineer: University of Illinois/Illinois Innocence Project
Board Member: Sharp Dressed Man/Baltimore Fashion Alliance
Board Member: PIVOT – Creating Pathways for Women from Prison to Purpose!
Advisory Board Member: ReturnHomeBaltimore.org
Committee Member: Greater Baltimore Committee's Coalition for a Second Chance
Committee Member: Greater Baltimore Committee’s Education & Workforce Committee
Committee Member: Maryland Chamber Foundation’s Second Chance Task Force
Committee Member: Mayor's Green Network Leadership Team
Committee Member: Governor's Office of Crime Control & Prevention Collateral Consequences Workgroup
Committee Member: Baltimore City Police Dept Community Collaborative Division Reentry Advisory Committee
Member: DHCD’s Keep Maryland Beautiful Steering Committee
4/17/2024: Exoneree Trainer, Police Training Institute, Champaign, IL
4/11/2024: Featured Speaker, Loyola Blakefield Prep School
4/9/2024: Featured Speaker, Innocence Project, University of Baltimore
1/18/2024: Author Event, Queen Anne’s County Library
1/10/2024: Featured Speaker, The Dalton School, NYC
12/15/2023: Guest Host, Wrongful Conviction with Elmer Daniels, Podcast, Episode 414
12/15/2023: Exoneree Trainer, Chicago Police Academy
10/31/2023: Featured Speaker, Media & Social Justice, Georgetown University
10/17/2023: Featured Speaker, Prisons & Punishment, Georgetown University
7/26/2023: Book Signing, Barnes & Noble at the Avenue
7/18/2023: Featured Speaker, Ropes & Gray, Boston
7/03/2023: Guest, “Bulldog and the Rude Awakening Show” OCEAN FM98.1
6/28/2023: Presenter, Mid-Atlantic Innocence Projects’ Annual Luncheon
5/31/2023: Featured Speaker, Ropes & Gray
5/26/2023: Keynote Speaker, Springbrook HS Law Conference
5/22/2023: Exoneree Trainer, Chicago Police Academy
5/18/2023: Panelist, Statewide ReEntry Conference
5/4/2023: Featured Speaker, Gin & Justice Podcast
4/27/2023: Featured Speaker, Janice’s Book Club
4/25/2023: Featured Speaker, Law Alumni Networking Hour, University of Baltimore
4/11/2023: Panel Speaker, Innocence Project, University of Baltimore
3/31/2023: Trainer, Wrongful Conviction Awareness & Avoidance Training, Illinois Police Academy with University of Illinois & the Illinois Innocence Project
3/21/2023: Featured Speaker, Trial Table Law Club
3/03/2023: Featured Speaker, Making An Exoneree Class, Georgetown University
3/01/2023: Guest, “Call Tyrone” WBAL Radio
2/16/2023: Guest, ABCNEWSPrime
2/03/2023 Guest, Square Off w/ Richard Sher
1/25/2023: Interview, American Lawyer Magazine
1/24/2023: Guest, “Bulldog and the Rude Awakening Show” OCEAN FM98.1
10/20/2022: Featured Speaker, Volunteers of America Chesapeake & Carolinas Harvest for Hope
10/02/2022: Featured Speaker, Churchville Presbyterian Church
09/29/2022: Featured Speaker, MD New Directions
09/21/2022: Featured Speaker, SHIFT Society
09/15/2022: Featured Speaker, Power52 Foundation’s Kissing Booth
08/24/2022: Featured Speaker, Weil Gotshal & Manges LLP, Innocence Project of London
08/23/2022: Featured Speaker, Ropes & Gray, London
08/21/2022: Featured Speaker, AppealUK, Oxford University, UK
06/15/2022: Featured Speaker, Ropes & Gray, DC
04/14/2022: Featured Speaker, University of Florida, Criminology Honor’s Society
3/24/2022: Featured Speaker, University of Florida, Students Against Mass Incarceration
3/3/2022: Featured Speaker, Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, Professor Coleen Berryessa
11/12/2021: “My Warped Life” iHeart Radio Podcast with Kevin Lyman
10/2/2021: “Fight Different – Wrongful Conviction ...” Hosted by In/Justice Podcast
3/18/2021: John Huffington: “Navigating Challenging Life Situations in Prison and Post-Incarceration”, University of Chicago Alumni Club of Maryland
2/16/2021: John Huffington: “Fighting a Double Murder He Didn’t Commit”, Hell Has An Exit, Podcast with Bryan Alzate, Episode 17
12/22/2020: Documentary, “Kindertime Toy Drive”, WMAR-TV Ch2
10/17/2020: Featured Speaker, A Series on the Power of Your Voice, Tessa Kaneene, Instagram Live
10/13/2020: Featured Speaker, Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, Professor Coleen Berryessa
03/04/2020: “Improving the Criminal Justice System”, Miscarriage of Justice Symposium - London Innocence Project, London, England
03/03/2020: “John Huffington: A Pro Bono Case of Social Justice”, Chong Park, Bloomberg European Headquarters, London, England
02/19/2020: Featured Speaker, The Johns Hopkins Club, Baltimore, Maryland
11/18/2019: Discussion Panelist, Film “16 Bars”, Lyn Twyman, Silver Spring, Maryland
09/17/2019: Featured Speaker, Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, Coleen Berryessa, Newark, New Jersey
06/05/2019: Discussion Panelist, National Legal Aid and Defender Association 2019 Community-Oriented Defender Conference, Baltimore, Maryland
05/18/2019: “Fireside Chat with John Huffington”, Ropes & Gray, Miami, Florida
04/02/2019: Discussion Panelist, “Life After Life”, Association of Paroling Authorities International Annual Conference, Baltimore, Maryland
03/26/2019: Featured Speaker, Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, Coleen Berryessa, Newark, New Jersey
01/30/2019: Featured Speaker, “Being Ready and Keeping Safe: Communities Engaged for Emergency Management & Resilience, The Partnership for Resilient Communities, Webinar.
11/30/2018: Discussion Panelist, “A Discussion on Workforce Development”, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Baltimore, Maryland
10/30/2018: Featured Speaker, Rutgers University School of Criminal Justice, Coleen Berryessa, Newark, New Jersey
09/25/2018: Exclusive Interview, “Pick Yourself Up”, Montgomery Municipal Cable MMCTV, Dr. Assegid Habtewold
08/29/2018: Discussion Panelist, CAO Criminal Justice & Reform Workgroup, Gallup Education07/10/2018: Featured Speaker, “A Ropes & Gray Conversation: Freedom for John Huffington”, Ropes & Gray , DC
06/01/2018: Discussion Panelist, “A Discussion on Workforce Development”, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Baltimore, Maryland
05/26/2018: Featured Speaker, “The Restoring My Dignity Project Podcast”, Baltimore, Maryland
05/01/2018: Featured Speaker, UMBC
04/25/2018 Featured Speaker, Masterminds Toastmasters Gavel Club, Maryland Correctional Institution – Women, Jessup, Maryland
04/23/2018: Featured Speaker, The Incarceration and Health Justice Collective at Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, Maryland
04/17/2018: Featured Speaker, Sustainable Communities Leadership Academy, Baltimore, Maryland
04/09/2019: John Huffington: “Drug Deals, a Double Death Sentence, & over 3 Decades in Prison”, Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom, Podcast, Season 5, Episode 6.
03/20/2018: Philanthrocapitalism Show featuring John N. Huffington, Matthew Bishop (host), NewswireFM, New York, New York
02/13/2018: Featured Speaker, Higher Education Programs Behind Bars, George Washington University, Washington, D.C.
12/12/2017: Featured Interview, “Justice Heroes with John Huffington”, Loyola University
11/16/2017: Discussion Panelist, “From Serving Time To Serving Others” A Panel on Prison Reform, Loyola University, Baltimore, Maryland
11/14/2017: Featured Speaker, AEI Viewpoint “Prison reentry – Interview with John Huffington”, American Enterprise Institute, Washington DC
11/14/2017: Panelist, “Education for Liberation: The politics of promise and reform inside and beyond America’s prisons, American Enterprise Institute, Washington DC
10/28/2017: Interview, “Question of the Day”, WOLB Baltimore Radio, Baltimore, Maryland
10/25/2017: Featured Speaker, “1st Annual Re-Entry Seminar”, Jessup Correctional Institution
09/18/2017: Panelist, “How Pell Grants Improve Access to Education for Incarcerated Individuals and Result in Better Reentry Outcomes”, Congressional Briefing Panel, Justice Roundtable, Washington DC
08/27/2017: Featured Speaker, Reentry Resource Fair, Jessup Correctional Institution, Jessup, Maryland
06/22/2017: Panelist, “Criminal Justice Reform and Reducing Recidivism”, Remarks from the Senate Committee, American Enterprise Institute, Washington DC
06/16/2017: Discussion Panelist, “A Discussion on Workforce Development”, Goldman Sachs 10,000 Small Businesses, Baltimore, Maryland
04/10/2017: Discussion Panelist, “From Serving Time To Serving Others” A Panel on Prison Reform, Loyola University, Baltimore, Maryland
03/30/2017: Panelist, “City of Trees” screening, Loyola University, Baltimore, Maryland
03/28/2017: Panelist, “United for Justice – Lobby Day in Annapolis”, Maryland House of Delegates
03/23/2017: Featured Speaker, University of San Diego
03/03/2017: Featured Speaker, Institute for Sustainable Communities Board, Baltimore, Maryland
2/22/17: Panelist, Testifying on behalf of Governor’s Job Bill on Panel for MD House of Delegates
2/2/2017: Participant, Mayor’s Call to Action
10/17/2016: Featured Speaker, 16th Annual InterCity Leadership Visit, Minneapolis, Minnesota
12/21/2016: Press Conference, US Attorneys’ Office and DPSCS
12/8/2016: Panelist, Opportunity & Reentry, American Enterprise Institute, University of Baltimore
9/16/2016: Participant, Kaiser Permanente Community Benefit Dialog
2/14/2016: Conference Lead, “Prison Release: Reentry and Redemption”, AmeriCorp Convention, Hunt Valley, Maryland
12/14/2015: Keynote Speaker, MCE Cares Graduation Ceremony
07/25/2015: Panelist, “Successful Reentry”, Community Day in Court: Rebounding From a Criminal Conviction, Office of the State’s Attorney, Baltimore, Maryland
06/01/2015: Discussion Panelist, “Reentry Roundtable Discussion with Senator Ben Cardin”, Baltimore
02/23/2015: Featured Speaker, “Criminal Justice Reform in Maryland”, 20/20 Baltimore, Loyola University, Baltimore, Maryland
02/15/2015: Conference Lead, “Prison Release: Reentry and Redemption”, AmeriCorp Convention, Hunt Valley, Maryland
06/01/2014: Documentary, “The System with Joe Berlinger”, Episode: Flawed Forensics, Al Jazeera America Presents
04/10/2014: Wrongly Accused: John Huffington, ReCAP, Goucher College, Towson, Maryland
02/16/2014: Featured Speaker, Notre Dame Mission Volunteers National Conference, Baltimore, MD
09/13/2013: Featured Speaker, MICA
09/13/2013: Featured Speaker, Notre Dame Missionary AmeriCorps