USER CONTENT - Key Persons
Aimee Halfpenny is a fund development professional with nearly twenty years of experience working for nonprofits throughout Southern California. As the Director of Development for Mama's Kitchen she was responsible for generating over two million in revenue and oversaw four signature fundraising events annually.
She has a passion for supporting vulnerable populations, and in her most recent role, she fundraised for critical services to assist former foster youth who have transitioned from the child welfare system. Aimee participated in the Fieldstone Foundation's Emerging Nonprofit Leaders program and is a former AFP San Diego Chamberlain Scholar.
Aimee believes CIP's work is fundamental to reversing systematic poverty, racism and the injustices especially prevalent among impoverished communities. She is honored to help CIP further their great work to exonerate the wrongfully convicted and reform the criminal justice system.
Alex has been with the Project since 2001. He graduated from University of California Santa Barbara and received his Juris Doctorate and LL.M. from California Western School of Law. Before joining the Project, Alex briefly worked at Federal Defenders of San Diego, Inc.
In his role as Associate Director, Alex oversees the day-to-day operations of the Project, litigating cases with his fellow staff attorneys, and working to effectuate policy changes in California.
He has authored a number of law review articles relating to wrongful convictions, covering topics such as compensation, post-conviction DNA testing, and the standards for bringing claims of new evidence before the courts. Over the course of his career, Alex has been successful in exonerating many wrongfully convicted clients, and has been recognized by the San Diego Daily Transcript as "Top Attorney" and by the Board of Directors of the Criminal Defense Bar Association of San Diego as "Post-conviction Lawyer of the Year."
Alissa has been with the Project since 2006. She graduated from the University of California Santa Barbara and received her Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law. Before joining the Project, Alissa worked as a judicial extern for The Honorable Jan Adler of the United States District Court, Southern District of California, she worked at the Defensoría Penal Pública in Santiago, Chile.
In her role as Litigation Coordinator, Alissa coordinates all active case litigation, manages the case intake process, serves as the in-house DNA expert, authors petitions filed on behalf of clients, speaks at conferences on topics relating to forensics, directs and supervises clinical student casework, and helps draft new laws. Alissa is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences and serves on the National Innocence Network's Complex DNA Working Group.
Alissa has been featured on television shows and podcasts including 20/20, Snapped, Crime Watch Daily, and Flawed Justice. She is played by Tiffany DuPont in the feature film "Brian Banks." Alissa has been recognized as "Young Attorney" of the Year, "Post-Conviction Lawyer of the Year," and "Attorney of the Year."
After graduating from Baylor University with a marketing and management degree, Alli Temnick took on as many nonprofit jobs as possible to see how she could most effectively impact the world around her. After interning or working for Make-A-Wish, Compassion International, the Phoenix Rescue Mission, AmeriCorps, the Spanish Ministry of Education, and United Way, Alli decided to get her Masters in Nonprofit Administration from the University of Notre Dame.
Right around that time, Alli read a book called Just Mercy, that opened her eyes to the injustices of the criminal justice system in a profound way. Reading Just Mercy caused her to evaluate what role she could play in improving that system, eventually leading her to volunteer and eventually join the Board of the California Innocence Project.
Amber is in-house employment counsel for Eastridge Workforce Solutions, an employee-owned company based in San Diego. Eastridge provides full-service talent acquisition and management solutions for companies throughout the United States and across the globe.
Prior to transitioning to her in-house role, Amber worked as an employment litigator and advisor at Jackson Lewis and later, Procopio, Corey, Hargreaves & Savitch LLP. She was actively involved in the pro bono committees at both firms. Shortly after learning about CIP through the Wrongfully Accused podcast, she was introduced to CIP's extraordinary Associate Director of Development and Policy, Jasmin Harris. Amber and Jasmin partnered together to launch an army of CIP volunteer attorneys at Procopio.
Amber also volunteers with Frosted Faces Foundation, an organization that promises family and quality veterinary care for senior animals whose love and lives are in jeopardy. She has two wonderful dogs and she runs a lot (too much, according to her husband, who is also wonderful).
Audrey has been an attorney with the Project since 2011. She graduated from the University of Washington in Seattle and received her Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law. Before joining the Project she worked on her father's farm.
Audrey first served in the Project as a volunteer and clinic student while in law school. Upon passing the California Bar, she started work as an investigator for the Project, eventually becoming a staff attorney. Audrey directs and supervises the CIP clinic students in their case review.
Over the course of her career, she has played an integral role in preparing and arguing motions essential to the Project's cause. Additionally, Audrey works as a trainer with ACCESO Capacitación and has trained hundreds of Spanish-speaking lawyers throughout Latin America on trial advocacy skills. She is also an LL.M. Professor at California Western School of Law and was named "Professor of the Year" in 2018.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Marketing Professional Turned Music Agent
Beth Keith is an automotive marketing professional turned music agent with a passion for reforming the criminal justice system. Possessing an extensive background in events and brand management, Beth's natural talent lies in connecting the dots and generating opportunity, no matter the industry.
Beth joined the CIP team after co-hosting an event with friend of the project, Jason Flom, where she met a few of the CIP exonerees. From then on, she was eager to become an integral part of the California Innocence Project.
Brian Banks was faced with an impossible decision at the time - either fight the charges and risk spending 41 years-to-life in prison, or take a plea deal and spend a little over 5 years of actual prison confinement. Although it would mean destroying his chance to go to college and play football, a lengthy probationary period, and a lifetime of registration as a sex offender, Banks chose the lesser of two evils when he pleaded no contest to the charges.
Nearly a decade after his conviction, Gibson recanted her statements and has acknowledged she fabricated the whole story. The California Innocence Project presented this evidence of Banks' innocence to the Los Angeles District Attorney's Office who launched an investigation into the case. After a thorough review of the evidence, the District Attorney's Office conceded that Banks was wrongfully convicted.
On Thursday, May 24, 2012, Judge Mark C. Kim of the Los Angeles Superior Court reversed Banks' conviction and ended his nightmare of wrongful conviction. "There comes a time when you have to let go in order to move on. The only thing I wasn't going to let go was this fight," Banks said outside of the courthouse after his exoneration.
Brian Banks premiered at the Los Angeles Film Festival (LAFF) on September 22, 2018. Tickets to the showing sold out so quickly that a second showing, which also sold out, was scheduled for the following day. The Hollywood Reporter and Variety published glowing reviews of Brian Banks, and it won LAFF's Audience Award for Fiction Feature Film. "Despite the political minefield that it traverses, this movie deserves to be shown - partly because it will stimulate more dialogue on a controversial subject, and also because it showcases outstanding performances, especially a career-defining portrayal by Aldis Hodge in the title role," Stephen Farber writes in Hollywood Reporter.
Articles on the film have been published by Sports Illustrated and Deadline. In a review of Brian Banks, the Los Angeles Beat says, "'Brian Banks' is a complicated and layered story negotiating its way between heartbreak, despair, victories and the absolute conviction that the human spirit can triumph against great odds. It's a movie that is as moving as it is uplifting and demonstrates we can all accomplish anything if we set our minds to if our heart's in the right place."
Brian Banks has appeared on several "must-see" film lists for 2019, including "NPR's Summer Movie Guide: 26 Films Coming Soon To Theaters," and The New York Times' "Summer Movies 2019." The film even made Variety's list of 31 films that could enter the 2020 Oscars awards race.
On August 2, 2019, Deadline published another movie review, saying: "Brian Banks, a remarkable true story of pure determination to defeat an unjust justice system, is an inspiring winner just like the real-life man who is Brian Banks." The full review can be found here.
Brian Banks was released in more than 600 theaters throughout the U.S on August 9, 2019. We hope all of you will see the movie. You can search Fandango to see where the film is playing near you. Check out the Brian Banks movie trailer below:
Many of the actors in the Brian Banks film have shared in interviews what it was like to play a character in a movie about wrongful convictions, and how Banks, as well as the California Innocence Project inspire them. In an interview with CBS Los Angeles, actress Tiffany Dupont talked about playing CIP Staff Attorney Alissa Bjerkhoel. "She was the first person to hear Brian's story and she brought it back to CIP [California Innocence Project]," Dupont said in the interview. "She said that this guy could actually still have his dreams."
Claudia has been with the Project since 2019. She graduated from California State University, Fresno and earned her Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law. While in law school, Claudia was awarded the "Janeen Kerper Scholarship for Criminal Defense Advocacy" and was inducted into the Pro Bono Honors Society at the Gold Level for over 200 hours of service at the San Diego Public Defender's Office and in our Project.
Before joining the Project, she worked as a 911 Communications Dispatcher and then went onto become a District Representative for California State Senator before starting law school.
In her role as Staff Fellow, Claudia supports and assists in supervising our current clinical students and volunteer legal interns. She is responsible for overseeing the Project's initial review of innocence claims arising from convictions occurring within Southern California. In addition to overseeing the intake process, Claudia engages in legal writing, case preparation, and litigation alongside the Project's Staff Attorneys as needed.
Emily Simpson is new to CIP. Emily Simpson is an attorney, wife, and mom to three small children. She graduated from Miami University of Ohio and was a high school Spanish teacher for four years. Then she received her Juris Doctorate from Thomas Jefferson School of Law. She is a member of the California Bar, as well as the Utah Bar. She has practiced in the areas of Family Law and Copyright law. Emily is also a current cast member of The Real Housewives of Orange County. She has a strong passion for criminal justice reform and is excited to be a part of the CIP team. She is also excited to use her party planning skills to plan fundraising events for CIP.
Job Titles:
- Co - Director of the Project, Professor
- Co - Founder Emeritus
- Professor
Professor Jan Stiglitz is a 1975 graduate of Albany Law. He began his teaching career at California Western School of Law in 1980, after receiving his LL.M. from Harvard Law School.
While on the faculty at California Western, Professor Stiglitz also represented numerous individuals who were appealing their criminal convictions. In 1999, Professor Stiglitz, along with Professor Justin Brooks, founded the California Innocence Project.
In his work as Co-Director of the Project, Professor Stiglitz appeared in federal and state courts throughout California, including the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals and the California Supreme Court. His work in the Project also earned him two California Lawyer of the Year Awards.
Job Titles:
- Associate Director of Development and Policy
Jasmin has been with the Project since 2014. She began as a volunteer, but was quickly promoted to Policy and Development Coordinator after displaying considerable talent in reaching out to potential donors. Before joining the Project, Jasmin was the owner and manager of two of the Original Pancake House restaurants in San Diego and Temecula.
In her work now as External Relations Administrator, Jasmin oversees all development and policy work for the Project. She is responsible for shepherding proposed bills and policy measures through the legislature, vetting proposed language, meeting with legislators and staffers, and testifying on behalf of the Project.
Because of Jasmin's work, several bills sponsored by the Project have now become law. Exonerees are now able to make requests for information regarding available evidence to prove their innocence; be given automatic compensation, and have their yearly compensatory amount increased; and ask for transitional services upon their release. Jasmin's work in policy and legislation have also dramatically changed police practices and procedures regarding eyewitness identification.
On the afternoon of September 11, 1995, Los Angeles police discovered the body of Raul Alegria, dead from multiple gunshot wounds, including a fatal one that had pierced his lungs. Raul was a member of the Avenues gang, an enemy of the Highland Park gang, whose members included Jason Guzman at the time. Around 2:30 p.m., someone shot Raul. Shortly after witnesses heard gunshots, a yellow station wagon driven by Michael Navarro pulled away from the crime scene. A "concerned citizen" told police that the "word on the street" was that the passenger of the car was Jason and he was the shooter.
At the time of the shooting, Jason was at home, taking care of his girlfriend, Angela Nunez's, child. This alibi was corroborated by his neighbor, who came over to his apartment to use his phone at the approximate time of the shooting.
The most powerful evidence against Jason was the testimony of an eyewitness who claimed he saw Jason, a passenger in the suspect car, laughing after the shooting. However, the person described by the eyewitness lacked a large, clearly visible tattoo that Jason had on the back of his head. In addition, the eyewitness failed to identify Jason on the day of the shooting in a police lineup. The other witness, a police deputy, claimed he overheard Jason tell Diane Schell that "he was going to have to care of" a problem in his neighborhood the morning of the shooting. But Schell denies having ever had such a conversation with Jason, and she questioned why someone would ever say something so incriminating in front of a deputy.
Another key element of the prosecution's argument was the testimony of Angela Nunez who, under intense pressure and threats of prosecution and of having her children taken away from her, told police that Jason had confessed to her. She retracted those statements almost immediately and, to this day, maintains that Jason never confessed. Dr. Richard Ofshe, a "world-renowned expert on influence interrogation," stated that the kind of tactics the detective used against her greatly diminished the reliability of her statements. Dr. Ofshe also concluded that Angela was influenced by threats made during an off-tape conversation.
Finally, the route the shooter took does not align with the prosecution's theory that Jason was involved. If Jason was returning home in the direction the eyewitness saw the car go, it would be nonsensical for him to take a route that not only takes significantly longer, but also goes by the crime scene, exposing himself to responding police officers.
Post-conviction investigation has revealed the identity of the real shooter. The California Innocence Project is now pursuing multiple avenues of overturning Jason's wrongful conviction.
Job Titles:
- Chairman
- Chairman of the Development Board
Jeremy has always had an interest in justice and policy issues starting with an internship on Capitol Hill in college and continuing on through his job as a Special Agent with U.S. Department of Homeland Security Investigations in the years following 9/11, working primarily in undercover weapons smuggling and non-proliferation, as well as anti-terrorism and narcotics. Currently, he is one of the owners and operators of MotoSonora Brewing Company. Jeremy earned a bachelor's degree in Psychology from the University of Arizona and a law degree from Pepperdine University. Over the years, Jeremy has worked as a lawyer, university professor, ski patroller, surfboard shaper, and survey diver. He has also written three thrillers based loosely on his experiences working for Homeland Security.
John has a longstanding history in the field of international education spanning more than 25 years. He has been an active and contributing member of the international education industry including NAFSA, the Association of International Educators, and Forum on Education Abroad.
John first studied abroad in London in 1986. He began his international education career as a Foreign Student Advisor for the State University of New York at Oswego in the Office of International Education. John attended graduate school at the University of London, School of Oriental and African Studies where he completed a master's degree in Area studies: China.
During this time, John was also the executive director of the SUNY Oswego London Center which led to the development of CAPA's first program center in London.
As an entrepreneur and leader, John continues to evolve and support the field of international education. He strives for new and innovative ways to enhance the student experience in academics, personal and professional development and cultural exchange using state-of- the-art
technology to create globally collaborative communities across the CAPA network of programs. His entrepreneurial approach to learning takes students to places they never knew they could go and prepares them to function and compete in an increasingly interdependent globallandscape.
Currently, John sits on the Access Advisory Board for the Fund for Education Abroad, the Advisory Council for Diversity Abroad, the Best Buddies Challenge Executive Committee, and the Development Board of the California Innocence Project.
Job Titles:
- Director
- CIP Director
- Director and Co - Founder of the California Innocence Project
Justin is the Director and Co-Founder of the California Innocence Project. Prior to coming to California, he practiced as a criminal defense attorney in Washington D.C., Michigan, and Illinois and over the course of his career he has served as counsel on several high profile criminal cases.
He has been recognized several times by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California. In 2010 and 2012, California Lawyer Magazine recognized him with the "Lawyer of the Year" award. Justin began his teaching career as a Fellow at Georgetown Law Center in 1990. He continued to teach at Georgetown after his fellowship ended and served as Associate Director of Georgetown's Corrections Clinic. In 1993, he began teaching at Thomas M. Cooley Law School where he taught criminal law, criminal procedure, death penalty law, and law and literature. He directed the moot court program, coached the law school's first National Championship moot court team, and supervised a death penalty clinical program.
Justin has worked extensively in Latin America training lawyers for the past 20 years. Justin co-founded Red Inocente, an organization devoted to founding and supporting innocence organizations in Latin American, including: the Puerto Rico Innocence Project, Mexico Innocence Project, Chilean Innocence Project, Colombian Innocence Project, and Argentinian Innocence Project. Justin is a tenured professor at California Western School of Law. He is the author of the only legal casebook devoted to the topic of wrongful convictions.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board
- Chairman of the Advisory Committee to the California Bureau for Private Post - Secondary Schools
- Special Counsel With Cooley LLP
Katherine (Kate) Lee Carey serves as Special Counsel with Cooley LLP. Kate began her career as a criminal defense litigator in 2000, and then transitioned into in-house roles with institutions of higher education, including as a Director of Regulatory Affairs, a Vice President of Compliance and General Counsel. Kate's practice with Cooley focuses on the legal, accreditation, administrative and regulatory aspects of regionally and nationally accredited higher education institutions, K-12 and public charter schools, and companies that provide services to the education industry, including education technology providers. She provides clients with interpretation and implementation guidance on legal and regulatory changes, including impact analysis and strategic plans to implement complex regulatory requirements and compliance structures.
Kate serves as Chair of the Advisory Committee to the California Bureau for Private Post-Secondary Schools, co-chair of the Equality and Action Committee of the Lawyers Club of San Diego, and as a member of the California Innocence Project board. She is also a member of numerous education organizations such as the National Association of College and University Attorneys and the California Association of Private Post-Secondary Schools. Kate is passionate about protecting and furthering civil rights and is involved with the ACLU and the Human Rights Campaign as well.
Kate loves to travel (over the years, working her way through Italy and the UK) and also has a (perhaps obsessive) love for her dogs including incessant picture taking and Instagram posting. Kate's husband Alex supports all of this because he is a saint.
Laurie grew up in Tampa Florida gaining a BA in Economics from USF and an MBA in Marketing from Florida Institute of Technology, and soon after began a career in advertising. Arriving in SF 5.5 years ago to work at Google in Ads Tech, Laurie quickly realized that there were plentiful opportunities to help local Bay Area nonprofits in a variety of ways with technology, hands-on projects, and fundraising events such as Muttville Animal Rescue, YMCA Urban Development Program, and Glide Homeless Shelter. Laurie then took her volunteering internationally, always being interested in Geo-Political and Human Rights affairs - she began volunteering with nonprofits in India and Nepal to combat human trafficking; and in Greece to work on giving aid and tech resources to the Syrian Refugee camps. She is also a lead for Women @ SFO at Google, which focuses on providing connections, educational opportunities, and a community of women geared to empowering and advancing women in our communities at large.
Always being interested in political affairs and human rights, Laurie watched a remarkable movie on a flight from SFO to NYC one afternoon called Brian Banks and was so inspired by the great work of California Innocence Project that she decided right there to reach out to see how she could take part in the mission to improve justice reform and give every human equal rights as an American citizen under the 5th Amendment regardless of ethnicity, race, or socio-economic status - even if that meant just helping one person get their freedom back. Laurie soon joined as an attorney volunteer, already loving the work and people at CIP, she joined the Board of the California Innocence Project.
Marc Lipschitz is a seasoned veteran of the San Diego real estate industry with over 28 years of experience. After earning a BA in Business Administration at the University of San Diego in 1989, Marc began his career at Voit Real Estate Services where he worked in commercial real estate for 21 years, earning the title of Senior Vice President. To date, Marc has leased and sold over three million square feet at a value that exceeds $1 billion. He continues to dominate the owner-user market in representing companies looking to acquire commercial buildings. As a native of La Jolla, Marc has been able to successfully leverage his extensive network and strong relationships within the community. Repeat clients and exemplary referrals drive a large portion of his business, reflecting his superior negotiating skills and excellent interpersonal relationships. He works tirelessly to raise awareness and funds for CIP by hosting events and garnering attention in his San Diego circles.
Mike has been an attorney with the Project since 2011. In his earlier years, Mike graduated cum laude from California Western School of Law where he was student in the California Innocence Project. After passing the California State Bar, Mike first worked as an investigator for the California Innocence Project and later became a staff attorney. Mike has spoken at a number of conferences related to investigations and innocence work including the Defense Investigators Association Conference, the Innocence Network Conference, and SDSU School of Public Affairs.
Over the course of his career, he has lent his investigatory skills to break open many cases which have led to exonerations. He currently authors petitions filed on behalf of the Project's clients, as well as directs and supervises clinic student casework. In 2012, California Lawyer Magazine recognized Mike's work with the California Lawyer of the Year award. In 2014, the San Diego Daily Transcript recognized Mike as a "Top Attorney."
After graduating from the University of California San Diego, including studying one year abroad at the University of Barcelona, with a BA in Spanish Literature and History, Michelle wanted to do something to try to make a positive difference in the world but wasn't sure how. After spending 2 years managing an after-school daycare program, she enrolled at California Western School of Law. And found her true passion in law school - indigent criminal defense. She began as a law clerk at Appellate Defenders in 1997 and continued as an Appellate Defenders staff attorney upon graduation, a position she still holds. As an ADI staff attorney, she has represented hundreds of indigent criminal defendants in post-conviction proceedings over the past 22 years. Fortunately, one of these defendants was Kimberly Long, and because of Kimberly's case, Michelle became involved with CIP. As a criminal defense practitioner, Michelle understands how invaluable CIP's work is to help free the wrongfully convicted and is honored to serve on the development board.
Job Titles:
- Staff Attorney
- Volunteer Coordinator
Raquel has been with the Project since 2011. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and received her Juris Doctorate from California Western School of Law.
Before joining the Project, Raquel worked with private criminal defense and civil plaintiffs firms in Southern California. Raquel also found time to continue coaching gymnastics which was her first passion before helping the wrongfully convicted.
In her dual roles at the Project, Raquel is responsible for supervising pro bono law firms, lawyers, experts, and investigators who assist the Project in successfully investigating and litigating cases. Raquel has played an integral role in the exoneration of many wrongfully convicted clients and has assisted in helping those clients receive compensation after their exoneration. Raquel is the Project's post-conviction arson expert and has lectured to lawyers, students, and investigators on the developments and issues within the fire investigation community. Raquel's work relating to arson cases is documented in Pulitzer Prize-winner Ed Humes's recent book Burned.
Richard is a partner in the law firm Marcus Errico Emmer Brooks PC. In over three decades of representing condominium communities, Richard has been actively involved in the industry, both professionally and personally, as someone who believes in the common interest ownership concept and is committed to defending and advancing it.
Richard is probably best known in New England for his success in winning "equal rights" to municipal services for condominium communities. Less well-known but equally significant has been his work on the Massachusetts Legislative Action Committee and the CAI National Amicus Team to influence laws and litigation affecting condominium communities in New England and nationwide.
As an active Instagram user (@richardbrooks59), Richard can often be seen spending quality time with his family and supporting the efforts of the California Innocence Project. Fun fact: Richard was an extra in the Brian Banks film.
Robin brings with her over 30 years' experience working with a broad range of non-profit organizations throughout San Diego. She been a long-time supporter of CIP and was instrumental in helping create a training manual for attorneys wishing to provide case reviews. Robin believes it is imperative to remedy problems in our criminal justice system and protect our civil liberties. A critical component of achieving these goals is ensuring the release of persons who have been wrongfully incarcerated! A graduate of Cornell University (economics) and Harvard Law School, Robin has worked as an attorney, educator, project manager, financial manager, and community volunteer. She has a proven ability to roll up her sleeves and gets things done. We are very happy to welcome her to CIP's Development Board!
Sydnie joined the Project in 2021. She graduated from California State University, Sacramento and earned her Juris Doctorate from Santa Clara University. While in law school, Sydnie served as President for the Black Law Student Association and received the Justice John Paul Steven Public Interest Fellowship Grant.
Before joining the Project, Sydnie served as a Judicial Intern at San Mateo County Superior Court and as a clinical student with the Northern California Innocence Project.
As Staff Fellow, Sydnie supports and assists in supervising our current clinical students and volunteer legal interns. She is responsible for overseeing the Project's initial review of innocence claims arising from convictions occurring within Southern California. In addition to overseeing the intake process, Sydnie engages in legal writing, case preparation, and litigation alongside the Project's Staff Attorneys as needed.
After graduating cum laude from California Western School of Law, she worked in juvenile dependency representing parents accused of abuse and neglect. At this job she was exposed to the bad science behind the shaken baby syndrome hypothesis and saw it used to remove custodial rights from innocent parents. Working in this area was difficult; however, she was grateful for the rewards of such meaningful work. Today, she manages her own successful estate planning and probate practice in San Jose, California and when she's not working, she enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, weight lifting and indoor rock climbing.