San Antonio 4' and Kelly Michaels Speak Out at April 13 Event

Defendants in two high-profile child sex crime prosecutions will speak out at a special�April 13�event in New York City organized by�the National Center for Reason and Justice (NCRJ).��

Four Latina lesbians living in San Antonio were falsely accused and wrongfully convicted of heinous child sex abuse charges in trials rife with homophobia, hysteria about child molestation and junk science evidence.�News reports dubbed them the "San Antonio 4." Never wavering in their innocence, the women languished in Texas prisons with long sentences, collectively serving more than 50 years until released in 2013 on bail awaiting further appeal, drawing national media attention.�Criminal charges are still pending.

On a first-ever visit the women will bring their fight for exoneration to NYC, and attend the Tribeca Film Festival premiere of a documentary about their case, "Southwest of Salem," directed by Deborah S. Esquenazi.� �

Kelly Michaels�was falsely accused of "ritual" sex abuse at a Maplewood, NJ day care center in the 1980s after police discovered she was living in a lesbian relationship.�In a sensational trial that lasted ten months, Michaels was convicted of 115 counts of sexual abuse involving 20 children. Sentenced to 47 years, she spent five years in prison before being freed due to the efforts of feminists and lawyers.�The Wee Care Nursery School case was in the headlines for years.���

Michaels, along with San Antonio 4 members Anna Vasquez, Elizabeth Ramirez and Cassandra Rivera, will talk about being falsely accused of what, to the public, is the worst crime imaginable, and the impact of being viewed as monsters by the world.�

Journalist Debbie Nathan will anchor the April 13 event. Nathan will tell how she learned of the women's plight, first in the 1980s and again twenty years later. As an NCRJ board member, she first reviewed the San Antonio 4 case and brought it to the attention of concerned activists and lawyers, ultimately securing support from the Innocence Project of Texas and attorney Mike Ware who won their release and is waging the legal fight for their innocence.

Attorney Ware will join the panel, laying out the next legal steps for the San Antonio 4 and previewing another NCRJ-sponsored case, the "Yankton 4," Native American men who have been wrongfully accused and convicted.

Since its founding NCRJ has campaigned for justice in cases where defendants are savaged by the criminal justice system and scorned by the public including the San Antonio 4; Bernard Baran; Jesse Friedman, subject of "Capturing the Friedmans," whose appeal is ongoing; and others.

Based in Cambridge, MA, NCRJ is a non-profit organization that educates and advocates for child-protective laws and criminal justice practices based on science, fairness, and good sense; and supports people who are falsely accused or convicted of crimes against children. In the nation that leads the world in incarcerating its citizens -- one in 100 adults is behind bars -- NCRJ is an ally to others seeking to reform the criminal justice system and to defend and promote the civil and human rights of all offenders.

The "San Antonio 4" event will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13 at Bluestockings Bookstore, 172 Allen St. (Lower East Side), New York, NY.

Journalist Debbie Nathan will anchor the April 13 event. Nathan will tell how she learned of the women's plight, first in the 1980s and again twenty years later. As an NCRJ board member, she first reviewed the San Antonio 4 case and brought it to the attention of concerned activists and lawyers, ultimately securing support from the Innocence Project of Texas and attorney Mike Ware who won their release and is waging the legal fight for their innocence.

Attorney Ware will join the panel, laying out the next legal steps for the San Antonio 4 and previewing another NCRJ-sponsored case, the "Yankton 4," Native American men who have been wrongfully accused and convicted.

Since its founding NCRJ has campaigned for justice in cases where defendants are savaged by the criminal justice system and scorned by the public including the San Antonio 4; Bernard Baran; Jesse Friedman, subject of "Capturing the Friedmans," whose appeal is ongoing; and others.

Based in Cambridge, MA, NCRJ is a non-profit organization that educates and advocates for child-protective laws and criminal justice practices based on science, fairness, and good sense; and supports people who are falsely accused or convicted of crimes against children. In the nation that leads the world in incarcerating its citizens -- one in 100 adults is behind bars -- NCRJ is an ally to others seeking to reform the criminal justice system and to defend and promote the civil and human rights of all offenders.

The "San Antonio 4" event will be held at 7:30 p.m. on Wednesday, April 13 at Bluestockings Bookstore, 172 Allen St. (Lower East Side), New York, NY.