Staff

Michael Semanchik, Executive Director

Michael Semanchik, Executive Director

Mike Semanchik serves as Executive Director of The Innocence Center. Mike’s work focuses on overseeing the day-to-day operations of the Center, including litigation, grant management, fundraising, and policy. Mike fell into innocence work when he met Timothy Atkins in his first week of law school at California Western School of Law. The following year, in 2008, Mike joined the California Innocence Project as a student in the clinic. He continued to work under then-Director Justin Brooks where he assisted in writing the first-ever Wrongful Conviction case book. Soon after, Mike was hired as a Staff Attorney and later became the Managing Attorney at the California Innocence Project. He was hired as the Executive Director of The Innocence Center in 2023.

Jasmin Harris,
Director of Development & Policy

Jasmin Harris, Director of Development & Policy

Jasmin Harris is the Director of Policy and Development at The Innocence Center and is the advocate for the California Innocence Coalition. She began her work in the innocence movement in 2014 after her brother was incarcerated for participating in a non-violent, peaceful protest. She began as a volunteer at the California Innocence Project while she was a Managing Partner of two breakfast restaurants in San Diego. In 2018, she was hired and became the Associate Director for Policy and Development. She quickly found her passion to be working with lawmakers and other stakeholders to effectuate change around innocence issues at the California Legislature.

Jasmin's work in coalition has resulted in the passage of 11 groundbreaking laws dedicated to preventing wrongful convictions, guiding the path for the wrongfully incarcerated to reclaim their freedom, and facilitating their successful reintegration into society. Beyond her legislative achievements, Jasmin is a fervent champion for exonerated individuals, securing vital resources such as housing, fair compensation, educational opportunities, mental health support, and more.

Raquel Barilla,
Director of Litigation

Raquel Barilla, Director of Litigation

Raquel Barilla is the Director of Litigation at The Innocence Center. She has dedicated her career to criminal defense which consisted of over 13 years of service at the California Innocence Project and seven years as a state-appointed attorney representing clients on direct appeal.

Raquel’s desire to assist the wrongfully convicted started when she was studying criminal justice at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas. While initially being drawn to Southern California for the weather, Raquel’s decision to go to California Western School of Law was solidified when she learned the school was then the home of the California Innocence Project. In 2007, Raquel started as an intern at the California Innocence Project, working her way through the clinical program, and eventually becoming a staff attorney in 2011.

Raquel has played an integral role in the exoneration of many wrongfully convicted clients. Raquel is a post-conviction arson expert and has lectured to lawyers, students, and fire investigators on the developments and issues within the fire investigation community. Raquel’s work on arson cases, and specifically her work on JoAnn Parks’s case, is documented in Pulitzer Prize-winner Ed Humes’s book Burned.

Audrey McGinn,
Senior Staff Attorney

Audrey McGinn, Senior Staff Attorney

Audrey is the Senior Staff Attorney at The Innocence Center. She was an attorney with the California Innocence Project 2011-2015 and 2016-2023. She was also the Director of the Wrongful Conviction Division at the Iowa Public Defender’s Office from 2015-2016. Audrey received her bachelor’s degree in International Studies from the University of Washington in Seattle. She became fluent in Spanish after studying abroad in Mexico City, Mexico, and through two internships at the Public Defender’s Office in Chile. Audrey first began innocence work as a volunteer and translator during her first year of law school. Upon passing the California Bar, she started work as an investigator for the California Innocence Project, eventually becoming a staff attorney.

Audrey has trained thousands of European, Latin America, and African students, lawyers, judges, and legal professionals in both Spanish and English about effective litigation techniques to avoid wrongful convictions before they occur. She was also an LL.M. Professor at California Western School of Law for ten years where she taught trial oral advocacy. Audrey specializes in DNA and cases of child sex abuse.

Throughout her career, she has played an integral role in the release of many wrongfully convicted clients.

Claudia Salinas,
Staff Attorney

Claudia Salinas,
Staff Attorney

Claudia Salinas is a Staff Attorney at The Innocence Center (TIC). Claudia earned a Bachelor of Science in Criminology from California State University, Fresno, followed by her Juris Doctor from California Western School of Law.

Prior to joining TIC, Claudia held positions as a Staff Attorney at the California Innocence Project, as well as roles as a 911 Communications Dispatcher and a District Representative for a California State Senator, reflecting her diverse experience in public service.

At TIC, Claudia not only litigates innocence cases but also draws upon her background as a Board of Parole Panel Attorney to assist clients in navigating the complexities of arguing plausible claims of innocence during suitability hearings for alternative release.

Beyond her legal work, Claudia serves as the Vice Chair of the Innocence Network’s Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee. In this role, she spearheads initiatives aimed at promoting DEI matters and advocates for nationwide changes benefiting network stakeholders, including staff, clients, and supporters.

Fluent in Spanish, Claudia is dedicated to facilitating clear communication and fostering understanding for our clients who may encounter language barriers.

Sarah Miotke,
Paralegal,
The Innocence Center

Sarah Miotke,
Paralegal,
The Innocence Center

Sarah Miotke is a dedicated Paralegal at The Innocence Center, where she applies her expertise to support the mission of justice and innocence. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Legal Studies, Sociology, and Political Science from the University of Mississippi, where her passion for innocence work was ignited by a presentation from a staff attorney at the Mississippi Innocence Project. This experience led her to join the project as a legal assistant, where she engaged in client intakes, case research, and trial preparations.

Before her role at The Innocence Center, Sarah excelled in Advancement roles at Loyola University Chicago, where she served as a project manager and liaison for the Board of Trustees, the President’s Office, and Proposal Development teams. Her work there involved creating and optimizing systems to enhance team effectiveness, skills she brings to her current position.

Sarah’s operational and organizational experience is instrumental in assisting TIC’s intake and case management processes. Committed to continuous improvement, Sarah also plays a key role in developing and implementing efficient workflows that enhance team collaboration and responsiveness, advancing The Innocence Center's mission to rectify wrongful convictions.

Marc A. Garza,
Staff Investigator,
The Innocence Center

Marc A. Garza,
Staff Investigator,
The Innocence Center

Marc is a licensed private investigator and a retired police sergeant. He has over 30 years of combined experience in law enforcement, private investigations, and consulting. He has assisted legal counsel with investigations in numerous criminal defense matters at the state and federal levels.

His background, deeply rooted in the criminal legal system and having served in various capacities within law enforcement, gives him a unique insight on the intricacies of post-conviction investigations. This insight, coupled with a meticulous attention to detail, allows him to conduct complex investigations in cases where our clients have been wrongfully convicted of serious felony level crimes such as homicide, gang related crimes, assaults with firearms and other crimes of violence.

Marc is dedicated to working tirelessly to uncover evidence, review discovery, locate and interview witnesses; and scrutinize every detail of a case to assist our staff attorneys in building their client’s legal cases to get more innocent people out of prison.

Note: language assistance services available upon request.

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