Oooh, We Got the Innocence Blues

As we head into the giving season with its charity balls, donation requests and soup kitchen holiday events, the needs seem pretty dire. Between the homeless, battered women, abandoned animals and countless refugees around the world, you could donate your entire paycheck for a few months straight. So instead of getting overwhelmed, prioritize. There are lots of people in need, no doubt, but has anyone gotten screwed worse than those in the slammer for crimes they didn’t commit? Dallas County leads the country in the number of people cleared by DNA evidence since 2001: 13, with a 14th expected soon. They were victims of shoddy evidence, haphazard police lineups and overzealous prosecutors. Which is why the Innocence Project of Texas is holding the DNA Blues Ball 8 p.m. Saturday at the Lakewood Theater. The musical lineup features blues acts such as Wanda King, Zac Harmon, and Jay and Johnny Moeller. Special guests will include Dallas County District Attorney Craig Watkins and several exonerees. General admission tickets are $30, gold VIP tables are $1,000 and platinum VIP tables are $5,000. All proceeds benefit the Innocence Project, a network of attorneys and law students who seek to free the wrongfully convicted. For more information visit dnabluesball.com.
Sat., Nov. 24, 8 p.m., 2007