Great North Innocence Project

Two years ago today, on September 26, 2024, Bobby Bintz and his brother David were released from prison after serving over 25 years for a crime they didn't commit. Bobby was greeted by GNIP Legal Director Jim Mayer, Chestnut Cambronne pro bono partners Chris Renz and Jacklyn Heckman, and his favorite snacks.

On Wednesday, GNIP honored Bobby at our 2026 Benefit for Innocence. We continue to be inspired by Bobby's indomitable spirit and are humbled by the hope, trust, and love he has for our team.

Thank you to Chestnut Cambronne PA for partnering with GNIP to represent Bobby, to the team at Ramapo College Investigative Genetic Genealogy Center for working with us to find the true perpetrator, and to Jarrett Adams for representing the Bintz brothers as they pursue compensation for their years of unjust incarceration.

Watch Bobby's story now:

Bobby Bintz's Story Enjoy the videos and music you love, upload original content, and share it all with friends, family, and the world on YouTube.

One year ago today, on September 24, 2025, the Minnesota Board of Pardons voted to commute Brian Pippitt's sentence. Brian was released in January 2026 after serving over 26 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Last night, the Great North community welcomed Brian to his first Benefit for Innocence 🌟

GNIP and Centurion - Freedom for the Innocent continue to fight alongside Brian to secure his full exoneration. We look forward to the day that we can celebrate Brian with his name fully cleared 💙

🧭🌟Thank you to our community of supporters for joining us last night at the Benefit for Innocence: True North. Your incredible generosity lights the path to freedom for innocent people still awaiting justice.

At the event, we honored the people who have carried GNIP's work forward, celebrated how far we have come, and looked ahead to our next chapter, including our plans to launch a Client Services and Support Program. We heard Bobby Bintz's inspiring story of hope and persistence and enjoyed a moving vocal performance from GNIP's first freed client, Sherman Townsend. We also honored Jennifer Kramer, Dane DeKrey, Bruce Ringstrom Jr., Gloria Contreras Edin, Kathy Santamaria El Bayoumi, and Isabella Larco with awards to acknowledge their immeasurable impact on GNIP's mission and clients.

We are especially thankful for this year's Defender Sponsor Faegre Drinker; Advocate Sponsors Chestnut Cambronne, Dorsey & Whitney, Fish & Richardson, Gustafson Gluek, Thomson Reuters, and Fredrikson; Partner Sponsors BANC, Carlson Caspers, Husch Blackwell, Robins Kaplan, and Taft; and Ally Sponsors Kramer Law, Contreras Edin Law, Ciresi Conlin, Forsgren Fisher, Maslon, Norton Rose Fulbright, Saul Ewing, Nilan Johnson Lewis, and Neufeld Scheck.

We left feeling grateful, inspired, and as dedicated as ever to our North Star: the innocent people still awaiting justice. Thank you for helping GNIP ensure that every wrongfully convicted person has the opportunity to find their way home!

Through our 2026 Pro Bono Champions Award, GNIP is proud to honor the pro bono team members at Ringstrom DeKrey and Contreras Edin Law for their extraordinary advocacy alongside GNIP in Werner Rümmer-Kunkel’s fight for freedom 💙

The Pro Bono Champions of the Year Award is presented annually to an individual or team of pro bono volunteers who have demonstrated outstanding commitment, dedicating their time, expertise, and passion to investigating and litigating innocence cases in partnership with GNIP.

Thank you and congratulations to Dane, Bruce, Gloria, Kathy, and Isabella! We are honored and proud to have your continued support and partnership in the fight for Werner's freedom.

⚖️Update in Bertie Hicks's case!

On March 27, GNIP Legal Director Jim Mayer along with a team of pro bono attorneys from Fredrikson & Byron (Minneapolis) and the Law Office Rachel Connor (Louisiana) represented Bertie Hicks at a District Court hearing. The team asked the Court to either immediately vacate Bertie's conviction or to set a hearing at which Bertie can present evidence establishing his innocence. The Court agreed, and the evidenitary hearing is occurring this week in Louisiana.

Bertie is serving a 40-year sentence for a wrongful manslaughter conviction. The Louisiana Supreme Court recently issued a ruling in favor of GNIP, holding that Bertie has a viable innocence claim meriting a full evidentiary hearing.

We are thrilled to announce this year's Jonas Award for Justice recipient, Jennifer Kramer!

Jennifer Kramer is the founder of the Innocence Project of Minnesota, now the Great North Innocence Project.

Motivated by the lessons she learned as an Assistant Ramsey County Public Defender and inspired by what she heard at an early Innocence Network Conference, Jennifer gathered a powerful and dynamic group of advocates and launched Minnesota’s first and only innocence organization.

We are immensely grateful for Jennifer's vision, leadership, and advocacy and are excited to honor her at next week's Benefit for Innocence: True North.

Congratulations and thank you, Jennifer!

Light the path to freedom by bidding on a collection of extraordinary items and experiences in our Silent Auction! Every winning bid supports GNIP's innocent clients and our work to secure their freedom and justice 🌟

From restaurant gift cards to beloved Great North entertainment, there's something for everyone in this Silent Auction. Swipe for a snapshot of items, experiences, and packages that could be yours - bid now at https://cbo.io/app/public/bidapp/gnip/auction

Thank you to Fredrikson for standing with innocent people as an Advocate Sponsor at this year's Benefit for Innocence: True North 🧭 We are grateful for your continued partnership in the fight against wrongful convictions!

Bestselling Minnesota-based author William Kent Krueger joined the Great North Innocence Project's Wrongful Convictions Book Club for a conversation about his novel "Apostle's Cove".

The book begins with retired sheriff Cork O’Connor receiving a call from his son Stephen, who is working at the Great North Innocence Project. Stephen tells his father that decades ago, as the newly elected sheriff of Tamarack County, Cork was responsible for sending an Ojibwe man named Axel Boshey to prison for a brutal murder that Stephen is certain he did not commit.

In this conversation, we talked about the disproportionate impact of the criminal legal system on Native communities, the humanity in shared pursuits of justice, and more.