Innocent But Wearing Guilty Clothes

By Lorenzo Johnson

Over a decade ago, I was charged with conspiracy to commit murder. Being I was innocent, I figured the truth will come out and it was just a bad mistaken identity. I wore county Prison Clothes for almost two years before my trial and I thought I would never have to wear prison clothes again. The last words I remembered were: “For the remainder of your natural life, you will be fed, clothed and sheltered by the Department of Corrections (DOC).”  Not only was my freedom taken for a crime I never conspired to commit, I was told I had to wear the clothes of a guilty man for the rest of my life. It’s been over a decade and I’ve been fighting to rid myself of these clothes through the appeal procedures. There have been times that I thought that I might never regain my freedom.

Through my travels, I’ve met others in my same situation who have given up and got caught up in prison distractions such as gambling, basketball, changing their sexual preferences along with obtaining a low self esteem which leads to the attitude they get stuck with. I’m a strong-minded person and I refuse to stop fighting to prove my innocence. I’ve sent over three hundred (300) letters to various innocence organizations and places in other countries seeking help. I’ve been in a couple of magazines and newsletters, put on websites and so on. All the time while this was going on, I was representing myself Pro-Se and my appeals were getting further and further.

When I thought I was never going to get the help I needed, a legal team took over my case. My reason for writing this is to encourage those who are in my situation who want to give up: Don’t get discouraged when an innocence organization turns you down. Over three hundred people turned me down. Just keep in mind, you have not committed a crime, a crime has been committed against you! You are Innocent But Wearing Guilty Clothes.

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