James Alexander

In 2019, James Alexander stared in an IBM commercial recognizing his commitment to helping the homeless in Sonoma County. The commercial had wide distribution across the country. Five short years earlier, James had been honored as an Unsung Hero of Compassion by His Holiness the Dalai Lama at the Ritz Carlton in San Francisco. Just three years before the Unsung Hero award, James was being released from a California state prison after serving 28 continuous years. He had been convicted of an accidental murder while serving in the United States Marine Corps. Arnold Schwarzenegger, while Governor of California, had refused to release James after three decisions recommending his release by the California Board of Parole Hearings. In 2011, the California Court of Appeals found that Schwarzenegger had abused his discretion as governor in denying the release of James. The Court ordered James immediate release from prison. How James went from prisoner to playing himself in a national commercial and being honored as an Unsung Hero of Compassion is quite the story. James lays it all out in his new book, Courage in the Face of Cruelty.