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One Good Thing: An innocent man goes free

The WMU-Cooley Innocence Project helped get him out of prison after 26 years.

WAYNE COUNTY, Mich. — Time for One Good Thing -- someone or something that makes West Michigan a good place to live. Today's OGT quite literally set an innocent man free.

This is Lacino Hamilton. In 1994, he was wrongfully convicted of murder. 

The Western Michigan University Cooley Innocence Project helped fund new DNA testing in the case. That testing found someone else's DNA underneath the victim's fingernails. That, combined with other evidence, convinced the judge to set aside the conviction. 

On Sep. 29, 26 years later, Lacino Hamilton went free. That day, he said, "I am extremely grateful and look forward to being a productive citizen in our community."

According to a release, The WMU-Cooley Innocence Project is the only post-conviction DNA innocence organization in the state. They've been doing this work since 2001. They get today's One Good Thing.

If you have a One Good Thing you'd like to submit - someone or something that makes West Michigan a good place to live - email me with your photos and-or video at OneGoodThing@13OnYourSide.com.

Yesterday's One Good Thing:

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