Bennie Starks, who served more than 20 years in jail for a crime he didn’t commit, emphasized that students should seek truth during a campus performance Wednesday.

Starks was wrongfully convicted 27 years ago, and after serving 20 years in jail was released on bond in 2006. Students had the chance to hear Starks speak in the Francis X. Riley Courtroom 230 inside Swen Parson Hall about his conviction and life. He stressed that truth is very important, and seeking truth is more important than seeking conviction.

Starks was proven innocent in 2001 through DNA evidence, but remained in prison until 2006. He came upon The Innocence Project through “60 Minutes.” The project helped free Starks with DNA evidence.

“I wrote to a lot of people … Operation PUSH, the NAACP, the Urban League. None of those people even responded,” Starks said.

Kelli Childress, Kane County public defender, was present during the speech.

“Hearing Bennie is really eye-opening to the tragic failure of the system,” Childress said. “Seeing him smile and laugh is sort of bittersweet because you know that he’s free from conviction, but you also know he shouldn’t have been there in the first place.”

Law student Ashley Hinkle thought it was good these kinds of speeches were put on.

“It’s good to offer more perspective and to give both sides of the trial. I think it’s very important to do that,” Hinkle said.

Starks is seeking compensation from the court system now for wrongly incarcerating him.