At 16 years old, Jeffrey Deskovic waived his right to an attorney and was coerced into falsely confessing to a crime he did not commit. Jeffrey spent the next 16 years in prison before DNA evidence exonerated him.

Today, Mr. Deskovic is an attorney whose life is dedicated to freeing the wrongfully convicted and preventing wrongful convictions in the first place via proactive legislation. Through his Foundation, Jeffery is working as part of the #Right2RemainSilent coalition, which includes The Legal Aid Society, to pass legislation that would mandate young people under 18 speak to an attorney to explain their rights before a police interrogation.

Jeffrey shared his story with Legal Aid. Watch it below.

The #Right2RemainSilent Act, or the Youth Interrogation Act, as it is also known, was recently endorsed by 17 sitting and former judges, as well as current and former law enforcement officials, including Los Angeles County District Attorney George Gascón.

Learn more about #Right2RemainSlient and Legal Aid’s other legislative priorities focusing on making justice a reality for young people in New York State.