An innocent man is running out of time.
Daniel “DJ” Adams was convicted in 2023 and sentenced to decades in prison despite substantial evidence indicating his innocence. He now has only weeks left to secure an attorney who can file his appeal. If he misses this deadline, he will be forced to do time for a crime he did not commit. This resulted from improper practices that occurred during his trial, an unlawfully composed jury, and major procedural failures.
This fundraiser is to raise the $20,000 needed to retain the attorney who has agreed to take his case, as it is a strong one he is confident he can win.
The court that convicted him has a documented history of wrongful convictions. Multiple cases from this same court have been overturned due to procedural errors, mishandled juries, and misapplied legal standards. This case unfortunately follows the same crooked pattern.
Evidence Supporting Daniel's Innocence
The forensic evidence, medical records, and court documents tell a very different story than the one presented during trial.
• No injuries were found in the forensic exam.
The sexual assault nurse examiner documented "no evidence of trauma."
• The encounter occurred in the accuser's own bedroom, beside the party next door.
Friends and help were only steps away, in a familiar environment.
• No signs of non-consent, fear, or resistance in the accuser's behavior.
Court records state that she voluntarily returned to her bedroom, voluntarily got back into bed with Daniel, and voluntarily reengaged in kissing and touching.
• No evidence of force, threat, or intimidation.
The Petition for Rehearing explicitly states there was insufficient evidence of actual or constructive force. There were no threats, no signs of domination or control, and no evidence of intimidation. This strongly undermines the credibility of the strangulation allegation.
• She continued partying all weekend before reporting.
Instead of seeking medical care, she continued socializing around the same people in the same area for days before making a report.
• Multiple inconsistencies in the accuser's statements weren't challenged by the investigative officers.
Key details shifted between her initial report, her later interviews, and her testimony. The officers ignored these contradictions.
• Conflicting Timelines
Her timeline of events did not match HER OWN earlier statements, nor witness accounts. The investigators ignored these discrepancies too.
• The jury was improperly composed.
Ten of twelve jurors were white, and one juror openly stated she would “need” Daniel to testify to find him not guilty, and that she would look at him "more suspiciously" if he didn't, while also stating she required the defense to "explain why someone would make this accusation". This violates the presumption of innocence and is a direct violation of his constitutional right to remain silent. BY LAW, the judge should have rehabilitated or dismissed that juror, but did neither.
• The jury received improper instructions.
The Petition for Rehearing explains that the judge allowed instructions that confused the legal definition of force and consent, making it easier for the jury to convict without evidence of threats, resistance, or intimidation.
Character Evidence
Daniel is a family man, a friend of many men and women all over the country, a man of faith, and an entrepreneur. His life, and the lives of the people who love him, changed forever when he was blindsided by this wild conviction.
Who he is to his family...
Daniel is a father of two young boys, Emmanuel (9) and Christian (8). They are growing up without their dad, missing the cherished moments a parent can never get back. This year, Daniel will miss Emmanuel’s 10th birthday, the third birthday in a row without his father. Unless Daniel is able to secure the legal representation he needs, he could miss twenty more.
In Emmanuel’s words:
“I wish my dad was here. He doesn’t deserve to be going through it. I want my family back.”
Who he is to me and other friends, some of which are mutual...
I (Juliana) have known Daniel long before this case. Over the years, he visited me for weeks in my small home, I visited him and his grandfather for several days, we spent consecutive days together in multiple parts of the country, we partied together, and we eventually worked together. NOT ONE TIME, sober or not, did he ever behave inappropriately toward me nor anyone else.
He never made myself or anyone else uncomfortable.
He was never flirty.
He never crossed a line.
He never tried to make a move.
He has always been a gentleman, more than most men I've known. I know him as a kind, gentle, grounded, man I felt safe around. Nothing about his character aligns with the version of him presented in court.
I also want to explain why my perspective matters. I am someone who has survived serious harm in the past... including being molested as a child, taken advantage of multiple times, drugged multiple times, and even strangled and brutally nearly murdered in my own bedroom. Because of this, I have spent years learning to identify unsafe people and removing them from my life. I trust my instincts and have learned to recognize red flags, which I no longer ignore.
Daniel has NEVER been one of those red flags.
I always felt completely safe around him. I know he is not a rapist, and I know he is not someone who strangles women.
Violent people also tend to have a track record of legal issues by the time they’re 30... I know this from experience. The people who attacked me and violated me had histories of doing so to others. Daniel has no history of anything like this.
I have also witnessed firsthand how broken the system can be. I am disgusted by false accusations because they harm real victims and overwhelm a system already struggling with the volume of violent and sexual assault cases. I will not stand by and watch an innocent man lose his life to a process that failed him.
