Grandma was adamant stranger was wrongfully convicted, so she spent $60,000 and seven years to free him from prison
How far would one go to deliver justice to a random stranger? Even as a lawyer, there is only so much one can do to help a person who is not guilty. However, for Priscilla Read Chenoweth, a civil rights activist and lawyer, she was unwilling to budge, reported The New York Times. The woman, who passed away at the age of 90 a few years ago, is still remembered for her confident and applause-worthy work in freeing then-18-year-old Luis Kevin Rojas. The boy was wrongfully accused of second-degree murder. From seeing an article about the young man to being determined to take up his case and free him, Chenoweth’s story has been looked up to for years.
Back in 1991, the woman was working as an editor for a legal journal when her daughter shared an article in a local newspaper. The latter was about Rojas, the son of Columbian immigrants. It stated that two groups of young teenagers got into a fight when a teen with an orange jacket pulled out a gun, gave it to his ally and caused a death. Rojas was arrested as he was in the city, wearing an orange jacket and carrying a gun. The boy claimed that he was Hispanic and in the city for dinner but was deemed guilty and sentenced to 15 years in prison, as per the publication.
Rojas was known to be a disciplined young man and several doubts arose in the minds of many after he was charged guilty. Chenoweth, too, felt something didn’t make sense and went out to find answers. She did some digging and spoke to friends and family of the 18-year-old and concluded the boy had to be innocent. The woman then tried to find lawyers to help set him free. Unfortunately, no one was willing to step in and Chenoweth and her daughter were left with the burden of figuring things out. With court filings and other legal maneuvers and private investigators, she soon made it her mission to free Rojas from prison.
From thereon, hard-core efforts were underway and the woman refused to leave without giving the boy his respect back. Chenoweth was not allowed to practice in New York and had to hire another lawyer, Tina Mazza, to handle the case. Nevertheless, she stayed at the forefront as a crucial element of the case. Turning her study into a law office, shelling tens of thousands of dollars on the case for lawyers, she did not hesitate to take this fight to its desired end. She eventually ended up spending $60,000, amounting to $100,000 in today’s time, for Rojas’ defense. This did not include the amount paid to several other lawyers.
After a few years, in 1995, the woman’s efforts finally paid off. A police officer testified that Rojas and his friend were traveling at the time of the murder, deeming him innocent. When asked why she put in so much for a stranger, Chenoweth said, “It was clear to me that it was a gross injustice. The legal system had harmed this man, and the legal system should right the wrong. She memorably added, “It’s something that calls to most decent people. But most decent people don’t have the money, experience or time to do it.”