John Miller was arrested in 1997 at just 19 years old and served 22 years in state prison for a crime another man had confessed to committing as early as 2002. That man was the key witness who implicated John. Yesterday, the court granted the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office's motion to drop all charges against John. Prosecutors acknowledged that evidence favorable to the defense had been hidden from John and his attorneys for decades.
John was one of the first individuals to write the Pennsylvania Innocence Project seeking help when we opened in 2009. John will now take on the unique challenges of being a formerly incarcerated innocent individual. The PA Innocence Project will continue to assist him throughout his transition. In this moment, however, we are proud to simply celebrate with him and his family and friends.
We thank the Philadelphia DA's Office for its thorough review of John's case and the many people who worked with us and John on his defense, especially our pro bono partners Thomas Gallagher, Hannah McPhelin, and Christen Tuttle of Pepper Hamilton. And, of course, thanks to our donors, who make this life-changing work possible.
Thank you from the bottom of our hearts.
