The Texas Tech School of Law hosted a discussion focusing on the San Antonio Four court case on Monday in the Lanier Auditorium.

The event featured a discussion panel consisting of four women who were exonerated post-conviction — Elizabeth “Liz” Ramirez, Kristie Mayhugh, Cassandra Rivera and Anna Vasquez — and their attorney, Michael Ware.

“In 1995, we were charged with aggravated sexual assault, two counts,” Vasquez said. “And, in 1997, Liz went to trial alone.”

Without the evidence or the attorney they needed to prove their innocence, the court found them guilty and the San Antonio Four began serving their individual prison sentences, Ware said.

“There was a point when you just couldn’t even believe what was happening to us. We still can’t believe what happened,” Ramirez said.

The recently exonerated women were wrongfully convicted nearly 15 years ago and have been in prison, isolated from their friends, family and children ever since, Mayhugh said.

“It’s not easy,” Mayhugh said, “being torn away from people you love.”

As the women began to wipe tears from their eyes, they said the time taken from them by this wrongful conviction did not only affect their lives but also affected the lives of their loved ones.

Two of the women, Ramirez and Rivera, have children. When they were first imprisoned, Rivera’s children were 9 and 10 years old. Ramirez said she had just given birth.

“Even if they did see their kids, it was through glass. No touching, no contact. You can’t hug them, kiss them,” Mayhugh said.

Rivera’s children are now 24 and 25 years old. She said they have a good relationship, but her life with them so far has not looked the way she expected it to.

All four women lost a substantial amount of time with those they love because they refused to accept the plea deals they were offered. Instead, they insisted that the truth of their innocence be made known, even though that did not happen for nearly 15 years, Vasquez said.

“It’s just how you get back what you lost,” Rivera said. “But we’re all a family again. Because of Mike(Ware).”

Ware, their attorney, said he discovered this case through the Innocence Project of Texas. With the hope of revealing that the women had been wrongfully convicted, he set out to prove their innocence.

Their case was based on the assertion that they had gang-raped Ramirez’s two nieces. Because all four women are homosexuals, many of the people involved in this case have suggested that their sexuality played a role in the original verdict, Ramirez said.

At the end of the discussion, Rivera said to the room full of potential lawyers that the most important trait for an attorney to have is empathy.

“Think about it,” Rivera said. “What if this was me? How would I want to be represented?”