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Wrongful Conviction

Changing the "Convict at All Costs" Culture of Prosecutor's Offices

John Terzano | Posted 11.24.2009 | Politics

Read More: Wrongful Conviction, Prosecutorial Accountability, The Justice Project, California, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Politics News
John Terzano

All too often, prosecutors' offices fall prey to a culture of conviction-seeking at all costs. Prosecutors who become singularly focused on conviction rates neglect their duty to protect the innocent.

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Fernando Bermudez Free; Spent 17 Years In Jail For Murder He Didn't Commit

AP | JENNIFER PELTZ | Posted 11.20.2009 | New York

Read More: Wrongful Conviction, Fernando Bermudez Innocent, Fernando Bermudez Free, Wrongfully Convicted, Ossining, Sing Sing, Fernando Bermudez, New York News

NEW YORK — A prison system official says a New York City man is free after spending nearly two decades behind bars for murder before a judge dec...

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Governor Candidate Ryan Says Sorry For Wrongfully Putting Two Men On Death Row

Chicago Sun-Times | DAVE McKINNEY AND ABDON M. PALLASCH | Posted 11.12.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Jim Ryan Apology, Illinois Wrongful Convictions, Jim Ryan Nicarico, Jeanine Nicarico, Wrongful Conviction, Alex Hernandez, Death Penalty, Brian Dugan, Illinois Death Penalty, Jim Ryan, Rolando Cruz, Video, Chicago News

GOP gubernatorial candidate Jim Ryan issued his first outright apology Thursday for wrongfully putting two men on Death Row instead of prosecuting the...

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Prosecutors Claim Northwestern Journalism Student Paid Witness

AP | KAREN HAWKINS | Posted 11.10.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Anthony McKinney, Evan Benn, Tony Drakes, David Protess, Medill School of Journalism, Wrongful Conviction, Northwestern University, Medill Innocence Project, Anita Alvarez, Chicago News

CHICAGO — Prosecutors claimed in court Tuesday that Northwestern University journalism students paid two witnesses in order to make their case t...

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Prosecutors Still Won't Explain Why They're Subpoenaing Northwestern Journalism Students' Grades

AP | KAREN HAWKINS | Posted 11.09.2009 | Chicago

Read More: David Protess, Medill School of Journalism, Medill Innocence Project, Medill Cook County Subpoenas, Anita Alvarez, Anthony McKinney, Northwestern University, Wrongful Conviction, Chicago News

CHICAGO — A Northwestern University professor and journalism students who spent three years investigating the case of a man convicted in the 197...

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Prosecutors Must be Held Accountable for Misconduct

John Terzano | Posted 11.05.2009 | Politics

Read More: Supreme Court, Wrongful Conviction, The Justice Project, Prosecutorial-Accountability, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Politics News
John Terzano

Despite the great power of prosecutors, few are held accountable for violations of their ethical obligations.

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Dean Cage: Man Wrongly Convicted Of Rape Spent Over A Decade In Jail

CNN | Posted 10.26.2009 | Politics

Read More: Convicted Rapist Innocence Project, Dean Cage Innocence Project, Jewel Mitchell, Dean Cage Wrongful Conviction, Wrongful Conviction, Dean Cage, Innocence Project, Politics News

For Jewel Mitchell, it was the worst Christmas of her life, the pain so raw she secluded herself in her bedroom to shield her two young daughters. ...

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Death from Cluelessness: State Killing Machines and the Penalty of Indifference

Jeff Schweitzer | Posted 10.21.2009 | Politics

Read More: Wrongful Conviction, Supreme Court, Rick Perry, Death Penalty, Cameron Todd Willingham, Texas-Executions, Death Row, Execution, Crime Rates, Lethal Injection, Dna Evidence, Death Row Acquittals, David Spence, Ruben Cantu, Politics News
Jeff Schweitzer

Carl Sagan famously said that extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. The claim that killing prisoners acts as a deterrent or keeps police safe is indeed extraordinary.

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Prosecutor Defends Going After Northwestern Students' Notes, Class Material

Chicago Tribune | Daarel Burnette II | Posted 10.20.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Wrongful Conviction, Anthony McKinney, Dan Kirk, Journalism, David Protess, Medill Cook County Subpoenas, Press Freedom, Northwestern University, Medill Innocence Project, Anita Alvarez, Chicago News

Cook County State's Attorney Anita Alvarez defended subpoenaing Northwestern University journalism students' notes and recordings of witness interview...

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Prosecutors Subpoena Notes, Grade Information Of Northwestern Journalism Students

Chicago Tribune | Jeff Long | Posted 10.19.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Anthony McKinney, David Protess, Wrongful Conviction, Medill Cook County Subpoenas, Press Freedom, Northwestern University, Medill Innocence Project, Journalism, Chicago News

After spending three years investigating the conviction of a Harvey man accused of killing a security guard with a shotgun blast in 1978, journalism s...

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Tim Cole Panel Begins Study Texas Wrongful Convictions

John Terzano | Posted 10.13.2009 | Politics

Read More: Wrongful Conviction, Texas, The Justice Project, Timothy Cole, Criminal Justice Reform, Rick Perry, Politics News
John Terzano

Of the more than 40 people exonerated by DNA in Texas, one of the most heartbreaking cases is that of Timothy Cole, whose exoneration came too late. In 1999, he died in prison of asthma.

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Barney Brown: His First Year of Freedom

John Maki | Posted 11.24.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Exoneration, Juvenile Justice, Rainbow Coalition, Barney Brown, Innocence Project, Center on Wrongful Convictions of Youth, Double Jeopardy, Wrongful Conviction, Florida, Northwestern University, Criminal Justice, Chicago News
John Maki

On September 24, Barney Brown celebrates his first year of freedom after 38 years of wrongful incarceration. His story is one of the most egregious wrongful convictions in U.S. history.

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Study of Georgia's Wrongfully Convicted Highlights Powerful Need for Reform

John Terzano | Posted 11.22.2009 | Politics

Read More: Wrongful Conviction, The Justice Project, Georgia, Eyewitness-Errors, Criminal Justice System, Politics News
John Terzano

For twenty innocent Georgians, eight years is the average length of time each spent behind bars for a crime they did not commit.

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Blinded by Tunnel Vision: What the Execution of Cameron Todd Willingham Can Teach Us About Wrongful Convictions

John Maki | Posted 11.09.2009 | Chicago

Read More: Juan Rivera, Cameron Todd Willingham, Wrongful Conviction, Death Penalty, Center on Wrongful Convictions, Exonerations, Innocence Project, Chicago News
John Maki

Even when there is compelling evidence of actual innocence, it can be almost impossible to shake a mistaken but firmly held belief in a convicted person's guilt.

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Trial and Error: Houston, We've Got a Problem

Lynne Glasner | Posted 11.09.2009 | Politics

Read More: Exoneration, Trisha Meili, Texas-Executions, Jeffrey-Deskovic, Criminal Justice System, Crime, Manhattan District Attorney, Richard Aborn, Wrongful Conviction, Death Penalty, Central-Park-Jogger, Politics News
Lynne Glasner

As Morgenthau steps down as DA, one of the three primary contestants stands out. Richard Aborn has a track record of working for reform.

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Doubt and the Death Penalty

Cyrus Vance | Posted 09.27.2009 | Politics

Read More: Conviction Integrity Unit, Beyond Reasonable Doubt, Cameron Todd Willingham, Manhattan District Attorney, Criminal Court, Willingham, Wrongful Conviction, Death Penalty, Repeat Offenders, Arson, Justice, Politics News
Cyrus Vance

Victims of crime deserve justice. Those who commit crimes must be held accountable for their actions. But just as we prosecute, we also must safeguard the rights of the innocent.

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The Costs of Wrongful Convictions Continue to Rise

John Terzano | Posted 09.25.2009 | Politics

Read More: Wrongful Conviction, The Justice Project, California, Lousiana, Policy Review, Prosecutorial Misconduct, Politics News
John Terzano

Wrongful convictions occur due to a system that is prone to error. In addition to incarcerating a person for a crime they didn't commit, wrongful convictions impose a financial burden on taxpayers.

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Sonnier's Release Highlights Continuing Problem

John Terzano | Posted 09.11.2009 | Politics

Read More: National Academy of Sciences, Dna Testing, Texas, Wrongful Conviction, The Justice Project, Forensic Science, Criminal-Justice-Reform, Crime, Politics News
John Terzano

Ernest Sonnier's release is just the latest case that highlights the ongoing problem of wrongful convictions in Texas. And writ large, it is a reminder of the continuing struggle we face to fix our nation's broken criminal justice system.

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Wrongfully Convicted Man Found Innocent After 12 Years In Prison For Murder

New York Daily News | Scott Shifrel | Posted 09.03.2009 | New York

Read More: Murder, Wrongful Conviction, Murder Conviction Overturned, Bedford Stuyvesant, Joseph Foster, Jonathan Wheeler-Whichard, New York News

A Brooklyn man who spent 12 years in prison for murder is innocent, a judge ruled Friday in a powerfully worded decision. Jonathan Wheeler-Whichard, ...

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Texas Case Highlights Problems in Forensics Lab

John Terzano | Posted 07.25.2009 | Politics

Read More: National Academy of Sciences, Wrongful Conviction, Texas, The Justice Project, Forensic Science, Policy Review, Criminal Justice Reform, Politics News
John Terzano

Forensic science is not flawless, and its use in the criminal justice system is in great need of reform.

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Examining the Fairness and Accuracy of the Penal System

John Terzano | Posted 05.03.2009 | Politics

Read More: Dna, Wrongful Conviction, The Justice Project, Legislation, Jim Webb, Senator Webb, Politics News
John Terzano

For the government to reshape our criminal process from "top-to-bottom," as Senator Webb's legislation calls for, it is crucial this commission examines the causes and costs of wrongful convictions.

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Wrongful Convictions Are Still Possible in New Mexico

John Terzano | Posted 04.29.2009 | Politics

Read More: Wrongful Conviction, The Justice Project, Death Penalty, New Mexico, Bill Richardson, Politics News
John Terzano

I applaud Governor Bill Richardson for his commitment to the fair administration of justice and hope that he continues to ensure that life and liberty are both protected in New Mexico.

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New Report Analyzes Texas Wrongful Convictions Exposed by DNA

John Terzano | Posted 04.27.2009 | Politics

Read More: Texas, Exoneration, Wrongful Conviction, The Justice Project, Dna, Politics News
John Terzano

An analysis of all wrongful convictions in Texas reveals distinct patterns in the types of mistakes that lead to convicting the innocent.

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The Scott Sisters: Two Life Sentences for 11 Dollars?

Anthony Papa | Posted 03.28.2009 | Politics

Read More: Political News, Wrongful Conviction, Racism, Injustice, The Supreme Court, Crime, Gladys and Jamie Scott, Scott Sisters, Mississippi, Theft, Armed Robbery, Politics News
Anthony Papa

How do you wind up in prison serving two life terms for a robbery that netted 11 dollars? That question has haunted first time offenders Gladys and Jamie Scott for the past 15 years.

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The Price of Justice: Time to Invest in Criminal Justice Reforms

Ginny Sloan | Posted 03.08.2009 | Politics

Read More: Exoneration, Wrongful Conviction, Criminal Justice, Dna, Ginny Sloan, Jon Gould, Lawyers, Criminal Justice System, Prisoners, Legislation, Politics News
Ginny Sloan

It is easy -- but wrong -- to say that we can save money by slashing government funding for lawyers for defendants who cannot afford to hire their own.

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