St. Mary Project in the News

KADN News 15 profiled Promise of Justice Initiative Executive Director, Mercedes Montagnes, to talk about PJI’s St. Mary Project. In conjunction with Jones Walker and the MacArthur Justice Center, PJI attorneys worked to exonerate 18 individuals.”The Promise of Justice Initiative created the St. Mary Project after looking into the work of the Iberia Parish Sheriff’s Office Narcotics Unit. “We became aware of a culture of fear that existed among folks in this community.” said Mercedes Montagnes, Executive Director of the Promise of Justice Initiative. Montagnes says for the 18 people they were able to exonerate the group they discovered that the deputies manufactured evidence “Some are men, some are women, some are white, some are black, all of them were poor, all of them were powerless.” she said.