The Georgia Chapter of the New York based national organization was established in August 2000 and began investigating cases in January 2003.

Georgia Innocence Project's (GIP) mission is to free the wrongfully prosecuted through the use of DNA testing; to advance practices that minimize the chances that others suffer the same fate; and to educate the public that wrongful convictions are not rare or isolated events.

A non-profit organization, the GIP receives funding from the Georgia Bar Foundation, the Lawyers Foundation, AT&T Foundation, Hewitt Foundation, Choice Point Cares, The Charles Edmondson Foundation, and other private donors.

To date, GIP has received more than 1,100 requests for assistance but has accepted only 7 clients.

The first 2 cases in Georgia were undertaken prior to the establishment of the Georgia chapter. Lawyers working for the Innocence Project successfully represented Samuel Scott and Douglas Echols.

Both Scott and Echols had been convicted of rape charges. Scott served 15 years and Echols served 6 years before the charges against them were dropped after the results of DNA tests were admitted into evidence.

In another case of mistaken identity, GIP was able to introduce DNA evidence to free Calvin Crawford Johnson after serving 16 years for a rape crime he did not commit.

The overturning of convictions has affected State laws. Last year, Governor Purdue signed a resolution that will pay Clarence Harrison $1 million over the next 20 years for his wrongful incarceration. The House voted 136-22 to adopt the bill and the Senate passed the measure unanimously.

Clarence Harrison never gave up on his fight for freedom. Wrongfully incarcerated for 17 years, the Decatur resident filed his first request for a review of DNA evidence in September 1988.

The Georgia Innocence Project accepted Harrison's case in February 2003. He was set free on August 31, 2004. The compensation package was signed last year.

Two other provisions of the Innocent Person's Compensation Act have been tabled for more discussion during the 2006 session of the General Assembly.

Not every case accepted by the GIP has ended in the pardon of the convicted criminal. In the case of convicted rapist, Joseph Lee Brown, the DNA tests run in 2000 confirmed he raped a Valdosta woman during a 1987 robbery.

Attorneys representing GIP used the findings to reassert the fact that their mission is to use scientific evidence to seek justice for those convicted of crimes.

Even though he was wrongfully imprisoned, Robert Clark joined those pardoned previously in expressing no hate or ill will towards those who took away his freedom and a substantial part of his life.

"For the fifth time, DNA has proven the innocence of a Georgia man wrongfully convicted because of a mistaken eyewitness identification," said Innocence Project staff attorney Vanessa Potkin. "This is a mistake that could and should have been prevented by diligent police work 24 years ago."

The DNA evidence used to pardon Clark was also used to find the real perpetrator- Floyd Antonio "Tony" Arnold. Once the results of the DNA tests were placed into the state's crime database, a match of DNA evidence left at the scene of the crime identified Arnold as the guilty party.

According to Clark's attorney the DNA evidence also links Arnold to 2 unsolved rapes in DeKalb and Fulton counties.

Arnold, a friend of Clark, is serving time in Dekalb County for conviction of cruelty to children. No charges have been filed against him in these unsolved cases or in the case that sent Clark to prison.