After spending 18 years in prison – 12 years on death row –Anthony Graves is now not only a free man, but the newest board member for Houston’s crime lab.

Convicted for helping Robert Earl Carter in the 1992 killings of six people, Graves was released from Bursleson County Jail in 2010 after Carter said in a sworn statement that his naming of Graves as an accomplice was a lie.

(Charles Sebesta, the prosecutor on Graves’ case, was disbarred this month after the State Bar’s disciplinary panel committed “professional misconduct” in the handling of the case.)

Graves said he considers himself an advocate for justice and is excited about being appointed to the board.

“I’m excited about the honor, and I’m excited about the opportunity [Houston Mayor Annise Parker] gave me to represents the citizens,” said Graves to the Houston Chronicle.

Graves told the Chronicle he will bring a “different perspective” to the board overseeing the Houston Forensic Science Center, which provides firearms testing and fingerprint analysis for Houston police and other agencies.

“I want the system to be fair. When the system works and we are all treated equally, that’s when we can cut down on the number of wrongful convictions and bad mistakes,” he said. “If we get the right person, we can actually be safe.”

Attorney and University of St. Thomas journalism professor Nicole Casarez, who worked on Graves’ case for eight years, was also appointed to the board.

Graves said she’s the “person who saved his life.”