Several speakers at the rally offered powerful stories of being falsely-accused and shipped to prison, only to be released years later after evidence proved their innocence.” Those stories were made all the more poignant by the carols and holiday songs drifting over from the Capitol’s nearby Christmas tree.

Uriah Courtney spent eight years behind bars for a rape and kidnapping he did not commit. Those years “are gone for good,” the San Diego man said, “but you’ve got to move on. You can’t move back.”

The victim identified his picture in a police lineup. But the Innocence Project helped track down DNA evidence proving another man had committed the rape, and Courtney was freed in May.

“The toughest thing is being away from family this time of year,” Courtney told the crowd as “Oh Christmas tree” played in the background. “You try to forget about it, but it’s impossible.”

Governor Brown has announced previous clemency grants on the days leading up to Christmas. But the governor’s office wouldn’t comment on any of the 12 Innocence Project cases, saying the administration never discusses individual clemency applications.

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California Innocence Project Urges Gov. Brown To Free 12 Inmates