On behalf of Denis Calderon and his family, we are asking you to urge Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner to support justice for Denis Calderón. Denis was born in Peru and came to the U.S. as a young child. In 1996, he and his cousin Julio Maldonado were victims of a racist attack by a mob of white men in north Philadelphia. Police arrested Denis and Julio instead of the attackers, and the two cousins were then wrongfully convicted by disgraced former District Attorney Seth Williams. After serving a prison sentence and being imprisoned by ICE, Denis and Julio were deported and have spent the last decade separated from their families in exile in Peru. Denis, his family, and the Philadelphia community have suffered for too long as a result of this injustice.

A pardon for Denis’s conviction would help him return to his family. Denis has a hearing before the Pennsylvania Board of Pardons on December 16, 2022. The Board of Pardons carefully considers any recommendation the District Attorney’s office makes about a pending application. District Attorney Larry Krasner has so far withheld his support for Denis’s pardon application, despite the office’s shameful role in Denis’s wrongful conviction decades ago. The Conviction Integrity Unit at the District Attorney's Office has also not conducted a full review of the case to determine whether Denis and Julio were wrongfully convicted. Denis and his family need your help to let District Attorney Larry Krasner know he needs to do his part to correct this egregious injustice.

Please sign to ask District Attorney Larry Krasner to recommend Denis’s pardon for approval or conduct a full review of the case through the Conviction Integrity Unit.

Image: Denis with his daughter, Jesenia, before his wrongful conviction in 1997