ST. GEORGE — Not many people leave prison and find a limousine waiting outside for them and then a few years later receive $300,000 for their troubles, but Kirk Bloodsworth did.
Convicted in 1985 for the brutal killing and sexual assault of 9-year-old Dawn Hamilton, Bloodsworth spent nine years in a Maryland prison, including two on death row, before a DNA test finally exonerated him.
His case was the first capital conviction in the United States to be overturned as a result of DNA testing. It would also later help to find and convict the man who had actually had committed the crime, a man with whom Bloodsworth had shared a prison tier and lifted weights with while incarcerated.
"He never said a word to me all those years," Bloodsworth said. "Never said a word."
Bloodsworth was keynote speaker at this year's Utah State Bar's spring convention in St. George. He shared his own story with more than 300 attorneys Friday. His presentation was one of five he has given in the state the past few years.
In closing, Bloodsworth reminded the audience to remember always to represent their clients.
"Stand for integrity," he said, "and always do the right thing. "Stand for your client and represent them without fail."
A retired fisherman, Bloodsworth has spent the past 15 years as the program officer for the Justice Project, a nonprofit organization in Washington, D.C. He travels the world telling his story and advocating for a fairer and more accurate criminal-justice system.
Rather than remaining angry at a system that failed him, Bloodsworth has instead turned his attention over the years to helping others who also have been wrongly convicted.
"His story is so powerful and compelling I think it's important others are able to see someone who has lived through this experience. I think having him tell his story over and over again makes a huge difference and helps to improve the system," said Utah assistant attorney general Creighton Horton.
Five years ago, Bloodsworth helped lead a five-year campaign to pass the Justice For All Act. The bill, the first piece of federal death-penalty reform legislation to pass Congress, created the Kirk Bloodsworth Post-Conviction DNA Testing Program.
It authorized $25 million to be spent over five years to help states pay the costs of post-conviction DNA testing. Currently, the fund totals more than $14 million.
E-mail: traciesullivan@msn.com