If Emmett Was Alive Today Podcast Daphine Priscilla Brown Jack

In San Antonio, Texas, Anna Vasquez and her three friends were accused of a brutal crime. Because they had all come out as lesbians, they were wrongfully convicted for the assault of two young girls. The women are now known as the San Antonio Four, and Anna fought for her innocence for 22 years.

Anna Vasquez is the Director of Outreach and Education for the Innocence Project of Texas. Ms. Vasquez took on that role after serving a nearly 13-year prison sentence for a crime that never occurred. Ms. Vasquez and three of her friends, who became known as the San Antonio Four, were convicted of aggravated sexual assault of a child in a case that dates back to 1994 when Ms. Vasquez was 19. Ms. Vasquez and her friends spent 24 years fighting for their innocence. In 2016, the court of criminal appeals deemed all four innocent. Ms. Vasquez is now dedicated to sharing her experience in the hopes of improving the justice system and preventing similar occurrences.

Ms. Vasquez currently serves on the Board of Directors for the Houston Forensic Science Center, the Innocence Network Executive Board, and the San Antonio Crime Coalition.

Having a conversation with the grandson of one of the jurors in the trial of the two men who murdered Emmett Till.

Dwight Vick grew up in a small Mississippi town, Coffeeville, and moved to Tempe, Arizona to start a new life.  Earning his Ph.D. from Arizona State University, he teaches courses at Texas A&M International University and Excelsior College.  He published three books on substance abuse policy in America, community panel drug courts, and tenure in higher education.  He is a regular contributor to PA Times

Russell Little is an attorney in Houston, Texas. He has practiced trial law for 36 years. He is licensed to practice in Texas in both state and federal court. He has tried over 200 cases both to a jury and the bench.

Russell’s first published book was Murder For Me, a murder mystery, in 2016. It was a Best Seller on Amazon when it was launched.

Russell also writes children’s books with his wife of 37 years, Melinda. They were inspired to write the stories about their 3-year-old granddaughter, Vivienne.

They live in Houston, Texas, and have three children, Katie, Will, and David, and a son-in-law, Patrick.

Founder and Executive Director for the Utah Justice Coalition. Darcy first took a Criminology course her Freshman year at Utah State University in Logan, UT where she found her love and passion for reform work. Darcy then headed after her freshman year to Virginia where she received her Bachelor’s Degree in Criminology from George Mason University in Fairfax, Virginia. It was at George Mason University where she first toured a local prison and also became better educated about the death penalty. Darcy changed her position to support repealing the death penalty in college understanding how broken the system is, how costly the process is and ultimately had the change of heart realizing that government and society had no place putting people to death. Darcy interned in the juvenile justice system working with a shelter for at-risk teens in northern Virginia, working to make a difference in their lives. Darcy moved her family to Utah and became active in Utah politics in 2009 as a citizen lobbyist in support of fiscal accountability and transparency. She co-founded the Utah Tea Party movement organizing citizens to unite and take action in their local communities. She organized campaigns to assist citizens to become County and State Delegates, elect fiscally responsible representatives as well as pass constitutional and State Powers legislation. Over the years, she has supported common sense reforms to the criminal justice system and opposed legislation which violates civil rights and due process. She has worked as a family rights champion, working to assist families affected by CPS and the court system over years. Darcy has working tirelessly at keeping families together. Darcy has utilized her staffing and HR professional background to help citizens find jobs post prison. She has forged partnership with like-minded organizations to promote a holistic approach to reentry from prison including faith based programs and corporate partnerships.

Judge Tonya Jones is a native Houstonian who grew up in Houston’s South Park/Sunnyside neighborhood and is a proud graduate of Jesse H. Jones Senior High School. She completed her undergraduate studies at Baylor University in Waco, Texas obtaining a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. One of her most significant roles at Baylor was her service as a Baylor Ambassador charged with meeting with local state legislators to advocate the importance of maintaining the Pell grant. This was important to her as a first-generation college student who struggled with the various obstacles related to the pursuit of higher education. Tonya graduated Southern University Law Center in 2011 with a juris doctorate degree. While attending Southern, she was actively involved as a member of the National Black Law Student Association Mock Trial Team as well as served as the 3L Class Representative, and a part of the student recruitment committee. Tonya was also a part of the inaugural class of Southern students in the Texas Legislative Internship Program. She worked as a legal intern at the Texas Indigent Defense Commission learning first-hand about the implementation of indigent defense programs throughout various Texas counties. Her most impactful experience at Southern was during her third year where she served as a student attorney in the criminal law clinic. It was here that she ignited her passion to serve those most vulnerable in our society. She currently serves as Judge of Harris County Criminal Court at Law #15. She and 16 other African American women made history during the November 2018 midterm election when they were elected to the bench in Harris County (Houston), the third largest city in the nation. She was the youngest judge elected in Harris County on November 6th and is the First African-American to serve on her bench. Within her first three months on the bench, she, along with her County Criminal Court colleagues ended their appeal in opposition to the historic bail lawsuit that was costing Harris County taxpayers millions of dollars. As a county criminal judge, she was actively involved in the bail reform efforts as well as the historic settlement that proven to be a beacon of light to the nation. Tonya is passionate about public service and uses every opportunity she has to cultivate and encourage future leaders in criminal justice. She has a plan to engage, educate, and empower from the community to the courtroom and is excited about the opportunity to do so. Her wealth of diverse experience and passion for public service gives her a unique and fresh perspective to bring to the bench. Tonya is the oldest of five children. She attends Greater New Testament Baptist Church and is a proud member of the Xi Alpha Omega Chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha, Sorority Inc.

This is a special edition with some of the ladies from The Jack Family.  Jenna Jack the wife of Brian Jack, Brianna the daughter of Jenna and Brian, Nisha the wife of Eugene Jack, and Alexandria the daughter of Lionel and Daphine Jack!