More than 26 years after he was sentenced to three life sentences in connection with three murders he did not commit, a Detroit man was ordered to be freed in December. While the man says he is grateful and holds no anger toward anyone, his case shows how false...
Study finds police, prosecutor misconduct in more than half of wrongful convictions
Law enforcement and judicial misconduct are not myths. There is ample evidence that some members of the criminal justice system ignore basic rules and, in some cases, make a concerted effort to present a false narrative. The latest proof comes from a troubling study...
How an important wrongful conviction unit could be expanded
The Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit’s purpose is clear: to review potential wrongful convictions and rectify any mistakes. As the county prosecutor’s office points out, this approach should be the expected standard. So far, the results have been encouraging....
Innocent man is free after exoneration in Wayne County
Eddie Khalil is finally free after serving seven and a half years for a murder he did not commit. The murder happened on September 15, 2011, at an apartment building co-owned by Khalil. Someone shot a 51-year-old man while he allegedly tried to steal scrap metal....
Federal judge allows lawsuit to proceed against Detroit police
There is perhaps no worse act a member of law enforcement can commit than to fabricate evidence during a criminal case. When fake evidence is used, and innocent people are locked behind bars, the individuals responsible should be held accountable for their actions. A...
3 common causes of wrongful convictions
You may have heard the saying that the law isn't perfect or that wrongful convictions are inevitable in a system where justice usually gets served. But there is no excuse for imprisoning people on faulty evidence. If you or a loved one was wrongfully convicted, you...
Real-Life Wrongful Conviction Podcast
Great new podcast about real-life wrongful convictions in Detroit by Detroit News reporter George Hunter!
Wrongfully convicted man released after 17 years
Many individuals, including several Michigan residents, have been wrongfully convicted on the basis of eyewitness identification evidence. This was the case for a 42-year-old New Orleans man who was released on June 27 after serving 17 years for an armed robbery he...
Woman wrongly convicted for child abuse shares her story
The first woman in Michigan to be exonerated and released following a wrongful conviction has told her story at the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School's Auburn Hills campus. In 2003, she was going through the process to adopt her infant nephew when she took...
Michigan’s exoneration fund running low on money
A bill introduced into Michigan's state legislature would provide an additional $10 million for the state's compensation fund for wrongfully convicted prisoners. The fund is at risk of running out of money, despite the fact that more wrongful convictions continue to...