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 him to the emergency room because he was not eating and was bleeding in his brain.
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 be exposed. Rep. Steve Johnson of Wayland introduced House Bill 4286 in order to provide additional funds to the account created in 2016 as part of the Wrongful Imprisonment Compensation Act.
Michigan Conviction Integrity Unit Frees Two Inmates
Over the past three decades, new scientific testing and technology have opened people's eyes to the injustice of the justice system. This is something that is plainly evident in the state of Michigan where 72 prisoners have been exonerated since 1991.
Expert witnesses can help overcome a wrongful conviction
Michigan residents who have been accused of a crime or who are the subject of an investigation soon realize the enormity and strength of the opposition forces lining up to push for a conviction. The number of investigators, the volume and scope of scientific detection resources employed, and the input from the prosecutor's office might all contribute to an extremely uneven playing field for a defendant. With this reality, it is not that uncommon for an innocent person to be convicted of a crime.
New unit in Wayne County reviewing convictions
This year, a new unit was started in the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office aimed at catching incorrect convictions.
Racial profiling is more than an inconvenience
News stories are coming out on a regular basis that show people of color being profiled just because of their race. The stories of "Barbecue Becky" and "Poolside Patty" are just two examples of the many innocent situations that have led to people calling the police on individuals based on their race.
Fighting against wrongful conviction can be challenging
Imagine going to prison for a crime you didn't commit. While many people in prison claim this happened to them, there are some cases in which the person actually didn't commit the crime and was convicted wrongfully. As you can imagine, this is a very traumatic situation to face.
Wrongfully convicted people face an uphill battle upon release
Wrongful convictions are an atrocity in our society
The disturbing truth about race and wrongful conviction
It's unfortunate to say this, but the facts and statistics don't lie: Being 'nonwhite' puts you at an increased risk of wrongful conviction by criminal courts in the United States. The problem is especially concerning for the black population.
