Summary: Eric “Rick” Joseph is a brother, an uncle, a companion, a North Philly community member and a devout Muslim. He has been incarcerated for over 36 years for a crime he did not commit. He was convicted and sentenced to life in a trial presided by an infamously biased judge, Albert F. Sabo,  during the height of the “tough on crime” era. Read Rick’s story in his own words below, and join us in asking Pennsylvania’s Board of Pardons to grant Eric commutation so that he can be reunited with his family. 

My story is simple: I have been incarcerated for 36 and a half years for a crime I did not commit. I'm one of three people who were convicted for a robbery where someone was killed. At the time, the principal actor in this crime claimed that I was with him in order to get  a plea deal. He came home in March of 2019; my trial was unfair. It was presided over by Albert F. Sabo,  a judge most famously known for sentencing the most people in the country to death row and life sentences through discriminatory, racist  and unlawful instructions to the jury. Judge Sabo, explained my alibi as "I was not at the scene of the crime by myself," choosing not to tell the jury that I had witnesses who testified to the fact that I was campaigning for state legislator Roxanne Jones at the time of the crime else. Judge Sabo also stacked the jury with White jurors by allowing prosecutors to dismiss  African American jurors for clearly meaningless reasons. These are just some of the injustices I have been fighting  over the years by filing appeal after appeal, none of which have been heard. 

While I am not a perfect human being, and struggled at points growing up,  I didn't kill anyone or partake in a crime where someone was killed. I've worked especially hard throughout my incarceration on myself through education, skills trainings and self examination. I started by getting my GED, I completed Anger Management classes, I obtained an apprenticeship in Business, Cooking and several certificates and credits in college courses. I've mentored younger inmates to stay focused, humble and to work continuously to achieve their goals. My desire and dream is to come home to North Philadelphia and  continue this type of work by mentoring young people  and showing them that their lives are worth more than selling drugs or robbing people. 

Sign this petition and join us in urging the Board of Pardons to correct this injustice and reunite Eric with his community