BELL COUNTY, TX — An advocacy group protested outside the Bell County Justice Center Wednesday in observance of Wrongful Conviction Day. It is a day designed to raise awareness of the personal and emotional toll a false accusation can have on a life.
Families Against False Accusations is a group that aims to shed light on injustices and wrongful convictions.
“You don’t know about it until you are going through it or somebody you know is going through it and it slaps you right in the face,” said Alyssa Duran, Founder of Families Against False Accusations. She says her husband was wrongfully convicted.
The group says that the members have all experienced the pangs of unfounded accusations lodged against a family member.
“My husband was wrongfully convicted of a crime he did not commit here in Bell county. But here, maintaining your innocence is irrelevant,” said Duran.
The group says that false accusations are not an isolated problem, but a global issue.
“I don’t want to die with my child in prison knowing that he was innocent or is innocent, and that's why he didn’t take the plea deal either,” said Sylvia Jackson, who said her son was wrongfully convicted.
25 NEWS reached out to the Bell County District Attorney's office for comment.
“The Criminal justice system, including Judges, prosecutors and law enforcement across the state of Texas, strive to see that justice is done. It is the priority of this office that we administer the duties of this office to not simply convict, but to see that justice is done. In executing this responsibility we seek evidence to prevent wrongful convictions, and present evidence that proves that an individual is responsible for the crime for which they are charged,” said Henry Garza, Bell County District Attorney.
“Even when people are exonerated and freed and cleared. The prosecutors that put them in their and the DAs that did everything wrong to put them in there in the first place do not get held accountable in any kind of way,” said Duran.
