THE PRUNO PROJECT: EXONERATED PRISONERS WEBINAR
Thursday, April 29, 2021
12:00-1:00 p.m.
Via Zoom

The San Mateo County Bar Association’s Race & Social Justice Committee and the Private Defender Program invite you to attend The Pruno Project: Exonerated Prisoners webinar. The Pruno Fund is a non-profit dedicated to helping exonerees transition from prison to life on the outside. The thousands of men and women who have been exonerated of their wrongful convictions have a lot to teach us about perseverance, patience, and hope. Join us and listen to two amazing men, Zavion Johnson and Obie Anthony, who will share their unbelievable life experiences!

Obie Anthony was sentenced to life without parole for a murder he did not commit when he was 19 years old. California incarcerated him for 17 years. Upon exoneration, Obie dedicated himself to supporting other exonerees to meet their basic needs after release. Obie was instrumental in the passage of California Assembly Bill No. 672 (nicknamed and cited as “Obie’s Law”). The bill requires the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation to assist exonerees with transitional services, including housing assistance, job training, and mental health services. In 2016, Obie founded Exonerated Nation, and is committed to transforming the experiences of exonerees after release and building a community that can provide safety, stability, and healing to wrongfully convicted Californians.

Zavion Johnson is an exoneree who served half his life falsely accused after being imprisoned at the age of 19. Losing his trial, Zavion was convicted of the false charges, sentenced to double life and sent off to serve his sentence at the most deadly maximum security level IV facilities. Being an innocent man, Zavion fought tirelessly to regain his freedom by filing numerous court documents and wrote to many organizations he felt could help him gain his freedom. Since his exoneration in late 2017, Zavion has spent time adjusting to life outside and educating California state legislators, attorneys, college students, and law school student to ensure that no one else suffers the injustice he endured. Zavion sits on the advisory board of Exonerated Nation, a nonprofit organization which helps exonerees like him with after care and re-entry services.

This event qualifies for 1 hour of Elimination of Bias MCLE credit. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Alameda County Bar Association and the California Lawyers Association.

Cost of Attendance: FREE for SMCBA members and $15 for non-SMCBA members. MCLE Credit is available for an additional $15.

Registration: Please log in on the SMCBA website to register for this event. If you wish to pay by check, please still register online first and send your check payable to SMCBA, to: 333 Bradford St., Ste. 200, Redwood City, CA 94063. Attn: Events. *Please note for which event you are paying and the name of the attendee.

Logistics: Your Zoom credentials will automatically be emailed to you shortly after you register online, as well as the day and hour before the event. Please note that you’ll need to be logged into a Zoom account to join the webinar. The written materials for the webinar will be emailed to attendees the morning of the event. 

Cancellations must be received at least 48 hours prior to the event for a full refund of the registration fee. If you do not cancel within 48 hours or do not show up to the event, you will be charged the full amount.