jews d
in
the
Prosecutor Kym Worthy said in a press release. “The
system failed [Mr. Phillips.] Nothing I can say will
bring back the years of his life spent in prison.”
After an exhaustive review of the evidence,
Newman and her team concluded that false testimo-
ny from a witness led to Phillips’ wrongful conviction
so many decades ago.
“It’s like a spider web; it’s all spun,” she says of the
cases she reviews. “You’re just following every thread
to see where it leads, and you don’t know where it’s
going to lead. You can’t start out with any preconcep-
tions. Very often in innocence cases, what happens
is people make too many assumptions, then they get
tunnel vision and they wind up consciously or uncon-
sciously building a case around those assumptions.”
The system, she says, is subject to human error.
Newman estimates there are millions of people in
prison right now across the country for crimes they
did not commit. Her mission is not only to get inno-
cent people released, but to do whatever she can to
repair flaws in the system. Thanks to her, significant
reforms have already been adopted on the state and
federal level, and Newman has received numerous
accolades for her work. Currently, the Conviction
Integrity Unit has more than 300 requests for investi-
gation.
“When you set up a unit like this, I think it sends
a very clear message that the integrity of the justice
system matters,” she says.
JEWISH ROOTS
Justice Seeker
Valerie Newman’s passion for getting innocent people out
of prison leads to new role.
ROBIN SCHWARTZ CONTRIBUTING WRITER
A
nyone who steps inside Valerie Newman’s
Detroit office at the Frank Murphy Hall
of Justice is greeted by a colorful, framed
poster emblazoned with these words from the Torah:
“Justice, justice shalt thou pursue.” Newman calls the
biblical quote from Deuteronomy her “life model” —
it’s a daily reminder of her passion and purpose. She
is an attorney and director of the new Conviction
Integrity Unit, launched by the Wayne County
Prosecutor’s Office at the start of this year. Her mis-
sion is to get innocent people out of prison.
“When someone’s maintaining their innocence, I
trust what people tell me,” Newman says. “But, trust
is not enough. So then you start back at square one.
You start with the police file; you read every single
witness statement and then you work the case for-
ward. You don’t assume what someone else assumed
— I’m going to read everything myself, and I’m going
to come to my own conclusions about where the evi-
dence leads.”
In several high-profile cases, Newman’s conclusions
have helped to get innocent people freed. Among
them is Davontae Sanford, who was convicted for a
quadruple drug-related murder at just 14 years old.
Sanford served nearly nine years in prison before
he was released in June 2016. Newman and other
attorneys who fought hard for the teen argued that
18
August 16 • 2018
jn
he falsely confessed. A professional hitman also con-
fessed to the crimes. The Wayne County Prosecutor’s
Office still considers the Sanford case “under investi-
gation” so Newman was not able to talk about it, but
at the time of Sanford’s release, she told CNN: “When
you work for years to shine light on an injustice and
your work comes to fruition in a positive manner, it’s
extremely gratifying.”
In another widely publicized case, Newman helped
win the release of Raymond and Thomas Highers,
two brothers who were wrongfully convicted in a
1987 murder. They were released after 25 years in
prison when a new witness came forward and new
evidence came to light.
“Her remarkable dedication does not end with rep-
resentation,” says Newman’s father, James Newman.
“[Valerie] continues to be involved with her clients,
helping these men and others rebuild their lives.”
FIRST MAN FREED
Richard Phillips, 71, is the first man to be released fol-
lowing a review of his case by the Conviction Integrity
Unit. He spent 45 years in prison for a murder he
always maintained he did not commit. This March,
he was finally freed.
“It would be irresponsible and ethically inappro-
priate not to investigate these cases,” Wayne County
Newman says her Jewish roots, growing up in Oak
Park and attending Congregation Beth Shalom with
her family, helped her establish an early sense of jus-
tice.
“Learning about how people throughout history
have been treated so unfairly — that is something
that’s resonated with me my whole life,” she says.
Newman graduated from Berkley High School, the
University of Michigan and Wayne State University
Law School. At first, she thought she’d pursue envi-
ronmental law. But, a job with Legal Aid in New York
doing criminal defense work while in law school
changed her life. Newman says she was exposed to
the “underdog side” of being a defense attorney. The
job was fast-paced, intellectually challenging and fun.
She was hooked.
After that, Newman worked for the Michigan State
Appellate Defender Office for more than 20 years. She
also taught at the University of Michigan for more
than a decade.
“The Appellate Defender Office wound up being a
great fit for me,” Newman says. “I got to do everything:
argue in the Court of Appeals, argue in Michigan
Supreme Court, argue in the trial court and the feder-
al court — it took me all the way to the U.S. Supreme
Court twice.”
Newman’s decision to take on her latest role —
after years of butting heads with Wayne County
prosecutors as a criminal defense attorney — caught
many people by surprise. But she says she simply saw
the chance to make a positive impact.
“A lot of people were very shocked that I left where
I was to come here,” Newman says. “But, I’m thrilled
to be here. I love what I do. It’s such an opportunity to
do good in the world — that’s all I’ve ever wanted to
do with my law degree.” •
The Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office Conviction
Integrity Unit will only review cases prosecuted in
Wayne County. The defendant must claim that he
or she is innocent and there must be new evidence
in the case. Forms can be found online, or claims
can be submitted by mail to the Conviction Integrity
Unit, Frank Murphy Hall of Justice, 1441 St. Antoine,
Detroit, MI 48226.