This story is deeply personal because I have had the privilege of getting to know Clavin A. White Jr., a man who has been wrongfully sentenced to multiple life sentences for crimes he did not commit. He has already served 21 years of his life, all due to corruption within the Norfolk Police Department.

The detective involved in his case, Robert G Ford, was convicted of several crimes in 2012 but was given a second chance at life - an opportunity that Mr. White has been denied so far. Why should Mr. Ford be allowed another chance while Clavin continues to languish behind bars?

It's important to note that wrongful convictions are not isolated incidents; they are part of a systemic problem within our justice system. According to the National Registry of Exonerations, there were over 2,400 exonerations recorded in the United States from 1989 through February 2017 - representing more than 20,000 years lost in prison by innocent people (National Registry of Exonerations).

Clavin deserves the same opportunity as anyone else - the chance to be a husband and father just like Robert Ford was given after his conviction.

We demand an immediate review and reinvestigation into Clavin A. White Jr.'s case by an independent body free from corruption and bias.

Here are a few details of the case:

I was sent to prison for a crime I didn’t do on April 16, 2002 I along with my mother Louise White, my sister Tokesia Jones, and my codefendents uncle Mr. Paul C. Perry went down to the Norfolk P.O.C. for questioning. We were met by two homicide detectives Mr.Robert GlennFord and Brian Wray they took me to an interview room where I was given a form called a P.D. 381 form with 7 questions on it I explained to Detective Ford I didn’t want to answer any of his questions without an attorney being present he got upset and started threatening me that if I didn’t cooperate with him and his partner he was going to turn my name over to two other detectives working on a different case there names were detectives Mr.Dave Newman and Mr. Brad Huffman. Mr. Ford told me he needed a Polaroid picture of me which he turned over to Mr. Newman and Huffman. He told me he needed a Buccal swab to test some evidence and that he wanted me to open my mouth and let him stick the swab in for the test I explained my discomfort with his request and that I wanted to talk to someone from internal affairs he got mad and started threatening me that if I didn’t do what he asks of me he was going to call some officers in to help hold me down. I was afraid for my safety he forced the swab into my mouth and placed it in a box. 

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