Franky Carrillo was raised in Lynwood California. At the age of 16, he was arrested for a drive-by shooting that he did not commit. Carrillo was tried as an adult and found guilty of murder, despite his continued insistence that he was innocent. He was sentenced to 30 years to life in prison. While incarcerated, Carrillo wrote hundreds of letters requesting assistance and filed numerous legal briefs. He never lost hope in himself or the judicial system, nor did he lose his unwavering faith in humanity. It took nearly 15 years to get the attention of a group of lawyers who believed in him. After a five-year-long investigation, and with new evidence in hand, Carrillo’s conviction was overturned in court.

On March 16, 2011, Carrillo was released from prison, an innocent and free man, full of optimism and hope. Carrillo has leveraged his experience and has become a champion of equality and justice. He graduated from Loyola Marymount University and received a settlement from the County of Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department. He sits on many boards throughout the country, he is an elected official for the Los Angeles County Democratic Party, AD-52 where he chairs his delegation, and co-chairs the Judicial Interview Committee. He is also the Chair of the Los Angeles County Probation Oversight Commission. Carrillo is the father of 3 wonderful children and lives in Echo Park.

Human Rights Civil Rights,