After serving nearly 24 years in prison for a crime he didn’t commit, “Sing Sing” actor John Adrian “JJ” Velasquez has been acquitted of wrongful murder.
Velasquez fought back tears, pumped his chest, pumped his fists and hugged friends and family after he was formally acquitted by a judge in a downtown Manhattan courthouse on Monday morning.
Velasquez co-stars with Coleman Domingo in the A24 prison drama about a group of incarcerated men who find purpose in performing in theater productions. Featuring an ensemble cast of formerly incarcerated actors, “Sing Sing” takes place at Sing Sing Correctional Facility, where Velasquez was wrongly imprisoned.
Among those who showed support for Velasquez in court were “Sing Sing” star Clarence Maclin, director Greg Kweder and playwright and theater instructor Brent Buell, played by Paul Lacey in the film. there was. Several A24 staff members also attended. As Velazquez made his way to the elevator, the crowd cheered him on, waving Puerto Rican flags and chanting “¡Sí se puede!”
Press swarmed Mr. Velasquez as he left the courthouse wearing a hat that read “The End of Wrong.” After giving brief remarks, he sat in a nearby park for an interview with NBC’s Lester Holt.
Velasquez lamented not being able to be an active father in his children’s lives. “I was kidnapped and enslaved by this country,” he said, detailing some of the horrors of his imprisonment. He added: “This is not a celebration. This is an indictment of the system.”
In 1998, Velasquez was wrongly convicted of murdering a former New York police officer. He was sentenced to 25 years to life in prison, despite the fact that he did not match the suspect’s description and had an alibi supported by phone records.
“Dateline NBC” conducted an investigation into Velasquez’s case, which began in 2002 and lasted more than a decade. The 2012 broadcast introduced new evidence in Velasquez’s favor, leading to a review by the Manhattan District Attorney’s Conviction Integrity Unit, which ultimately decided to uphold the conviction.
Almost 10 years later, on August 17, 2021, Velasquez was granted an administrative pardon by then-New York Governor Andrew Cuomo. On September 9, 2021, Velasquez was released from Sing Sing Prison after 23 years, eight months, and seven days in prison.
In October 2022, at a criminal law reform forum, Joe Biden apologized to Velasquez “on behalf of all of society” for his wrongful conviction. But at the time, Velasquez still needed a travel permit from a parole officer to meet with the president. Prior to his acquittal, Velasquez told Variety that he would eventually remove the “scarlet letter” from his chest. “It’s much deeper than discrimination. It undermines a person’s human dignity. I’m regaining some of my dignity,” Velazquez said.
Still, he said, “There is nothing they can do to give me back the 24 years I lost and all the tribulations I have suffered as a result. There is a spirit of vindication, but it has not yet been addressed.” There’s a lot of trauma, trauma that the system refuses to deal with.” Velasquez said Biden’s apology “didn’t change my lifestyle,” but that it was a simple “apology” from the government after a wrongful conviction. Even said it is very rare.
Velazquez is a criminal justice reform activist and founding member of Voices From Within, an educational movement that directly addresses the epidemic of crime and incarceration through the voices of prisoners.
He began filming Sing Sing less than a year after being released from the titular prison, calling the project “one of the most important things in my life.” Based on a true story, the film follows John “Divine G” Whitfield (played by Domingo), a man incarcerated in Sing Sing Prison for a crime he didn’t commit. Along with a group of other incarcerated men, he finds purpose through the prison’s arts rehabilitation program.
“Sing Sing” operated on a community-based economic model, with each member of the cast and crew paid at the same rate and everyone sharing in the benefits of the film’s success.
“Sing Sing” producers Kweder, Monique Walton and Clint Bentley said in a joint statement to Variety that Velasquez’s acquittal “is another step in his powerful journey.” He will definitely use that moment for the betterment of others and to advocate for those still on the other side of the wall. Because that’s who he is. ”
In addition to her activism work, Velasquez said she would like to do more acting work. Velasquez said, “I realized that I could have fun and be surrounded by great people while still making money. I was doing something that I was passionate about. I’m actually doing what I always said I would do when I was indoors.”
