TEDxMidAtlantic
Ronald Sullivan: How I help free innocent people from prison
Ronald Sullivan: Cómo ayudo a inocentes a salir de prisión
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Ronald Sullivan, profesor de derecho en Harvard, lucha por liberar a personas injustamente condenadas, a salir de la cárcel... de hecho, ya ha liberado a unas 6000 personas durante su carrera. Comparte historias desgarradoras sobre cómo (y por qué) personas acaban encarceladas por algo que no han hecho, y las consecuencias en sus vidas y las vidas de otros. Mira esta charla esencial sobre el deber que todos tenemos de hacer el mundo un poco más justo cada día, de la forma que podamos.
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. - Clinical professor of law
Ronald Sullivan is a leading theorist in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, trial practice and techniques, legal ethics and race theory. Full bio
Ronald Sullivan is a leading theorist in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, trial practice and techniques, legal ethics and race theory. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
00:12
So, imagine that you take
a 19-hour, very long drive
a 19-hour, very long drive
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Imagina que haces un viaje
en coche de 19 largas horas
en coche de 19 largas horas
00:20
to Disney World,
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hasta Disney World,
00:21
with two kids in the back seat.
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con dos niños en los asientos traseros.
00:24
And 15 minutes into this 19-hour trip,
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Y a solo 15 minutos de empezar el viaje
00:30
the immutable laws of nature dictate
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la inalterable ley de la naturaleza ordena
00:33
that you get the question:
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que recibas la siguiente pregunta:
00:35
"Are we there yet?"
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"¿Ya llegamos?".
00:36
(Laughter)
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(Risas)
00:38
So you answer this question
a hundred more times, easily,
a hundred more times, easily,
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Así que respondes a esta pregunta,
fácilmente, cien veces más,
fácilmente, cien veces más,
00:42
in the negative,
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negativamente,
00:43
but you finally arrive.
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pero acabas por llegar.
00:44
You have a wonderful,
wonderful, wonderful trip.
wonderful, wonderful trip.
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Pasas unas estupendas, estupendas,
estupendas vacaciones.
estupendas vacaciones.
00:47
You drive 19 long hours back home.
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Conduces otras 19 largas horas hasta casa.
00:53
And when you get there,
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Y cuando llegas,
00:55
the police are waiting on you.
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la policía te está esperando.
00:57
They accuse you of committing a crime
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Te acusan de haber cometido un crimen
00:59
that occurred while you
were away in Florida.
were away in Florida.
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que ocurrió mientras estabas en Florida.
01:03
You tell anybody and everybody
who will listen,
who will listen,
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Le cuentas a todo el que quiera escuchar,
01:06
"I didn't do it!
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"¡Yo no lo hice!
01:08
I couldn't have done it!
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¡No pude haberlo hecho!
01:10
I was hanging out with Mickey
and Minnie and my kids!"
and Minnie and my kids!"
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Estaba pasando el rato con Mickey
y Minnie y mis niños!".
y Minnie y mis niños!".
01:14
But no one believes you.
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Pero nadie te cree.
01:17
Ultimately, you're arrested,
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Acabas siendo arrestado,
01:19
you're tried,
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juzgado,
01:21
you're convicted
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condenado,
01:22
and you are sentenced.
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y sentenciado.
01:24
And you spend 25 years in jail,
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Y pasas 25 años en la cárcel,
01:28
until someone comes along and proves --
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hasta que alguien llega y prueba...
01:33
has the evidence to prove --
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tiene las evidencias para probar...
01:35
that you actually were in Florida
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que realmente estabas en Florida
01:38
when this crime was committed.
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cuando el crimen se cometió.
01:41
So.
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En fin...
01:43
So, I'm a Harvard Law professor,
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Soy profesor de derecho en Harvard,
01:45
and the last several years,
I have worked on
I have worked on
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y durante los últimos años,
he trabajado en
he trabajado en
01:50
winning the release of innocent people
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conseguir sacar de la cárcel
a personas inocentes
a personas inocentes
01:53
who've been wrongfully convicted --
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que habían sido condenadas injustamente...
01:56
people like Jonathan Fleming,
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como, por ejemplo, Jonathan Fleming,
01:58
who spent 24 years, eight months in jail
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quien pasó 24 años
y ocho meses en la cárcel
y ocho meses en la cárcel
02:02
for a murder that was committed
in Brooklyn, New York,
in Brooklyn, New York,
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por un asesinato que se cometió en
Brooklyn, Nueva York,
Brooklyn, Nueva York,
02:05
while he was in Disney World
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mientras él estaba en Disney World
02:09
with his kids.
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con sus hijos.
02:11
How do we know this?
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¿Cómo sabemos esto?
02:12
Because when he was arrested,
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Porque cuando fue arrestado,
02:15
among his property in his back pocket
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entre sus pertenencias
en su bolsillo trasero
en su bolsillo trasero
02:18
was a receipt --
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se encontraba un recibo...
02:21
time-stamped receipt
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un recibo con fecha
02:22
that showed that he was in Disney World.
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que probaba que él se
encontraba en Disney World.
encontraba en Disney World.
02:26
That receipt was put in the police file,
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Se puso una copia en
los archivos policiales,
los archivos policiales,
02:29
a copy of it was put
in the prosecutor's file,
in the prosecutor's file,
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otra copia en los archivos del fiscal,
02:32
and they never gave it
to his public defender.
to his public defender.
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pero nunca se puso ninguna copia
en los archivos de su abogado.
en los archivos de su abogado.
02:35
In fact, nobody even knew it was there.
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De hecho, nadie sabía que estaba ahí.
02:37
It just sat there for 20-some-odd years.
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Pasó veintipico años ahí guardado.
02:40
My team looked through the file,
and we found it,
and we found it,
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Mi equipo rebuscó entre los archivos
y lo encontramos,
y lo encontramos,
02:45
did the rest of the investigation,
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continuamos investigando,
02:47
and figured out someone else
committed the crime.
committed the crime.
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y descubrimos que otro
había cometido el crimen.
había cometido el crimen.
02:49
Mr. Fleming was in Disney World,
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El Sr. Fleming estaba en Disney World,
02:52
and he is now released.
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y ahora ha sido liberado.
02:55
Let me give you a little bit of context.
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Déjenme darles
un poco de contexto.
un poco de contexto.
02:57
So about three years ago, I got a call
from the Brooklyn District Attorney.
from the Brooklyn District Attorney.
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Hace unos tres años, recibí una llamada
del Fiscal del Distrito de Brooklyn.
del Fiscal del Distrito de Brooklyn.
03:01
He asked whether I'd be interested
in designing a program
in designing a program
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Preguntaba si estaría interesado
en diseñar un programa
en diseñar un programa
03:06
called a "conviction review unit."
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llamado "unidad de estudio de condenas".
03:08
So I said yes.
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Dije que sí.
03:09
A conviction review unit is essentially
a unit in a prosecutor's office
a unit in a prosecutor's office
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La unidad de estudio de condenas
es una unidad en la oficina del fiscal
es una unidad en la oficina del fiscal
03:14
where prosecutors look at their past cases
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en que los fiscales revisan
sus casos pasados
sus casos pasados
03:17
to determine whether or not
they made mistakes.
they made mistakes.
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para determinar si se cometieron errores.
03:20
Over the course of the first year,
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Durante el curso del primer año,
03:22
we found about 13 wrongful convictions,
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encontramos 13 condenas injustas,
03:25
people having been in jail for decades,
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personas que habían estado
en prisión por décadas,
en prisión por décadas,
03:28
and we released all of them.
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todas puestas en libertad.
03:29
It was the most in New York history.
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Fue la mayor en
la historia de Nueva York
la historia de Nueva York
03:32
The program is still going on,
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El programa aún está activo,
03:34
and they're up to 21 releases now --
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y ya lleva 21 casos.
03:37
21 people who spent
significant time behind bars.
significant time behind bars.
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21 personas que han pasado un
tiempo significativo tras las rejas.
tiempo significativo tras las rejas.
03:42
So let me tell you about a couple other
of the men and women
of the men and women
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Déjenme contarles sobre
otro par de personas
otro par de personas
03:47
that I interacted with
in the course of this program.
in the course of this program.
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con las que tuve contacto durante
la duración de este programa.
la duración de este programa.
03:51
One name is Roger Logan.
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Uno es Roger Logan.
03:54
Mr. Logan had been in jail 17 years
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El Sr. Logan estuvo en la cárcel 17 años
03:57
and wrote me a letter.
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y me escribió una carta.
03:58
It was a simple letter; it basically said,
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Era una carta simple; decía:
04:00
"Professor Sullivan, I'm innocent.
I've been framed.
I've been framed.
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"Profesor Sullivan, soy inocente,
me han incriminado.
me han incriminado.
04:04
Can you look at my case?"
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¿Podría revisar mi caso?".
04:06
At first blush, the case seemed
like it was open and shut,
like it was open and shut,
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A primera vista, el caso parecía cerrado,
04:09
but my research had shown
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pero mi experiencia me muestra
04:12
that single-witness identification cases
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que los casos con un solo testigo
04:15
are prone to error.
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son propensos a errores.
04:17
It doesn't mean he was innocent,
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No significa que fuera inocente,
04:19
it just means we ought to look
a little bit closer at those cases.
a little bit closer at those cases.
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sino que merece la pena mirar
más de cerca dichos casos.
más de cerca dichos casos.
04:22
So we did.
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Y así hicimos.
04:23
And the facts were relatively simple.
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Y los datos eran bastante simples.
04:25
The eyewitness said she heard a shot,
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La testigo dijo que oyó un disparo,
04:29
and she ran to the next building
and turned around and looked,
and turned around and looked,
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corrió al edificio de al lado, giró, miró
04:32
and there was Mr. Logan.
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y vio al Sr. Logan.
04:34
And he was tried and convicted
and in jail for 17-some-odd years.
and in jail for 17-some-odd years.
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Así que fue juzgado, condenado,
y encarcelado por 17 y pico años.
y encarcelado por 17 y pico años.
04:38
But it was a single-witness case,
so we took a look at it.
so we took a look at it.
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Pero era una sola testigo,
así que le echamos un vistazo.
así que le echamos un vistazo.
04:41
I sent some people to the scene,
and there was an inconsistency.
and there was an inconsistency.
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Envié a algunas personas a la escena,
y encontramos incoherencias.
y encontramos incoherencias.
04:44
And to put it politely:
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Para ponerlo de forma educada:
04:49
Usain Bolt couldn't have run
from where she said she was
from where she said she was
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Usain Bolt no podría haber corrido
desde donde ella decía que se encontraba
desde donde ella decía que se encontraba
04:53
to the other spot.
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hasta el otro lugar.
04:54
Right?
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¿Cierto?
04:55
So we knew that wasn't true.
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Así que sabíamos que no era cierto.
04:58
So it still didn't mean
that he didn't do it,
that he didn't do it,
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Pero aún no quiere decir
que no lo hiciera,
que no lo hiciera,
05:01
but we knew something was maybe fishy
about this witness.
about this witness.
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pero sabíamos que había
sospecha de la testigo.
sospecha de la testigo.
05:05
So we looked through the file,
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Así que dimos un vistazo al archivo,
05:07
a piece of paper in the file
had a number on it.
had a number on it.
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encontramos un trocito de
papel con un número.
papel con un número.
05:10
The number indicated
that this witness had a record.
that this witness had a record.
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El número indicaba que
la testigo tenía antecedentes.
la testigo tenía antecedentes.
05:13
We went back through 20 years
of non-digitized papers
of non-digitized papers
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Revisamos 20 años de papeles
sin digitalizar
sin digitalizar
05:16
to figure out what this record was about,
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para encontrar sus antecedentes,
05:19
and it turned out -- it turned out --
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y resultó... resultó...
05:21
the eyewitness was in jail
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que la testigo estaba en prisión
05:25
when she said she saw what she saw.
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cuando dijo que vio lo que vio.
05:29
The man spent 17 years behind bars.
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El hombre pasó 17 años tras las rejas.
05:33
The last one is a case about two boys,
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El último es un caso sobre dos chicos.
05:38
Willie Stuckey, David McCallum.
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Willie Stuckey, David McCallum.
05:41
They were arrested at 15,
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Fueron arrestados con 15 años
05:43
and their conviction was vacated
29 years later.
29 years later.
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y su condena fue rectificada
29 años más tarde.
29 años más tarde.
05:48
Now this was a case,
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En este caso,
05:50
once again -- first blush,
it looked open and shut.
it looked open and shut.
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de nuevo... a primera vista
parecía cerrado.
parecía cerrado.
05:53
They had confessed.
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Habían confesado.
05:55
But my research showed
that juvenile confessions
that juvenile confessions
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Pero mi experiencia demuestra
que las confesiones juveniles
que las confesiones juveniles
05:58
without a parent present
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sin uno de los padres presentes
06:00
are prone to error.
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son propensas a error.
06:01
The DNA cases proved this several times.
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Los casos de ADN
lo han demostrado varias veces.
lo han demostrado varias veces.
06:03
So we took a close look.
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Así que miramos más detenidamente.
06:05
We looked at the confession,
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Miramos las confesiones,
06:07
and it turned out,
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y resultó,
06:08
there was something in the confession
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que había algo en las confesiones,
06:10
that those boys could not have known.
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que esos chicos no podían haber sabido.
06:12
The only people who knew it
were police and prosecutors.
were police and prosecutors.
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Los únicos que lo sabían
eran la policía y los fiscales.
eran la policía y los fiscales.
06:15
We knew what really happened;
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Sabíamos lo que había pasado realmente:
06:17
someone told them to say this.
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alguien les mandó a decir eso.
06:19
We don't exactly know who,
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No sabemos quién, exactamente,
06:21
which person did,
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qué persona fue,
06:22
but any rate, the confession was coerced,
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pero, de cualquier modo,
la confesión fue forzada,
la confesión fue forzada,
06:25
we determined.
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acabamos determinandolo.
06:27
We then went back and did forensics
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Volvimos, sacamos reportes forenses
e hicimos una investigación rigurosa
06:29
and did a fulsome investigation
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y averiguamos que otras dos personas,
06:30
and found that two other,
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06:32
much older, different heights,
different hairstyle,
different hairstyle,
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mayores, de diferentes alturas,
diferentes peinados,
diferentes peinados,
06:35
two other people committed the crime,
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habían cometido el crimen,
06:37
not these two boys.
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no estos dos jóvenes.
06:39
I actually went to court that day,
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Fui al tribunal ese día,
06:41
for what's called a "vacatur hearing,"
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para una "audiencia de anulación",
06:44
where the conviction is thrown out.
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en la que la condena se desecha.
06:47
I went to court; I wanted to see
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Fui al tribunal; quería ver
06:49
Mr. McCallum walk out of there.
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al Sr. McCallum salir de allí.
06:51
So I went to court,
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Así que fui al tribunal,
06:53
and the judge said something
that judges say all the time,
that judges say all the time,
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y el juez dijo algo que los jueces
dicen todo el tiempo,
dicen todo el tiempo,
06:55
but this took on a really special meaning.
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pero esta vez
tenía un significado especial.
tenía un significado especial.
06:58
He looked up after the arguments and said,
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Miró hacia arriba tras revisar
los argumentos dijo,
los argumentos dijo,
07:01
"Mr. McCallum,"
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"Sr. McCallum,"
07:03
he said five beautiful words:
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dijo cinco bonitas palabras:
07:05
"You are free to go."
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"Es usted libre de irse".
07:10
Can you imagine?
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¿Lo pueden imaginar?
07:12
After just about 30 years:
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Tras casi 30 años:
07:15
"You are free to go."
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"Es usted libre de irse".
07:18
And he walked out of that courtroom.
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Y salió andando del juzgado.
07:21
Unfortunately,
his codefendant, Mr. Stuckey,
his codefendant, Mr. Stuckey,
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Desafortunadamente, su codemandado,
el Sr. Stuckey,
el Sr. Stuckey,
07:24
didn't get the benefit of that.
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no se pudo beneficiar de ello.
07:27
You see, Mr. Stuckey died in prison
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El Sr. Stuckey murió en prisión
07:30
at 34 years old,
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a la edad de 34,
07:32
and his mother sat
at counsel table in his place.
at counsel table in his place.
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y su madre se sentó
en la mesa del abogado en su lugar.
en la mesa del abogado en su lugar.
07:36
I'll never forget this
the rest of my life.
the rest of my life.
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Jamás olvidaré esto
el resto de mi vida.
el resto de mi vida.
07:39
She just rocked at the table, saying,
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Simplemente golpeó la mesa, diciendo,
07:42
"I knew my baby didn't do this.
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"Sabía que mi bebe no lo hizo.
07:44
I knew my baby didn't do this."
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Sabía que mi bebe no lo hizo".
07:46
And her baby didn't do this.
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Y su bebe no lo hizo.
07:48
Two other guys did it.
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Otros hombres lo hicieron.
07:51
If there's anything that we've learned,
anything that I've learned,
anything that I've learned,
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Si hay algo que hemos aprendido,
que he aprendido,
que he aprendido,
07:54
with this conviction integrity work,
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con este trabajo de condenas
07:57
it's that justice doesn't happen.
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es que la justicia no se da por sí sola.
08:01
People make justice happen.
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Las personas hacen que la justicia se dé.
08:08
Justice is not a thing
that just descends from above
that just descends from above
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La justicia no es una cosa
que desciende desde arriba
que desciende desde arriba
08:12
and makes everything right.
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y hace las cosas bien.
08:14
If it did, Mr. Stuckey
wouldn't have died in prison.
wouldn't have died in prison.
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Si lo hiciese, el Sr. Stuckey no habría
muerto en prisión.
muerto en prisión.
08:19
Justice is something
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La justicia es algo
08:21
that people of goodwill make happen.
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que las personas de buena fe logran.
08:25
Justice is a decision.
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La justicia es una decisión.
08:32
Justice is a decision.
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La justicia es una decisión.
08:35
We make justice happen.
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Hacemos que la justicia se dé.
08:38
You know, the scary thing is,
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¿Saben? Lo alarmante es,
08:40
in each of these three cases I described,
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que en cada caso que he descrito,
08:42
it would have only taken
just an extra minute --
just an extra minute --
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solo habría tomado un minuto de más...
08:45
an extra minute --
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un minuto extra...
08:47
for someone to look through the file
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para que alguien hubiese
mirado los archivos
mirado los archivos
08:49
and find this receipt.
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y hubiese encontrado el recibo.
08:51
Just one -- to look through the file,
find the receipt,
find the receipt,
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Solo uno... para mirar los archivos,
encontrar el recibo,
encontrar el recibo,
08:55
give it to the public defender.
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dárselo al defensor público.
08:58
It would have taken someone just a minute
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Solo habría tomado un minuto
09:01
to look at the video confession
and say, "That cannot be."
and say, "That cannot be."
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mirar el vídeo de la confesión
y decir, "Esto no puede ser".
y decir, "Esto no puede ser".
09:07
Just a minute.
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Solo un minuto.
09:09
And perhaps Mr. Stuckey
would be alive today.
would be alive today.
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Y quizás el Sr. Stuckey estaría vivo hoy.
09:13
It reminds me of one of my favorite poems.
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Me recuerda uno de mis poemas favoritos.
09:16
It's a poem that Benjamin Elijah Mays
would always recite,
would always recite,
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Es un poema que Benjamin Elijah Mays
siempre recita,
siempre recita,
09:21
and he called it "God's Minute."
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y lo llama "El Minuto de Dios"
09:22
And it goes something like this:
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Y dice algo así:
09:24
"I have only just a minute,
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"Solo tengo un minuto
09:26
only 60 seconds in it,
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solo 60 segundos en él,
09:28
forced upon me, can't refuse it,
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forzados, no puedo rechazarlos,
09:30
didn't seek it, didn't choose it.
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no los busqué, no los elegí,
09:33
But it's up to me to use it.
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pero es mi decisión utilizarlos.
09:34
I must suffer if I lose it,
give account if I abuse it.
give account if I abuse it.
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Debo sufrir si los pierdo,
dar cuentas si abuso de ellos.
dar cuentas si abuso de ellos.
09:39
Just a tiny little minute,
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Solo un pequeño minuto,
09:42
but eternity is in it."
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pero la eternidad está dentro de él".
09:45
If I were to charge
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Si quisiera cambiar
09:47
each and every one of us,
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a todos y cada uno de nosotros,
09:49
I would want to say something like,
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diría algo así,
09:53
"Every day,
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"Cada día,
09:55
every day,
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cada día,
09:57
take just one extra minute
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toma un minuto extra
10:01
and do some justice.
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y haz justicia.
10:04
You don't have to --
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No tienes por qué...
10:06
I mean, some people spend
their careers and their lives,
their careers and their lives,
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Quiero decir, algunas personas pasan
sus carreras y sus vidas,
sus carreras y sus vidas,
10:10
like public defenders,
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como defensores públicos,
10:11
doing justice every day.
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haciendo justicia cada día.
10:14
But in your professional lives,
whatever you do,
whatever you do,
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Pero en tu vida profesional,
hagas lo que hagas,
hagas lo que hagas,
10:16
take time out
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toma algo de tiempo
10:18
to just
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simplemente,
para hacer un poco de justicia.
10:20
do some justice.
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Haz que un colega se sienta mejor.
10:21
Make a colleague feel better.
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10:24
If you hear something that's sexist,
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Si oyes algo sexista,
10:27
don't laugh, speak up.
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no te rías, habla.
10:30
If someone is down, lift them up,
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Si alguien se siente decaído, anímale,
10:32
one extra minute each day,
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un minuto de más cada día,
10:36
and it'll be a great, great place.
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y será un mundo mucho mejor.
10:38
I want to show you something.
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Quiero enseñarles algo.
10:41
Now, above me is a picture
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Encima de mí hay una imagen
10:44
of David McCallum.
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de David McCallum.
10:47
This is the day
he was released from prison.
he was released from prison.
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Es el día que fue liberado de prisión.
10:50
After 30 years, he got to hug a niece
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Tras 30 años, pudo abrazar a su sobrina
10:53
he had never been able to touch before.
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a la que no había podido tocar antes.
10:57
And I asked him then,
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Y le pregunté,
10:59
I said, "What's the first thing
you want to do?"
you want to do?"
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"¿Qué es lo primero que quieres hacer?".
11:02
And he said, "I just want
to walk on the sidewalk
to walk on the sidewalk
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Y dijo, "Quiero andar por la acera
11:04
without anybody telling me where to go."
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sin que nadie me diga adónde ir".
11:07
Wasn't bitter,
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No estaba resentido,
11:09
just wanted to walk on the sidewalk.
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solo quería andar por la acera.
11:11
I spoke to Mr. McCallum
about two weeks ago.
about two weeks ago.
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Hablé con el Sr. McCallum
hace dos semanas.
hace dos semanas.
11:15
I went to New York.
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Fui a Nueva York.
11:16
It was on the two-year anniversary
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En el segundo aniversario
11:19
of his release.
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de su puesta en libertad.
11:21
And we talked,
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Y hablamos,
11:22
we laughed, we hugged, we cried.
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reímos, nos abrazamos, lloramos.
11:26
And he's doing quite well.
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No le va mal en la vida.
11:28
And one of the things he said
when we met with him
when we met with him
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Y una de las cosas que me dijo
cuando me encontré con él
cuando me encontré con él
11:32
is that he now has dedicated his life
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es que ha dedicado su vida
11:35
and his career
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y su carrera
11:36
to ensuring that nobody else
is locked up unjustly.
is locked up unjustly.
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a asegurarse de que nadie
sea encarcelado injustamente.
sea encarcelado injustamente.
11:41
Justice, my friends,
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La justicia, amigos míos
11:45
is a decision.
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es una decisión.
11:47
Thank you very much.
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Muchas gracias.
11:48
(Applause)
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(Aplausos)
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. - Clinical professor of lawRonald Sullivan is a leading theorist in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, trial practice and techniques, legal ethics and race theory.
Why you should listen
Professor Ronald Sullivan is the faculty director of the Harvard Criminal Justice Institute and the Harvard Trial Advocacy Workshop. Sullivan also serves as Faculty Dean of Winthrop House at Harvard College. He is the first African American ever appointed Faculty Dean in Harvard's history. He is a founding member and Senior Fellow of the Jamestown Project.
Sullivan has merged legal theory and practice over the course of his career in unique and cutting-edge ways. In 2014, he was tasked to design and implement a Conviction Review Unit (CRU) for the newly elected Brooklyn District Attorney. The CRU, designed to identify and exonerate wrongfully convicted persons, quickly became regarded as the model conviction integrity program in the nation. In its first year of operation alone, Sullivan discovered over 10 wrongful convictions, which the DA ultimately vacated. Some of the exonerated citizens had served more than 30 years in prison before they were released.
In 2008, Sullivan served as Chair, Criminal Justice Advisory Committee for then-Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign. In this capacity, his committee made policy recommendations on a range of issues in an effort to put into practice some of the best research in the field. He also served as a member of the National Legal Advisory Group for the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign. Finally, Sullivan was appointed Advisor to the Department of Justice Presidential Transition Team.
In 2007, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Sullivan was asked to create a system to solve a criminal justice crisis. More than 6,000 citizens were incarcerated in and around New Orleans without representation and with all official records destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Sullivan designed an indigent defense delivery system that resulted in the release of nearly all the 6000 inmates.
Sullivan still maintains an appellate and trial practice. He has represented persons ranging from politicians to professional athletes to recording artists to pro bono clients in criminal jeopardy. Representative clients include: The family of Michael Brown, former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez and the family of Usaamah Rahim.
Sullivan is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College and the Harvard Law School, where he served as President of the Harvard Black Law Students Association and as General Editor of the Harvard BlackLetter Law Journal.
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. | Speaker | TED.com