After receiving a stay of execution in the fall of 2019, Rodney Reed was granted a new appeal hearing. Originally scheduled for September this year, the hearing was later moved to after the new year, because of the ongoing pandemic.

Rodney recently spoke about living in prison during the pandemic and his thoughts on his new hearing.

“I spend most of my time alone, which is hard but also helpful in these circumstances,” Mr. Reed shared with his attorneys. 

“But I am always wearing my mask. Access to the phones has been even more limited now than usual, and I have not been able to speak with my family in a long time. But whenever I go to the phone to have a legal call, my mask is up and I try not to touch anything.”

The full story can be found at the Innocence Project.

On a recent Dr. Phil episode, one of Rodney’s lawyer’s discussed what to expect from the hearing – including that the hearing will be an opportunity to introduce all the evidence of Rodney’s innocence.

Rodney’s family and supporters are planning a series of events in the lead up to the hearing. On Friday, November 20 Rodney’s family will participate in an online panel titled Fighting State Murder: Racism, the Police and the Death Penalty, sponsored by Haymarket books. The event will also feature police torture victim and former juvenile life without parole prisoner Mark Clements, author and scholar Keeanga-Yamahtta Taylor, and journalist Liliana Segura for a discussion about fighting racism in the criminal “injustice” system.

An outdoor event is being planned in Bastrop for December 19th, just a few days before Rodney’s birthday. More information will follow regarding that event and others that are in the works.

Please follow Reed Justice Initiative and We Demand Justice: Free Rodney Reed for more organizing updates.