Maya Moore on Justice for Jonathan Irons

MAYA MOORE HAS BEEN CALLED THE GREATEST WINNER IN THE HISTORY OF WOMEN'S BASKETBALL, AND NOW AT THE HEIGHT OF HER CAREER WITH THE NBA, WNBA, SHE STEPPED HER FANS AND THE SPORTS WORLD BY ANNOUNCING THAT SHE'S TAKING A SAMBAT CAMP HER DESTINATION, A MAXIM SECURITY IS SERVING A FOO-YEAR-OLD SENTENCE AND SHE SAT DOWN WITH OUR MICHELLE MAR SIN TO DESCRIBING.

MAYA MOORE, THANKS SO MUCH FOR TALKING WITH US.

ABSOLUTELY.

THANK YOU FOR HAVING ME.

I OBVIOUSLY WANT TO FOCUS ON ONE OF THE PARTICULAR CASES, A YOUNG MAN NAMED JOSH IRONS, WHO YOU'VE KNOWN FOR TEN YEARS.

YOU'RE AT THE PEEK YOUR GAME AND I THINK A LOT OF PEOPLE JOINED IT JUST HART TO TO CLACK INNING.

I'VE BEEN PARTICULARLY KWOEK IS THIS YEARS ON THE YOUNG MAN, YOUR ENTIRE FAMILY AS IIES IT.

COME US THE.

HE GREW UP HE WAS BASICALLY RAISED BY HIS GREAT AUNT WHO HE CALLS HIS GRANDMOTHER AND BY THE TIME HE GETS TO MIDDLE SCHOOL, HIGH SCHOOL, TIRED OF BEING SCARED AND GETS CAUGHT UP IN GANG LIFE.

UNFORTUNATELY, IT'S A STORY THAT HAPPENS MORE THAN WE WOULD HOPE SO HE'S LIVING ON HIS OERNG LIVING IN THE STREET AND WHEN HE'S 16 HE GETS PICKED UP BY THE POLICE AND CHASED DOWN AND TACKLED AND BROUGHT TO TWO DIFFERENT JAILS AND INTERROGATED WITHOUT AN ADULT, INTERROGATED WITHOUT IT BEING RECORDED OR NOTES SAVED, CHARGED FOR A CRIME AND AN ARMED BURGLARY ATTEMPT.

IN 1997, NO PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, NO DNA, NO DNA FOOTPRINT OR EVIDENCE TYING HIM TO THE SCENE YEARS, FOR 40 YEARS.

AND --. I MET JONATHAN WAS I WAS I LEARNED ABOUT HIS LIFE AND MY EYES WERE OPENED TO THE HUGE INCARCERATION PROBLEM THAT WE HAVE IN OUR COUNTRY AND THREE YEARS AGO I STARTED TO LEARN MORE ABOUT THE ROLE OUR PROSECUTORS PLAY IN OR JUSTICE SYSTEM AND HOW THEY ARE THE MOST POWERFUL ACTORS IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM BECAUSE THEY BASICALLY SET THE RULES OF THE GUAM AND ARE IN CHARGE OF WHAT CHARGES ARE BROUGHT AND IF MINEORS ARE CHARGED AS ADULTS AND DIFFERENT THINGS LIKE THAT.

I'VE JUST BEEN ON THIS UN

Y OF LEARNING HAVING MY EYES OPENED, BUT IT'S CONNECTED TO AN ACTUAL PERSON AND SO IT'S VERY REAL TO MEAL.

A LOT OF PEOPLE ARE VERY CYNICAL ABOUT PEOPLE LOCKED UP.

THIS IS JUST A COMMONVIEW AND EVERYBODY SAYS THEY ARE INNOCENT OR GOT FRAMED.

RIGHT.

WHO IS IT ABOUT YOUR FAMILY MEMBERS.

WAS IT THE FACT SEEMED SO OUTRAGEOUS OR PERSONALITY.

HE LOCKED NO JONATHAN'S GAYS, ONE OF THE KEY REASON WE'RE HERE TODAY, MY GODFATHER, REGGIE WILLIAMS, AND LOOKED AT THE POLICE STATION AND LOOKED AT THE FILE AND SAW THINGS, DID RESEARCH, AND THE MORE HE MORE HE DUG THE MORE AND MORE HE FOUND THAT THIS CASE WAS OUT OF CONTROL, AND HE -- HIS MIND WAS BOG YOU HAD OF HOW THIS YOUNG MAN WAS PUT AWAY WITH THE EVIDENCE THAT WAS AVAILABLE.

THAT HE -- I THINK AFTER MY GOOD MOTHER AND GOT, THEY FELT COMPELLED TO SIGNIFICANT WITH IT AND TRY TO HELP.

GIVE ME A EXAMPLE OF SOMETHING THAT HE SOMEHOW IN HIS FILE THAT HAS COMPELLED --

THE MORE AND MORE YOU LOOK AT HILLS.

HE WAS INTERROGATED WITHOUT AN ADULT.

NOBODIES, EVENT EVENTS.

NOT PHYSICAL EVIDENCE, NO DNA, NOTHING TYING HIM TO THE SCENE OF THE CRIME.

ALIBIED WITNESSES WERE NEVER CALLED TO TESTIFY TO THE FACT THAT HE WASN'T AT THE CRIME SCENE AT THE TIME.

THERE WERE NUMEROUS ELEMENTS OF FAULTY EYEWITNESS PRACTICES LIKE, FOR EXAMPLE, THE VICTIM OF THIS BURGLARY INITIALLY SAID HE COULDN'T IDENTIFY WHO THE INTRUDER ROSS, AND THE PRISS TOLD HIM TO GIVE HIS BEST GUESTS.

WHEN SOMEONE SELLS YOU TO GIMP YOUR --

THAT'S AN UN -- THERE'S A MILLION DOLLAR.

FOR A 16-YEAR-OLD WITHOUT A DRIVER'S LICENSE.

A 50-YEAR SENTENCE FOR A NON-FATAL BURGLARY ATTEMPT.

DO YOU HAVE A THEORY WHY HE GOT SUCH A HARSH SENTENCE?

YEAH.

I THINK THE POLITICAL CLIMATE IN THE LATE '90s SET HIM UP FOR A TIME OF USING HIM TO MAKE HIM AN EXAMPLE.

HE WAS ABSOLUTELY OVERSENTENCED.

WHOEVER DID THIS BURGLARY WOULD HAVE BEEN OVERSENTENCED BECAUSE HE DIDN'T PLEAD GUILTY.

HE HAS TO 50 YEARS AND 65-YEAR SENTENCE ACTUALLY AND SO THAT IS NO QUESTION YOU BE ETHICAL.

DID HE HAVE A LAWYER?

HAD A PUBLIC DEFENDER WHO CAME TO THE EVIDENTLY HEARING ON OCTOBER 9th JUST RECENTLY AND SHE TALKED ABOUT THE THINGS THAT SHE DID WELL, AND SHE TALKED ABOUT THE THINGS THAT SHE MISSED.

SHE WAS VERY HONEST AND SHE WAS REALLY JUST HONEST ABOUT WHAT HAPPENED AND ONE OF THE MAIN THINGS SHE WAS HONEST ABOUT WAS THE FACT THAT THERE WAS FINGERPRINT EVIDENCE THAT SHE DIDN'T HAVE AVAILABLE TO HER AT THE TIME, THAT THE PROSECUTION HAD AND THAT'S CALLED A BRADY VIOLATION.

ONE OF THE MAIN EFFORTS OF OUR PETITION IS TO ACKNOWLEDGE THERE WAS EVIDENCE WITHHELD AT HIS ORIGINAL TRIAL AROUND SOME REALLY MEANINGFUL FINGERPRINT EVIDENCE WHO COULD POINT TO WHO ACTUALLY DID THE CRIME.

I WANT YOU TO BE AWARE.

IN A CRIMINAL MATTER IF THE PROSECUTION HAS EVIDENCE IT HAS TO BE SHARED WITH THE DEFENSE SO THEY CAN EVALUATE IT APPROPRIATELY, AND THAT'S ONE OF THE THINGS THAT YOU'RE TALKING ABOUT HEAR.

I WANT TO POINT OUT ABOUT THE EVIDENTIARY HEARING THAT YOU JUST MENTIONED ON OCTOBER 1th.

THIS IS THE FIRST TIME AS I UNDERSTAND IT THAT A -- THAT A FORMAL PROCESS TO LOOK AT HIS CASE HAS TAKEN PLACE IN SOME TIME NOW.

TELL ME WHAT WAS THE SIGNIFICANCE OF THIS HEARING ON OCTOBER 9th.

WHAT HAPPENED ON OCTOBER 9th IS SO SIGNIFICANT.

IT'S VERY RARE FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE IN PRISON TO GET A CHANCE TO GET AS FAR AS WE HAVE SO FAR TO AN EVIDENTIARY HEARING.

YOU HAVE TO GO THROUGH NUMEROUS STEPS IF YOU'RE TRYING TO GET EXONERATED AND JUDGE DANIEL GREEN WHO HAS THE DECISION ON THIS CASE, HAS MOVED THIS CASE FORWARD AND RESPECTED IT AND TAKEN IT SERIOUSLY, SO WE'RE SO GRATEFUL TO GET TO OCTOBER 9th A FEW WEEKS AGO WHERE JUDGE GREEN ALLOWED JONATHAN'S LEGAL TEAM TO FULLY DISCLOSE ALL OF THE EVIDENCE THAT WE'VE BEEN SITTING ON AND KNOWING ABOUT FOR 145 YEARS AND WE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THE BRADY VIOLATIONS AND GOT TO TALK ABOUT THE FAULTY EYEWITNESS PROCEDURES THAT THE POLICE USED DURING THE INITIAL TRIAL.

JONATHAN GOT TO FINALLY SPEAK AND SHARE HIS EXPERIENCE AS A 16-YEAR-OLD FOR THE FIRST TIME AND WHAT HE WENT THROUGH AND HOW HE WAS INTERROGATED.

HE GOT TO TALK ABOUT THE FORGIVENESS THAT HE HAS FOR THE VICTIM OF THIS CRIME EVEN THOUGH HE WAS MANIPULATED IN THE EYEWITNESS PROCESS AND THE COMPASSIONATE JONATHAN HAS FOR VICTIMS SO HE NEEDS TO GET JUSTICE STILL.

THE HEARING WAS SEVEN HOURS LONG.

WE WITH A ONE-HOUR LUNCH BREAK, AND IT IS A SOMETHING UNLIKE I'VE EVER EXPERIENCE, JUST SITTING FOR HOUR AFTER HOUR, WATCHING THE TRUTH COME OUT AND WATCHING THE STATE TRY TO FIGHT AGAINST THE FACTS AND AT EVIDENCE OF THE BRADY VIOLATIONS AND UNRELIABLE EYEWITNESS EVIDENCE.

YOU HAVE DRAFTED A LETTER WHICH I UNDERSTAND YOU'RE GOING TO SEND TO IT THE ATTORNEY GENERAL OF MISSOURI.

APPARENTLY YOU'RE VERY DISAPPOINTED AT WHAT YOU SAW AND THE WAY THAT THE STATE CONDUCTED ITSELF.

TELL ME MORE ABOUT WHAT IT IS THAT BOTHERS YOU.

I'VE WRITTEN A LETTER TO THE MISSOURI ATTORNEY GENERAL ERIC SCHMIDT, AND I JUST WANTED TO CONNECT WITH HIM AND JUST SHARE WITH HIM MY EXPERIENCE BECAUSE I'VE BEEN IN -- IN THE COURT.

I'VE BEEN IN DIFFERENT COURTS THROUGHOUT MY LIFE, BUT I'VE NEVER BEEN IN A COURT SETTING QUITE LIKE THAT ON OCTOBER 9th WHERE WE SAT AGAIN FOR SEVEN HOURS AND LISTENED TO THE FACTS, THE EVIDENCE COME OUT, AND I KNOW IT'S THE JOB OF THE STATE TO QUESTION AND TO TRY TO GET TO THE TRUTH, BUT THERE WERE SEVERAL POINTS THROUGHOUT THE DAY WHERE IT WAS VERY OBVIOUS THAT THE STATE WAS JUST ABOUT MAINTAINING THE WIN AND NOT ACTUALLY TRYING TO SEE THE TRUTH OF THE EVIDENCE, AND SO THIS ISN'T JUST A PROCESS OR SOMETHING THAT WE COME DO EVERY DAY.

THIS IS SOMEONE'S ACTUAL LIFE IF WE DON'T DO THE RIGHT THING THEY GO BACK TO A BOX, SO I WAS JUST SHOCKED, AND I WANTED TO SHARE THAT WITH ATTORNEY GENERAL SCHMIDT TO SEE IF HE COULD HELP BE A PART OF CHANGING THE NARRATIVE FROM INJUSTICE TO JUSTICE AS SO MANY OF US IN MY HOME STATE OF MISSOURI LOOK TO HIM FOR.

WE'RE IN A TIME WHEN AS YOU KNOW THAT ATHLETES GETTING INVOLVED IN SOCIAL JUSTICE ISSUES IS CONTROVERSIAL.

I MEAN, OBVIOUSLY PEOPLE BELIEVE VERY STRONGLY IF YOU'RE A PERSON OF PRIVILEGE YOU SHOULD USE THE PRIVILEGE TO HELP THOSE THAT ARE LESS FORTUNATE AND OTHER PEOPLE ARE NOT REACTING WELL TO THIS.

YOU AS A PLAYER IN RESPONSE TO A NUMBER OF INCIDENTS OF TEAM VIOLENCE YOU AND TEAMMATES HAVE DONNED T-SHIRTS TO SAY BLACK LIVES MATTER AND LEAGUE DID NOT NECESSARILY APPRECIATE THAT, AND I JUST WANTED TO ASK WHAT KIND OF REACTION THAT YOU'RE GETTING.

ATHLETES ARE HUMAN BEINGS, FIRST AND FOREMOST.

HE EAR CITIZENS AND WE'RE MORE THAN WHAT WE DO ON SCREEN.

WE CAN ABSOLUTE THE ATHLETES BETTER AND REMEMBER THAT THE FANS ARE PEOPLE, DORE, AND WHEN WE TAKE THE TIME TO SHINE A LIGHT IN A DARK PLACE NOT EVERYONE IS GOING TO LIKE IT WHEN IT COSTS YOU YOUR COMFORT OR IT'S SOMETHING THAT YOU WANT TO ACCEPT OUT AND ENJOY.

I GET THAT.

ENTERTAINMENT IS A PLACE TO ENJOY AND BE ENTERTAINEDED AND WE'RE IN A WORLD WHERE THE WORLD IS BROKEN SO HATS OFF TO THOSE WHO SACRIFICED AND PAY THE COST OF HAVING A PLATFORM, MONEY.

AT THE END.

DAY IF WE REMEMBER THAT WE'RE -- A NUMBER OF ATHLETES ARE ADVOCATING ON BEHALF OF PARTICULAR INDIVIDUALS WHERE THEY SEE THE FACTS WARRANT.

KIM KARDASHIAN WEST COMES TO MIND.

SOME OF THESE HAVE BEEN SUCCESSFUL, BUT SOME OF THESE HAVE NOT.

IF JONATHAN IS NOT RELEASED.

IF HE DOESN'T ACHIEVE CLEMENCY OR PERHAPS BETTER THAN THAT, EXONERATION, WILL YOUR FAITH BE TESTED?

DO YOU FEEL THIS WILL HAVE BEEN WORTH IT?

ABSOLUTELY.

I HAVE NO REGRETS, YOU KNOW.

WE -- WE ULTIMATELY DON'T KNOW WHAT'S GOING TO HAPPEN, BUT ONE OF THE THINGS THAT ANCHORS OUR WHOLE FAMILY IS FOLLOWING THAT GOD IS SOVEREIGN AND WE'RE ANCHORED IN FAITH AND WE KNOW THAT IT'S ULTIMATELY NOT IN OUR HANDS, BUT ANY ROLE THAT WE CAN PLAY IN PUSHING TOWARDS JUSTICE, WE'LL PUT OUR HEAD DOWN AND PURSUE THAT, JUST LIKE I WOULD PURSUE A CHAMPIONSHIP.

IT'S DEFINITELY BEEN A WILD RIDE BUT WE JUST TRY TO FOCUS ON THE BEST OUTCOME RIGHT NOW.

SOUNDS LIKE YOU ALSO WANT TO FOCUS ON THE PROCESS, THAT YOUR PARTICULAR ADVOCACY IS FOCUSED ON JONATHAN, THIS PERSON THAT YOU KNOW BUT YOU ALSO WANT TO -- ROMANIA IL -- UNDERSTANDING AND ONE THING WE'VE REALIZED THIS IS MORE THAN JONATHAN, NOT AN ISOLATED CASE.

THEE YEARS AGO I STARTED A NONPROFIT FOR ATHLETES WOMEN PACT CALLED WIN WITH JUSTICE WHICH FOCUS ON REDEFINING WHAT A WIN IS IN OUR JUSTICE SYSTEM AND FOCUSING ON PROSECUTORIAL MISCONDUCT AND PROSECUTORS HAVE AN ENORMOUS AMOUNT OF POWER AND WHEN PROSECUTORS ARE FOCUSED MORE ON GETTING A CONVICTION AND, PEOPLE SUFFER, ESPECIALLY PEOPLE IN BLACK AND BROWN BODIES.

I'VE BEEN ABLE TO EDUCATE MYSELF, ESPECIALLY IN THE PAST THREE YEARS, TO LEARN ABOUT THIS GREATER ISSUE, ISSUES LIKE THE FACT THAT OVER 10,000 PEOPLE A YEAR MAY BE WRONGFULLY CONVICTED OF CRIMES.

WE HAVE KIDS THAT ARE BEING OVERSENTENCED, THROWN AWAY IN THE SYSTEM BEFORE THEIR BRAINS ARE FULL EL DEVELOPED.

LEARNING FROM JONATHAN I JUST FEEL XEMD TO HELP OTHER PEOPLE LEARN BECAUSE WHEN YOU EDUCATE YOUR NEIGHBOR AND THE PEOPLE YOU, IT TAKES IT VERY.

THIS IS A PLATFORM TO TALK ABOUT JONATHAN'S CASE AND ALSO GET EDUCATES ON HOW TO HELP AND HOW TO MAKE THEIR COMMUNITIES STRONGER.

WHAT'S NEXT FOR YOU YOU?

DO YOU THINK YOU'LL GO BACK TO.

A COUPLE OF PEOPLE HAVE MENTIONED TO ME MIKE YOU HAVE YOU HAD GO TO HIGH SCHOOL.

I'LL.

I'M STILL AWAY FROM THE NAME AND I'LL CALM BACK TO THE, AND I'M LITERALLY TRYING TO MAKE IT ONE DAY AT A TIME AND FINISH 1/4ER OF A VERY LONG BATTLE.