DETROIT IS BEING CALLED TO STAND UP.
This Tuesday, March 10 at 10:00 AM, supporters of Darrell “Apple” Ewing and Derrico “Rico” Searcy, wrongly convicted in 2010, will gather at the Michigan Court of Appeals’ Detroit office to support them as Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy asks the MCOA to overturn Judge Kiefer Cox’s 2024 ruling dismissing all charges. They will carry signs that read: “Fire Kym Worthy, Free Darrell, Free Ric.”
Darrell Ewing, shackled at court, representing himself with boxes of files.
“Innocence Denier” Kym Worthy tries to overturn Judge Kiefer Cox’s ruling dismissing charges against DARRELL EWING, DERRICO SEARCY
“Fifteen-year pattern of withholding exculpatory evidence, depriving Mr. Ewing and Mr. Searcy of due process, guaranteed by both the Michigan and U.S. Constitutions.” — Ewing attorney Bradley Hall
BY DIANE BUKOWSKI 
Editor, Voice of Detroit DONATE TO VOD at: https://www.gofundme.com/donate-to-vod
Ewing, Searcy supporters to wear Tshirt 3/10/26.
March 7, 2026
DETROIT — Nationally, Wayne County Prosecutor Kym Worthy is known as an
“Innocence Denier,” and at home as “The Queen of Mass Incarceration.”
Her office invariably appeals judges’ rulings in favor of defendants despite clear evidence of likely innocence and misconduct by police and prosecutors.
She even continues to deny that Davontae Sanford, 14 when he was convicted of four 2007 drug house murders, is innocent. He was exonerated and released in 2016 on grounds citing the false testimony of multiple Detroit police officers, and a confession to the crime by admitted hit man Vincent Smothers.
Darrell Ewing and Derrico Searcy were convicted in 2010 of the 2009 first-degree premeditated murder of J.B. Watson, and attempted murder of another man. They have fought since then on all fronts for their freedom. They reached out to others across Detroit also facing wrongful convictions, including a protest on Randolph outside Kym Worthy’s office June 6, 2021, attended by hundreds who packed the streets. It was co-sponsored by Thelonious Searcy, exonerated in 2022, who is still fighting Worthy’s appeals of Judge Thomas Hathaway’s dismissal WITH PREJUDICE of his murder conviction, which led to his immediate release. A second Court of Appeals panel refused to recognize Hathaway’s authority as the trial judge to dismiss Searcy’s charges with prejudice.
Ewing is continuing the mass outreach with a “strategy and mobilization” gathering after the court hearing, to be held at the St. Regis Hotel, endorsed by multiple prominent leaders and organizations.
Ewing’s defense attorney Bradley Hall, from the Michigan State University Public Defenders’ Clinic, has filed a hard-hitting brief for the COA hearing, excerpts of which are included at left. A link to a full copy of the brief is at the end of the story.
The brief unabashedly excoriates the Prosecutor’s office for a “fifteen-year pattern of withholding exculpatory evidence, depriving Mr. Ewing and Mr. Searcy of due process,” guaranteed by both the Michigan and U.S. Constitutions. It says that dismissal of the charges without prejudice was a legitimate remedy, and well within the judge’s discretion.
Atty. Blase Kearney is representing Derrico Searcy. Hall references parts of Kearney’s brief in his COA brief for Ewing.
The Assistant Prosecutor on the appeal is Daniel Hebel, who is also assigned to the case of Ricky Rimmer, among others. In its coverage of Rimmer’s case, VOD exposed Hebel’s affiliation with The Student Statesmanship Institute, a right wing, Christian nationalist organization. Its motto is “Inspiring Teens To Find Their Ultimate Identity In Christ And Their Highest Calling As His Ambassador.”
Christian Right | Political Research Associates reports, “The Student Statesmanship Institute (SSI) in Lansing, Michigan . . .has, since the mid-1990s, staged multi-track, weeklong summer trainings for conservative Christian high school and homeschooled young people in the basics of legislation, the judiciary, business, media, and election campaigns. The institute touts itself as “Michigan’s Premier Biblical Worldview & Leadership Training Program for high school students” and claims to train 300 students during its annual summer programs. The program is substantially underwritten by the philanthropies of the family of U.S. Secretary of Education Betsy DeVos.”
VOD has contacted the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office to ask them if other SSI graduates are among the WCPO’s staff of assistant prosecutors. In the past period, higher courts have reversed the findings of many Third Circuit Court trial Judges, in some cases repeatedly, after judges ignored and/or misinterpreted the higher courts’ findings.
The reversals focus particularly on issues relating to the use of PEOPLE v. CRESS (2003) | FindLaw. Higher courts have found that Cress cannot be applied to deny relief under MCR 6.508(d)(2), which says in part, ‘The court may waive the provisions of this rule if it concludes that there is a significant possibility that the defendant is innocent of the crime. For motions filed under both (G)(1) and (G)(2), the court shall enter an appropriate order disposing of the motion.” Michigan Court Rules Chap 6. Criminal Procedure
RELATED:
DARRELL EWING BRIEF ON APPEAL/ATTY. BRADLEY HALL http://voiceofdetroit.net/wp-content/uploads/Darrell-Ewing-COA-brief-on-appeal-BH.pdf
30 CASES REMANDED BY HIGHER COURTS, IGNORED BY TRIAL JUDGES http://voiceofdetroit.net/wp-content/uploads/30-CASES-REMANDED-BY-APPELLATE-COURTS-1.pdf
VOD has published dozens of stories on the cases above. For a complete listing, enter names of Darrell Ewing, Derrico Searcy, Thelonious Searcy, Davontae Sanford in the search engine at top right of page for links.
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