Story

During Jan 1st, 2013; When Harris visited Georgia, for Christmas break from college, he came across a crime at the wrong time, wrong place to be involved. He is deaf. He went straight to the front desk to ask the receptionist to call 911, but they refused. For what reason? He had no clue. He drove down to the closest gas station and ask the person there to call 911 for him. Police arrived and took him to the police interrogation room.

When they tried to communicate with him, he was already made it clear that he needed a sign language interpreter. They don’t care. Instead, they found a woman police who said she was good at sign language. It was not true and she made up signing. It was completely messed up with his statements. He did not know that he was supposed to wait until the lawyer came, but he told them statements with some notes and a fake sign language interpreter. He felt so courage to explain the situation without a lawyer. He realized he made a mistake and it was too late to fix his statements. He was arrested without explaining the reason and taken to jail process without a real certified sign language interpreter. At this time that his first attorney (Tom Ford) was not very helpful at all… of course he is hearing man with no knowledge of Deaf rights.

During the first trial of July 2015, Rico pleaded not guilty to his crime. After one long week of a trial, the Jury convicted him on all three charges that he did not commit his crime. There were no pieces of evidence showed that he did and DNA expert said it was not match anything related to him at all. The first attoney (Tom Ford) did not do his job well and he did not say anything at all during trial. The result was that Rico sentenced for a life. Later, he got another 2nd GA lawyer (Ashleigh Merchant) filed with the supreme court.

During the first week of January 2020, the supreme court declined dues to overwhelmed pieces of evidence that the prosecutor provided against him. Again, all pieces of evidence were not for Harris, even DNA expert said it was not matched on him, it was someone else who was responsible for the crime. Ashleigh Merchant did not tried her best and failed.

Then, he has 3rd attoney from outside of GA state and a few important people working on the Habeas Corpus case. Its only the last chance to prove his innocence. This 3rd attorney has a good amound knowledge about Deaf Rights and she is hearing woman — Christina Mathieson

“a writ requiring a person to be brought before a judge or court, especially for the investigation of a restraint of the person’s liberty, used as a protection against illegal imprisonment.”