Jones Day partner participates in panel discussion--A Question of Innocence: The Case of Kevin Keith
Partner Justin Herdman recently joined a panel discussion hosted by the Ohio Innocence Project (OIP) in Columbus, Ohio, on the topic: "A Question of Innocence: The Case of Kevin Keith." The Firm has been representing Mr. Keith, along with a defense team that includes the Ohio Public Defender's Office, since 2014. Upon returning to Jones Day from his service as U.S. Attorney for the Northern District of Ohio, Mr. Herdman joined the defense effort in March 2021.
Mr. Keith was convicted of multiple murders in 1994, but since the day of his arrest has always maintained his innocence. The case has been the subject of a recent podcast: "The System: The Case of Kevin Keith," hosted by Kim Kardashian, who also joined the panel. The audience included law students and others who were able to ask questions of the panelists.
In the several decades since his conviction, new evidence has been uncovered, and in 2010 then-governor Ted Strickland commuted Mr. Keith's death sentence to life without parole; Strickland subsequently stated that he wished he had completely commuted the sentence with the new evidence that is available. Since that commutation, the defense team has continued to locate additional exculpatory information withheld from Mr. Keith prior to his trial. Mr. Herdman continues to represent Mr. Keith as he seeks clemency from Governor Michael DeWine and pursues an appeal with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit.
Photo Caption:
From left to right: Partner Justin Herdman; Hilow & Spellacy attorney James Wooley; Office of the Ohio Public Defender attorney Rachel Troutman; Ohio Innocence Project program director for policy, legalization and education Pierce Reed; The System podcast host Kim Kardashian and The System executive producer Lori Rothschild Ansaldi. Photo: Courtesy Ohio Innocence Project
