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Last month, we celebrated the release of Ricky Thomas, who served more than 20 years of a life sentence for burglary under Louisiana’s habitual offender law. When he was sentenced in 2005, Ricky had no hope of release. But even in the face of a life sentence, he refused to give up. Over the course of two decades, he completed vocational training in pest control, served as a groundskeeper, joined multiple ministries, and became a…

We are caught in an inescapable network of mutuality, tied in a single garment of destiny. Whatever affects one directly affects all indirectly. . . . Anyone who lives inside the United States can never be considered an outsider. – Martin Luther King, Jr., Letter from Birmingham Jail, August 1963

With your support, Cheri is free and can now be at home with her family for the holidays while IJLA continues to advocate for her in court for full exoneration. Thank you to everyone whose overwhelming generosity has made this moment possible.

Cheri Hayden’s conviction has been definitively overturned! After being overturned TWICE by the Louisiana Fifth Circuit Court of Appeal, on November 19, 2025, the Louisiana Supreme Court has declined to intervene in Cheri Hayden’s case. Cheri Hayden’s conviction has been definitively overturned. Innocence & Justice Louisiana will be filing for bail so that she can be released.

Last month, we celebrated the release of Ricky Thomas, who served more than 20 years of a life sentence for burglary under Louisiana’s habitual offender law. When he was sentenced in 2005, Ricky had no hope of release. But even in the face of a life sentence, he refused to give up. Over the course of two decades, he completed vocational training in pest control, served as a groundskeeper, joined multiple ministries, and became a…

After more than 24 years as Innocence Project New Orleans, and after much careful deliberation with our staff, board, clients, and allies, we are excited to announce our new name: Innocence & Justice Louisiana. Our new name and new brand reflect the full scope of the work we have been doing: we work across the state of Louisiana freeing people who are innocent and those who are in prison unjustly, supporting them in freedom.

Innocence & Justice Louisiana is a short film that premiered at our gala in September, marking the launch of our new name and brand. The film traces the evolution of Innocence Project New Orleans into Innocence & Justice Louisiana and highlights our ongoing fight for freedom and justice across the…

BY JOY HOLDEN | The Advocate Sullivan Walter, 56, sat at a conference table in the small converted house that now functions as Innocence & Justice Louisiana, formerly known as Innocent Project New Orleans. He choked back tears when he recalled the moment he read a letter from Richard Davis,…