Profiles

Years between initial arrest and exoneration - 9
Causes of Wrongful Conviction - Prosecutorial misconduct; Eyewitness with incentive to prove guilt
Exoneration Date - June 24, 2003

Dan Bright spent nine years in prison, four of which were on death row, for a 1995 Orleans Parish murder that he did not commit. Mr. Bright suffered from a staggering series of injustices during his trial. First, his attorney did not investigate the case and was drunk during the trial, violating Mr. Bright’s constitutional right to effective counsel. Second, the district attorney's office withheld crucial information about the States’ primary witness which seriously undermined the witness’ credibility. The witness had a criminal record and was on probation at the time of the murder, making him more susceptible to pressure by the police to cooperate.

This information, if known by Mr. Bright’s defense and the jury, could have very well changed the outcome of his trial. The state’s primary witness also admitted on the stand to being drunk before, and during, the time of the murder

Third, it was discovered after Mr. Bright’s conviction that the FBI, thanks to a credible informant, had been in possession of the name of the actual killer all along.

As a consequence of the woeful performance of Mr. Bright’s defense attorney and the unconstitutional withholding of key evidence by the prosecution and the FBI, the jury sentenced 26-year-old Mr. Bright to death.

Mr. Bright’s sentence was later commuted to life, at which time he made requests to have the identity of the true killer released through the Freedom of Information Act. Citing the real killer's right to privacy, the federal government declined to reveal his name.

Shortly after IPNO signed on to the case with Mr. Bright's existing counsel, a federal district court judge ruled Mr. Bright had the right to know the identity of the true killer.

The Louisiana Supreme Court reversed Mr. Bright’s conviction in 2004.

Mr. Bright's case illustrates the lack of government accountability that besets wrongful conviction cases and the urgent need for reform of the standards to which prosecutors are held.

When Mr. Bright was released from prison in June, 2004, among the most relieved was Kathleen Hawk Norman, the foreperson on the jury that had sentenced him to death. She had become one of his strongest advocates after learning of the evidence that had been withheld from the jury on which she served. She also became one of his closest friends after his release.

As a result of her involvement in Mr. Bright’s case, Ms. Hawk Norman dedicated countless hours to raising awareness about wrongful convictions and served as the chair of IPNO's board of directors from 2004 until her sudden passing in 2009.