Ronald Cotton wrote, with Jennifer Thompson-Cannino, the New York Times bestselling memoir, Picking Cotton. The co-authors share an unlikely friendship, as he was wrongly convicted and later exonerated for allegedly raping and burglarizing Thompson-Cannino. Cotton spent more than 10 years in prison before his persistent proclaiming of his innocence and the development of sophisticated DNA tests led to his freedom. Together, they have successfully lobbied state legislators to change compensation laws for the wrongly convicted. Ronald lives in North Carolina, and speaks frequently at colleges, universities and other groups about issues of witness identification and judicial reform, and the power of forgiveness.