Frances Robles (Frenchie)

My head mark is probably still on the roof of the New York Times office from my jumping up and down and realizing that I had hit pay dirt.

My head mark is probably still on the roof of the New York Times office from my jumping up and down and realizing that I had hit pay dirt.

Oh, my God. These are lives. These are real lives.

Oh, my God. These are lives. These are real lives.

So this guy comes in, he walks with a cane, and he's kind of hunched over, and he has very, very long dreadlocks all down his back. And I see him looking around the room, like... You know, I don't see anybody here who's here to see me. And so I raised my hands and he looks at me like, you know, hmm, who the heck is that? You know, but all right, fine.

So this guy comes in, he walks with a cane, and he's kind of hunched over, and he has very, very long dreadlocks all down his back. And I see him looking around the room, like... You know, I don't see anybody here who's here to see me. And so I raised my hands and he looks at me like, you know, hmm, who the heck is that? You know, but all right, fine.

You know, he doesn't have anything better to do. So he sits down and I'll probably never forget this moment for the rest of my life. I said to him, you know, my name is Francis Robles. I'm a reporter for The New York Times. I'm doing a story on Teresa Gomez. And he just froze and his eyes welled up with tears. And he said, I've been telling people about Teresa Gomez for 25 years.

You know, he doesn't have anything better to do. So he sits down and I'll probably never forget this moment for the rest of my life. I said to him, you know, my name is Francis Robles. I'm a reporter for The New York Times. I'm doing a story on Teresa Gomez. And he just froze and his eyes welled up with tears. And he said, I've been telling people about Teresa Gomez for 25 years.

And I said, well, now somebody's listening.

And I said, well, now somebody's listening.

And he said to me, is this going to mess up my parole? And I remember I said something that, you know, ethically I should not have said. And I probably shouldn't even repeat that I said. But I said it. I said, no, this isn't going to mess up your parole. I said, this is going to get you exonerated. And I said something so ridiculous because I believed it.

And he said to me, is this going to mess up my parole? And I remember I said something that, you know, ethically I should not have said. And I probably shouldn't even repeat that I said. But I said it. I said, no, this isn't going to mess up your parole. I said, this is going to get you exonerated. And I said something so ridiculous because I believed it.

It's like six o'clock that Thursday and I call the spokesman and I said, I got a 2,500 word article about all these guys, you know, who say that they were wrongly accused. And you know what it doesn't have? It doesn't have a quote from the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office because your quote was so pathetic. I said, so we're going to do a do-over. And it's a one question do-over.

It's like six o'clock that Thursday and I call the spokesman and I said, I got a 2,500 word article about all these guys, you know, who say that they were wrongly accused. And you know what it doesn't have? It doesn't have a quote from the Brooklyn District Attorney's Office because your quote was so pathetic. I said, so we're going to do a do-over. And it's a one question do-over.

Do you stand firm? behind these convictions or not. That's it. We're not going to negotiate a response. We're not going to be like, off the record, background, upside down, inside out. What's your answer? And so the spokesman said, I'll call you back. Okay, call me back. So they called back and he said, well, you have to come back to the office tomorrow. I'm like, oh, I'm crying out loud.

Do you stand firm? behind these convictions or not. That's it. We're not going to negotiate a response. We're not going to be like, off the record, background, upside down, inside out. What's your answer? And so the spokesman said, I'll call you back. Okay, call me back. So they called back and he said, well, you have to come back to the office tomorrow. I'm like, oh, I'm crying out loud.

I go to the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, sit down, like, all right, what is it? were reopening all of Scarcella's cases.

I go to the Brooklyn District Attorney's office, sit down, like, all right, what is it? were reopening all of Scarcella's cases.

So I go back to the office and I go find the editor, the same person that had originally asked me what connects these cases. And I said, you're not gonna believe this. The DA is reopening all of his cases. They're gonna go back 30 years. And her eyes welled up in tears. And she said, oh, my God. She goes, these are lives. These are real lives that you're impacting.

So I go back to the office and I go find the editor, the same person that had originally asked me what connects these cases. And I said, you're not gonna believe this. The DA is reopening all of his cases. They're gonna go back 30 years. And her eyes welled up in tears. And she said, oh, my God. She goes, these are lives. These are real lives that you're impacting.