Dear Friends of Tiffany:

On Tuesday, Tiffany's case reached a critical and inspiring milestone in Pulaski, Georgia. Her habeas hearing, first filed in 2013 by another attorney, was finally presented in court by her brilliant pro bono attorney, Susan Coppedge (Senior Counsel, Krevolin & Horst, LLC).

While we will not know the outcome for a few months due to the justice system process, here is what we know:

Tiffany has now seen the power of community (that is YOU!!) with our team flying from as far as California and Colorado to support her. She says she's never felt more love and support in her life. Watching her walk into court in her state issued prison uniform with chains around her body, slowing her walk, was painful. Her smile, though, lit up the room. This photo is Tiffany with Fecha and I. After 9 years of advocacy and love, it was our first time meeting Tiffany in real life.

Tiffany herself testified for hours with her testimony showing the grave miscarriage of injustice done to her through her 2011 arrest, sentencing and incarceration. It was painful to hear her tears and know how deeply triggering the reliving of her court trauma was for her. Yet, her grace, bravery and honesty were so inspiring.

Experts in forensic investigations and psychology spoke to how Tiffany's case *should* have been handled and the impacts of trauma and sex trafficking on a child like Tiffany. To be clear, in 2011, child victims of sex trafficking were protected from arrest and incarceration by Georgia law. Despite knowing Tiffany was a victim of child sex trafficking, the court proceeded to sentence her to 30 years in prison which is 20 years more than the mandatory minimum.

We are hopeful that we have a chance of the habeas hearing being granted, which would mean that Tiffany's case would be transferred to the county where she was convicted and could lead her to her re-trial and hopefully freedom. We hope the decision by the judge will be in Tiffany's favor, and thus an example to all courts that injustice toward survivors will not be tolerated anymore. Stay with Karana Rising as we support Tiffany and survivors like her who need us across the country. 

Please keep sharing Tiffany's petition so we can reach 50,000 signatures before the judge makes her ruling!  And, if you want to support our efforts to provide advocacy and care to Tiffany and many more incarcerated survivors, you can at www.karanarising.org

With gratitude,

Andrea