Cassandra Rivera
After released from jail, Rivera stressed about locating task as a convicted intercourse offender and felon. She had her son, now inside the very early twenties, just simply just take her around city trying to find work. She got fortunate whenever supervisor of this Wash Tub, automobile clean chain in San Antonio, learned all about her situation and said he’d be proud to engage her just a couple of weeks after her launch. Another manager at The Wash Tub, and felt some mutual attraction at that job, she met Tiffany Hurtado. Ultimately, Hurtado asked her down, together with two hitched in 2016 december.
Rivera left The Wash Tub and ended up being racking your brains on her next move. Neighborhood attorney Rosie Gonzalez needed help in her workplace. She had become friendly because of the San Antonio Four after helping along with their situation and reached away to Rivera, seeking assistance distributing the phrase. Rivera decided she wished to use the part.
Rivera joined up with any office summer that is last where she helps run what the law states company and Gonzalez’s campaign. Rivera didn’t understand whom Gonzalez ended up being whenever she had been locked up, but she later learned how involved Gonzalez had become due to their situation. “She ended up being certainly one of our sounds out hereshe ended up being certainly one of our advocates,” Rivera says. “She felt a very good belief about us. in us and place the term out, 
Gonzalez raves about Rivera as an important person in notice team and praises her work ethic, smarts, resilience, and attitude that is positive. She claims having Rivera at the office really assists brings the goal of their work house and offers an unique viewpoint.
Rivera states Gonzalez is a separate attorney whom fights for just what she thinks in, making the partnership a fit that is ideal. “I like her drive and I also wish to be an integral part of that,” Rivera says. “We’re a team and we also focus on the situations together, and I’m learning the way the system works inside and outside. It’s amazing.”
She’s additionally motivated when you’re component of and learning a great deal in regards to the system that failed her, she claims. Since countless of Gonzalez’s situations include Child Protective solutions, Rivera claims she’s additionally gotten to understand the intricacies of how it operates.
Her work usually has her during the courthouse in downtown San Antonio, where she’s encounter the prosecutor from her and Ramirez’s test.
“But it creates me feel great to understand we’ve been exonerated, we’ve been completely cleared and innocent, and I’m able to head into that courthouse each day and so they note that; they know me,” Rivera says that they didn’t break. “It also makes me personally happy that my children observe how strong we am and that I’ve be one thing. We never ever thought I’d be where i will be today.”
After being accused of one thing therefore unsightly, Rivera does feel on guard sometimes around kiddies, also those who work in her household. But she attempts to perhaps maybe maybe not allow it arrive at her a lot of. Just like the other ladies, Rivera enjoys most of the speaking possibilities and distributing the message that life should be taken for n’t granted and that can be studied away from you right away. She claims she along with her friends that are young no familiarity with how to deal with their appropriate issues, plus in retrospect, managed every thing therefore wrong. Whenever speaking, especially to youth, Rivera claims it is crucial that you teach them on the rights sand how to deal with encounters with police force.
“We would like them become knowledgeable regarding the justice system; if something such as this occurred to us, it may occur to anyone,” Rivera says. “We thought we needed to cooperate completely, which we did because we’d absolutely nothing to conceal. But we didn’t have our solicitors current, and there have been therefore several things we must have done at our trial.”
She specially enjoys talking at high schools and universities, in order for young adults can hear their messages early. “We need certainly to start early and grow the seed young with it,” she says so they grow.
Rivera states she additionally frequently shares information about Facebook, such as for instance just exactly what conviction that is wrongful to individuals and just how we are able to help a lot more people prevent wrongful conviction. She additionally helps the Innocence venture up to she will and it is passionate about LGBTQ causes.
“There’s a great deal we should do,” she says. “A great deal of men and women are love, why do you wish to stay static in it? You’re virtually right right back for which you began. We remain here because we can’t overlook it. Many people would want to forget just, but we can’t forget.” Across Rivera’s forearm now read the words that are tattooed 11-23-16.”
