For Immediate Release: September 23, 2024

Contact: media@colorofchange.org 

 

Color Of Change Urges Action in Response to 16-Year Injustice, Backs CA Moriarty’s Pursuit of Equity

 

HENNEPIN COUNTY – In a monumental move, Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty has announced the decision to support vacating the 2009 murder conviction against Edgar Barrientos-Quintana in the 2008 killing of 18-year-old Jesse Mickelson. This decision comes after the state Conviction Review Unit (CRU) submitted a compelling 182-page document in August advocating for all charges against Barrientos-Quintana to be dismissed. The CRU argued that surveillance video and the defendant’s phone records corroborated his alibi, and that the evidence heavily relied on eyewitness accounts to connect him to the crime. 

Color Of Change, the nation’s largest online racial justice organization, responded to this development with a powerful statement:

“Barrientos-Quintana has endured almost 16 years of unjust imprisonment for a crime he did not commit. We applaud County Attorney Moriarty for her diligent pursuit of justice and for holding her office  accountable for past wrongful convictions. The Hennepin County justice system has a deep history of injustice that needs to be rectified. The next crucial step in this fight for equity is for the authorities to officially vacate the charges so that County Attorney Moriarty can dismiss the case once and for all,” said Michael Collins, Senior Director for Government Affairs at Color Of Change. “While we can’t undo the 16 years of pain endured by Edgar and the Quintana family, we can ensure that such a travesty never happens again. It’s crucial that the County Attorney’s Office continue to champion police and prosecutorial accountability by implementing a policy aimed at limiting the use of practices that contribute to wrongful incarcerations. It’s imperative that we overhaul the system and take concrete actions to drive change.”

 

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About Color Of Change:

Color Of Change is the nation’s largest online racial justice organization. The organization helps people respond effectively to injustice in the world around them. As a national online force driven by millions of members, Color Of Change moves decision-makers in corporations and government to create a more human and less hostile world for Black people in America.