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Previously, James worked with the Innocence Project of Florida to help innocent prisoners in Florida obtain their freedom through the use of DNA testing and to help rebuild their lives once released. One such case was that of Wilton Dedge, who after serving 22 years of a life sentence, was the first man in Florida exonerated through DNA evidence. Following Mr. Dedge's release, James worked with former American Bar Association President and Former President of Florida State University, Talbot "Sandy" D'Alemberte, to help lobby the Florida legislature in 2005 on a claims bill that eventually awarded Mr. Dedge a total of $2.2 million, the largest settlement regarding a wrongful conviction in Florida history. The story of Wilton Dedge was featured in the documentary "After Innocence" that was shown at the 2005 Sundance Film Festival.
James is active in both local and state politics. He was recently elected in late 2008 as state committeeman for the Escambia County Democratic Executive Committee (Escambia DEC) for the 2008-2012term. As a state committeeman, James is a member of the State Executive Committee of the Florida Democratic Party. At the state party's organizational meeting on December 20, 2008, he was elected as Chairman of the First Congressional District Committee covering Escambia, Santa Rosa, Okaloosa, Walton, Washington and Holmes counties. In that role, he will sit now sits on the Central Committee, the governing body of the state Democratic Party. James has recently been appointed by President-elect Jesse Diner of the Florida Bar to its Committee on the Legal Needs of Children for the 2009-2011 term. The scope and function of the Legal Needs of Children committee is to find ways to implement procedures designed to help assist children who appear in our courtrooms, whether as victims, witnesses or defendants. The committee monitors and influences the Legislative process where such needs are concerned. The committee also studies developments in this specialized area of practice of the law and keep the members of the Florida Bar informed of significant developments in this practice area.
He is a member of the American Bar Association, the Florida Bar and the Escambia-Santa Rosa Bar Association.
