Lesra Martin facts for kids

Lesra Martin (born April 11, 1963) is a Canadian lawyer, motivational speaker, and writer. He is best known for helping to free former boxer Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter. Carter had been wrongly accused of a crime. Lesra's efforts played a big part in proving Carter's innocence.

Helping Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter

Lesra Martin is famous for his involvement in the release of Rubin "The Hurricane" Carter. Carter was a boxer who spent almost 20 years in prison. He was wrongly convicted of a murder that happened in 1966. The trials had clear signs of racial unfairness.

Lesra learned about Carter's story by reading his book, The Sixteenth Round. In 1980, Lesra wrote a letter to Carter in prison. He then met Carter at the prison in Trenton, New Jersey. This meeting led to the group Lesra lived with in Toronto getting involved. They all worked hard to help Carter get out of prison.

Carter had been convicted again in 1976. He also lost his attempts to appeal this conviction. However, a new court case started in February 1985. A judge named H. Lee Sarokin ruled that the case was unfair. He said it was based on racism. The judge also noted that important evidence was hidden. This ruling led to Carter's release in November 1985.

The story of Carter's release, including Lesra's help, is shown in the movie The Hurricane. The film stars Denzel Washington. Lesra Martin was played by Vicellous Reon Shannon in the movie. Some parts of the film's story are made up for the movie.

Media Appearances

Lesra Martin has appeared on several TV shows. He was on The Oprah Winfrey Show and Larry King Live on CNN. The National Film Board of Canada also made a documentary about him. It is called The Journey of Lesra Martin. Cheryl Foggo directed this film.