skip to content  Saving The Life Of An Innocent Man - On The Eve
Of Execution  Wednesday, August 27, 2003    • By: Al Driver   •
Organization: The Metropolitan Corporate Counsel  The Editor
interviews Michael L. Banks and J. Gordon Cooney, Jr., Partners
at Morgan, Lewis & Bockius LLP.   Editor: As a result of your
pro bono work, John Thompson narrowly escaped execution for a
murder he did not commit. What led to this dramatic event?
Banks: The initial lynchpin to our success was proving that John
was not responsible for an unrelated carjacking that effectively
prevented him from testifying in his own defense during the
murder trial. The carjacking occurred on December 28, 1984.
Three weeks later, on January 17, 1985, John was arrested with a
codefendant, Kevin Freeman, for the murder of hotel executive
Ray Liuzza, Jr., which occurred in the early morning hours of
December 6, 1984.  The carjacking involved three LaGarde
children. A young black man jumped into their car and told them
to drive off. The older br