Great North Innocence Project

Help us free the innocent.

The Great North Innocence Project works to free the wrongfully convicted and prevent future wrongful convictions from occurring in Minnesota, North Dakota, and South Dakota. 

We employ three main strategies: 

1. We litigate cases where newly discovered evidence can prove actual innocence.
2. We educate law students, legal professionals, and the public to address the root cause of wrongful convictions.
3. We advocate to reform the criminal-legal system and address the fundamental causes of wrongful convictions.

Join us in the fight for justice. Your support can change lives. Together, we can free the innocent and prevent future wrongful convictions. Your generosity on Give to the Max Day will have double the impact. The Thom Family Foundation will match each donation made, dollar-for-dollar, up to $10,000.

Listen to the story of Marvin, a GNIP client who was freed from wrongful conviction in 2023.

Imagine spending years behind bars for a crime you didn’t commit. That was the unimaginable reality Marvin Haynes faced. Wrongfully convicted at just 17, Marvin was charged with first-degree murder in a 2004 Minneapolis robbery-turned-homicide. He lost precious years—missing milestones like prom, birthdays, holidays, and honoring loved ones at their funerals—all while fighting daily to prove his innocence.

After investigating Marvin’s case, the Great North Innocence Project saw clearly that Marvin was innocent, and uncovered new evidence that proved Marvin’s innocence. After a hard-fought legal battle and over a decade of representation, Marvin was finally exonerated in December 2023 after spending nearly 20 years wrongfully incarcerated. Now, his strength and resilience inspire hope for countless others still awaiting justice.

Support GNIP in bringing freedom and justice to more innocent people like Marvin.

Your support will allow the Great North Innocence Project to:

REVIEW applications of incarcerated people claiming actual innocence.

INVESTIGATE cases of actual innocence including interviewing witnesses, testing forensic evidence, and consulting scientific experts

FIGHT in court to prove innocence and secure freedom for the wrongfully convicted

TEACH the next generation of legal professionals about the causes, consequences, and remedies of wrongful convictions 

ADVOCATE for reforms that ensure a just legal system for all

COLLABORATE with community partners to educate the public about our mission

All donations made through GiveMN between November 1st and November 21st will be eligible for a dollar-for-dollar match generously provided by the Thom Family Foundation. 

Thank you for your support this Give to the Max Day to help GNIP bring innocent people home to their families and loved ones and prevent wrongful convictions in our Great North region.

GNIP Freed Clients in Media Galle: Robert Bintz, Ronnie Cooper, Javon Davis,  Cassandra Black Elk, Marvin Haynes, Michael Hansen, Robert Kaiser, Richard LaFuente, Koua Fong Lee, Terry Olson, Thomas Rhodes, and Sherman Townsend.