{"id":47668,"date":"2016-11-23T16:00:59","date_gmt":"2016-11-23T21:00:59","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/san-antonio-four-today-exonerated-by-texas-court-of-appeals\/"},"modified":"2016-11-23T16:00:59","modified_gmt":"2016-11-23T21:00:59","slug":"san-antonio-four-today-exonerated-by-texas-court-of-appeals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.gayfriendschat.com\/socialblog\/san-antonio-four-today-exonerated-by-texas-court-of-appeals\/","title":{"rendered":"“San Antonio Four” today exonerated by Texas court of appeals"},"content":{"rendered":"

“San Antonio Four” today exonerated by Texas court of appeals<\/b><\/p>\n

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Photo Credit: Southwest of Salem<\/p>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n

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The “San Antonio Four,” four Latina lesbians<\/a> who were wrongfully convicted in 1994 of aggravated sexual assault and indecency, were today cleared on all charges by the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals<\/a>. The women<\/a>’s story is documented in Southwest of Salem: The Story of the San Antonio Four<\/a><\/em>, which premiered in theaters and on Investigation Discovery earlier this year. The documentary includes poignant scenes showing the impact of the amount of time the women<\/a> have served and how that has affected them and their families. You can watch the full documentary now on Investigation Discovery’s website.<\/a><\/p>\n<\/p>\n

“Those defendants have won the right to proclaim to the citizens of Texas that theydid not commit a crime. That they are innocent. That they deserve to be exonerated. These women<\/a> have carried that burden. They are innocent. And they are exonerated. This Court grants them the relief they seek,” the court’s decision read. Read the full ruling here.<\/a> In 2012 and 2013, after one of the accusers recanted and the forensic evidence used during the trial was debunked, the four women<\/a> were released from prison but were still denied freedom.<\/p>\n

Southwest of Salem<\/em> premiered at the Tribeca Film Festival in April, and went on to win Outstanding Documentary Jury Awards at Frameline and Outfest. GLAAD has worked with the four women<\/a> (Elizabeth Ramirez, Anna Vasquez, Kristie Mayhugh, and Cassandra Rivera) and the team behind the documentary over the past several months, including hosting a Q&A session and screening of Southwest of Salem<\/em> as well as amplifying their story through a dedicated live chat on social media<\/a>.<\/p>\n

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GLAAD Director of Spanish-Language and Latino Media Monica Trasandes moderated the Southwest of Salem documentary discussion after the screening in Santa Monica tonight.<\/a><\/p>\n

A photo posted by @glaad on

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November 23, 2016<\/span><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div>\n
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