Jarvis Masters, 2021
Courtesy of freejarvis.org
SAN FRANCISCO and WASHINGTON, Jan. 23, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Jarvis Jay Masters filed a brief with the United States Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals on January 22, 2026 to appeal a District Court’s denial of his habeas corpus petition, arguing that violations of Masters’ constitutional rights denied him a fair trial and his freedom, and is a significant step in efforts to prove his innocence and secure exoneration for his wrongful conviction.
“This appeal before the Ninth Circuit renews hope that my decades-long journey to freedom may finally come to an end,” said Masters. “An estimated 28 innocent people in California are currently sentenced to death and countless others incarcerated are for crimes they did not commit. My plight represents that of so many others, and I am determined to prove my innocence while raising awareness of the flaws and inequities in the criminal justice system.”
“We are pleased to see that the Ninth Circuit Court has accepted Jarvis’ appeal. Our legal team remains determined and confident in the case we have built to grant Jarvis the freedom he has long deserved,” stated Michael F. Williams, a partner at Kirkland & Ellis, a highly regarded international law firm handling the case pro bono.
The 63-year-old Buddhist and renowned author spent more than half of his life on death row at San Quentin State Prison and was recently transferred to California Men’s Colony, a California correctional facility in San Luis Obispo County, where he remains condemned to die for a crime he did not commit.
Masters was first sentenced to prison in 1981 for armed robbery, for which he has since served his full sentence. In 1990, Masters was wrongfully convicted of fashioning the weapon used in the 1985 murder of Sergeant Howell Burchfield, a prison guard at San Quentin where Masters was incarcerated for the earlier robbery.
Masters’ trial, one of the longest in California history, was plagued by prosecutorial misconduct, questionable evidence, and false testimony. These errors are outlined in his Ninth Circuit habeas brief, as well as previous September 2022, August 2022, and November 2020 filings, but the key pieces of exculpatory evidence in his case include the following:
- Masters bore no resemblance to the eyewitness description of the man who was seen fashioning the weapon, but a man who confessed to Masters’ role in the crime did.
- The other two men convicted in the case confirmed Masters was not a participant.
- The prosecution’s two key witnesses both recanted their testimony.
- During Masters’ initial appeal in 2011, a special referee appointed by the California Supreme Court dismissed these recantations, arguing that the witnesses lacked credibility. Ironically, these witnesses were deemed credible enough to testify at his initial trial, where Masters was sentenced to death, but not enough to subsequently help exonerate him.
Masters’ appeal presents substantial evidence that Masters’ original trial was plagued by significant violations of his constitutional rights that led to his wrongful conviction. The appeal is based on long-standing legal precedent and focuses on three pieces of established case law, including:
- California’s presentation of false evidence regarding Evans’ relationship with a law enforcement officer and the benefits Evans received in exchange for his testimony against Masters. The California Supreme Court concluded that the false testimony was immaterial under Napue v. Illinois based on the same analysis of materiality that it employed for Brady, which violates Masters’ constitutional rights and is an unreasonable application of Napue.
- California’s failure to disclose evidence to Masters under Brady v. Maryland following Evans’ false testimony. The California Supreme Court acknowledged that the State withheld impeachment evidence against Evans, but the Court still concluded that the withheld evidence was not material, which violates Masters’ constitutional rights and is an unreasonable application of Brady, and;
- The exclusion of two critical confessions violated Due Process under Chambers v. Mississippi, which states that excluding significant exculpatory evidence because it’s hearsay violates Masters’ right to Due Process.
Despite these violations of Masters’ constitutional rights and the injustices he has faced as an innocent man on death row, Masters has used the decades he has spent incarcerated to serve others. He is a part of the spiritual advisory council of the Human Kindness Foundation, has presented at the Black and Buddhist Summit, and recently consulted for the Compassion Prison Project. He has also published several books based on his experience, including That Bird Has My Wings: The Autobiography of an Innocent Man on Death Row, a September 2022 Oprah’s Book Club pick, and Finding Freedom: How Death Row Broke & Opened My Heart.
“I want to thank everyone who has advocated for me during this journey and spoken up on my behalf. You have all given me the strength and energy to continue pursuing justice, and I am incredibly grateful to have you at my side every step of the way,” Masters said.
Kirkland & Ellis is providing pro bono legal representation to Masters, while H/Advisors Abernathy is providing pro bono strategic communications support.
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/87cde3a2-d10f-4a74-92a3-1db6e1f17a26
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