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S tre e t R o o ts •
M a y 5 -1 1 , 2 0 1 7
S tre e t R o o ts •
M ay 5 -1 1 ,2 0 1 7
News
Until proven innocent
to go against a child.”
Another project we are working
towards (at the Innocence Project of
Texas) is talking to jurors who are willing
to share their experience: knowing they
found us guilty when we were actually
innocent.
A n n a Vasquez is one o f the San A ntonio Four - L G B T L atinas imprisoned
fo r more than a decade fo r a horrific crime that never occurred. Now
exonerated, Vasquez is working to protect others from wrongful conviction.
registered sex offenders or languishing in
BY SUZANNE ZALOKAR
a prison cell for a crime that never
STAFF W R IT E R .
happened - that to a few people, the facts
just didn’t add up, and they didn’t let it go.
nna Vasquez and three of her
They fought to the end to find the truth.
friends - Elizabeth Ramirez,
The results of that determination will
Cassandra Rivera, and Kristie
reverberate through the rest of the lives
Mayhugh - spent more than a decade of
their lives as convicted sex offenders for a of these four women.
Vasquez and Rivera will be in Portland
crime that never happened. In 1997 and
1998, the quad was accused of performing on May 11, speaking at an Oregon
Innocence Project fundraising event at
drug-fueled, Satanic ritualistic child rape
Urban Studio.
at gunpoint.
I spoke with Vasquez by phone the day
The four Latina women, who had
after Lendell Lee was executed in
recently come out as lesbian to their
Arkansas. His was the first in a series of
families and friends, were found guilty of
executions in Arkansas’ effort to use up
a molesting two young girls, the nieces of
its remaining doses of midazolam, which
one of the women.
would
soon expire and are increasingly
Suddenly, instead of planning their own
hard for states to
futures, the four
acquire because
found themselves
pharmaceutical
isolated in separate
companies don’t
state prisons,
want their drugs
What: Oregon Innocence Project
registered as sex
used in executions.
fundraiser with speakers Anna
offenders and serving
Initially eight
Vasquez
and
Cassandra
Rivera
time for a crime of
inmates were
which they were
When: 5:30 p.m. Thursday. May 11
scheduled to die over
innocent.
Where: Urban Studio. 935 NW
11 days - the fastest
In 2012, filming
pace
of executions in
Davis
St..
Portland
began on a
decades. Some
Tickets: Starting at $125,
documentary about
executions were
the San Antonio
www.eventorite.com
blocked by the
Four, “Southwest of
courts.
Salem,” in which one
Lee was convicted
of the child accusers
of the 1995 murder of Debra Reese. Thè
recanted her testimony. Vasquez was
Innocence Project and the ACLU
released on parole later that year. The
petitioned on Lee’s behalf for a stay of
other three women were released on
execution and a re-testing of the DNA
bond in 2013, after Texas lawmakers
evidence in his case, but their petition
passed a “junk science” bill allowing
was
denied. Lee was executed April 2 0 .1
defendants to bring a writ of habeas
corpus on grounds that scientific evidence asked Vasquez what she thought about
that.
is later deemed faulty.
A
IF YOU 60
The four women fought to prove their
innocence with the help of their families
and friends, of course, but largely it was
the dedicated staff of the Texas Innocence
Project, lead attorney Mike Ware and
“Southwest of Salem” filmmaker Deborah
Esquenazi who collaborated tirelessly
with them to prove their innocence.
In 2016, their fight paid off. “Southwest
of Salem” won numerous awards, accuser
Stephanie Limon once again recanted her
testimony, and another key piece of
medical “junk” evidence came to light.
The San Antonio Four received 25,000
signatures on a Change.org petition to
support the reversal of their charges, and
in November 2016, the court did just that:
It granted exoneration to all four women.
When we spoke, Vasquez was very
clear about the importance of other
people believing in the quest for truth and
justice. This is largely the only reason
that all four of these women are not still
Anna Vasquez: They didn’t even give
him a shot to test the DNA. What if it
comes out that he was innocent? And they
put this man to death? That is completely
unfair. Why wouldn’t you test the DNA?
How can those people sleep at night?
Don’t they have a conscience? (Giving
him his fair day in court) was the right
thing to do to, but they didn’t do th a t
Suzanne Zalokar: K> m have been out of
prison on parole since 2012. It looks like
you have been doing lots of social justice
work. Tell me about your life now.
A.V.: I work for the Innocence Project
of Texas. I am an education and outreach
director. One of the projects I am working
on is to gather all of the exonerees and
organize the community in such a way
that when we need someone to speak to a
similar or specific situation to help
influence the passing of important
legislation by having an Innocence Project
S.Z.: That’s an interesting angle, fury
duty is a big responsibility.
exoneree testify to a community, in a
courtroom or on the Senate floor. It’s a
slow process and is still in the works.
A N : Absolutely. My mom sat in jury
rooms before, and she would tell me that
the pressure from the group is very
difficult if you are one of the ones to
stand firm and not go with the crowd - or
if people just want to get it over with and
go home.
My hope is that by more exonerees
sharing their experiences, it will make
people who serve in a jury take their
responsibility very seriously. It will help
jurors to be attentive to things and stand
firm if they believe the person is
innocent.
S.Z.: So you’re working on legislation.
A.V.: I was there when Michael Morton
and Chris Ochoa (both Innocence Project
exonerees) spoke on Texas House Bill 34.
That was in regard to making
interrogations recorded - actually
mandating that. There are many
jurisdictions that do this already, but it
isn’t mandated. So they were testifying for
that. Cassie, Liz and I were there in favor
of the bill, as well.
S.Z.: All four of you - the San Antonio
Four - were exonerated of all charges in
November. That must still be settling in?
How does that feel?
A.V.: It’s ironic that you ask th a t This
might sound kind of weird. I didn’t know
how to feel. For 19 years of my life, I was
carefree. I was young, not a care in the
world but what style is in or my friends
were coming over or whatever. After that,
for the last 22 years, until Nov. 23 of last
year, I had dealt with this accusation on
my shoulders. I had actually dealt with it a
lot longer than the time I (had not).
When we were actually exonerated, of
course, it felt like a weight was lifted. I
felt like I could finally breathe for the first
time in a long time. After a couple of days
... it was exoneration and then it was
Thanksgiving, and then there was a break
before Christmas, and I kind of had a
breakdown. I felt like, I spent so much
time fighting for my innocence, what the
hell am I supposed to do now?
I had always wanted to work with the
Innocence Project. An opportunity came
available, and they asked me to come on
board. It was a no-brainer for me.
S.Z.: You are living in San Antonio now.
Are there any challenges that you face living
in the same community where for so many
years you were believed to be guilty of a
horrendous crime?
AN.'. When I paroled, I was able to
come home to my family home - the only
home I’d ever known. I was able to come
home and be with mom. The neighbors
here are still the neighbors that were the
neighbors when I left, except for a couple
of them.
I didn’t get any backlash. At all. I
actually thought 1 would because it was so
publicized. I tried to keep that going
because I still had three friends behind
bars. I was advocating for them, but even
throughout that whole year when I was by
myself doing that, it never happened. Not
once.
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S.Z.: What role has media played in your
case?
A N : In the beginning, they sucked. We
were guilty in the media from the start -
it was a juicy story. But in the end, I
believe (the media) helped to set us free,
as well.
Not only the media, but “Southwest of
Salem” really shed some light on our
humanity. Of course, there was also the
-refuting of key testimonies.
S.Z.: What does the word justice mean to
you?
“Southwest of Salem ” is a documentary about the San Antonio Four and the persecution these wrongfully convicted women faced.
I always wondered, is somebody going
to throw a brick through my window or
slash my tires? But I never thought
someone might want to hurt me because
of my charges.
It was difficult to find a job though.
S.Z.: Ah, yes. Do you want to talk about
that awhile?
AN.: Trying to obtain a job out here
w |s very difficult And to be not only
paroled, but also a registered sex
offender....
Truth be told, I understand the
concern for the community and trying to
keep children safe, but it really sucks
when you are (a registered sex offender)
and you are innocent and you have to
abide by th a t
It was really difficult As you know,
technology has changed. Before I went to
prison, I could walk into a place of
business and ask them for a job
application and fill it out - possibly be
interviewed right then and there.
It doesn’t work like that anymore. You
have to do everything on a computer.
Being a sex offender, you can’t have
access to computers. So there was a place
that I would have to travel to by bus only
- I could not be taken there by my family
- 1 had to travel by bus to go and apply
for jobs that way.
A lot of people won’t hire sex offenders
or murderers for that fact because they
don’t want the liability. I think they had
(paired) potential employers and
employees based on the businesses that
were friendly to this population. Maybe it
- was because the jobs didn’t have you work
• around children, or were basic labor jobs?
S.Z.: Did the four of you stay in touch
while in prison?
A N : No.
S.Z.: You were in different places, I
assume.
A N : We were in different places. When
we entered into prison - not jail, but
prison - the first year and a half, they
allowed inmate-to-inmate mail. Shortly
after we arrived there, they cut it out. So,
no there was no contact besides our
families.
You know, Mom would travel to every
prison just to see everybody. To keep
their spirits up, get them out (of their
cells), get them some snacks and sodas.
It’s uplifting to have a visit with somebody
familiar.
S.Z.: 77/ bet.
AN.: It’s something to look forward to.
S.Z.: Do the four of you have a friendship
now that you are all freed and exonerated?
AN.: Absolutely. I’m not going to tell
you we see each other on a daily or even
a weekly basis. It’s really hard. Everybody
is trying to get back into the routine of
living life again - catching up with things
that were taken away for so long.
Kassie’s got her daughter and new
grandbaby that she never got to spend
time with. And everybody has différent
works schedules. It’s kind of just life, you
know?
S.Z.: That’s awesome though - just a
normal life. How would your life have been
different had you not gone through this
experience?
AN.: I think about it most when I hang
out with my childhood friends and I see
how they are established. They have good
jobs; they were able to go to college. They
have homes and children.
I am a very determined person. I know
I would have made something with my
life. There is no doubt At the time, I
wanted to succeed in the medical
profession. I was thinking to start as a
registered nurse. That’s what I was
focusing on at the time. Who knows? I
might have become a doctor.
S.Z.: With the idea that all of the
experiences behind us make us who we are
today, are there any hidden surprises in
your experience?
AN.: Absolutely. I have become not
only a better person, but I think my
passion for helping others has increased.
I always had that in me, but now helping
others has really taken on a whole new
meaning.
I know that I am a stronger person
because of what I went through.
I also appreciate the smallest things. I
take nothing for granted. You do, as
somebody who hasn’t stepped foot in a
prison (as an inmate). It’s the little things
like grabbing a cup of coffee or even just
coming outside to sit on the porch -
those are things that you never think
about
S.Z.: What was going through your mind
when you received your sentence?
AN.: God. Heartbreak.
S.Z.: Did you think you would be cleared
of any charge?
AN.: Oh yeah. I felt that way all the
way through it until we were actually
pronounced guilty. I always had hope,
even when our lawyers were telling us,
“You’re going to lose” and “Nobody wants
A.Z.: That’s a good one. I think it
means exactly what it was meant to mean:
for nobody to use the law to their
advantage.
Justice means not to discriminate.
For a long time, I think that has been
abused. I think that is why we were so
hopeful (during the trial) - because
justice is supposed to be in the courts, no
matter what is being said about us. No
matter what the media was saying about
us, we were going to have a good shot in
the court system. Unfortunately, it wasn’t
like that.
Justice, to me, means to me, giving
everyone a fair shot for their day in court.
S.Z.: Surely there are other people sitting
in prison, serving time for crimes they did
not commit. Some of them, might be sitting
on death row. What would you say to these
folks?
A N : Don’t give up hope. I know it is
easier said than done. (Sighs.) I feel like I
have a right to say that because I was
there. I know how difficult it is being in
prison. It is very hard and inhumane.
Period. It’s a hard place to survive in.
I know that my faith in God carried me
a long way. Yes, I had family and I had
friends who were out here supporting me,
but when you are in prison, you are alone.
(God) really is the only one who holds you
during your most difficult times.