Convicted of a murder at age 18, Marvin Mutch spent 41 years in prison despite multiple appeals and valiant efforts by the California Innocence Project. Because he maintained his innocence, Marvin Mutch was denied parole at 21 hearings. That is, until last year, when the PCJP represented him at his final parole hearing and where he was found suitable for release.
“Our success in convincing the parole board to grant parole must be tempered by the injustice of a man who has served 40 years for a crime he did not commit,” says Heidi Rummel, co-director of the PCJP. “Marvin is one of a kind. As soon as I met him, I understood he was going to be a very interesting client.”
With less than a year of freedom under his belt, Mutch, 60, visited USC Gould to speak to PCJP students about his legal journey. “I had a long path to freedom,” Mutch says. “What kept me going was to keep looking forward to see what was on the horizon.”
