Wrongful convictions in Michigan occur much more frequently than you read in the news or hear from friends and coworkers.
Since 1989, dedicated legal professionals have won over 3,474 exonerations for wrongly convicted Americans. An attorney can also help pursuefinancial compensation for pain and suffering, lost income, and other losses you experienced due to wrongful conviction.
The Top Five Types of Evidence Responsible for Most Wrongful Convictions
What type of evidence is responsible for most wrongful convictions? Here are the top five.
False Accusation or Perjury
False accusations involve an individual knowingly making untrue statements or providing false information to law enforcement or the court. Perjury refers to lying under oath during legal proceedings and is a crime. Examples of false accusations or perjury include:
- Claiming to witness a crime but fabricating testimony
- Covering up assets or income in a divorce or child custody case
- Lying about their whereabouts and giving a fake alibi
Official Misconduct
Official misconduct involves unethical or illegal actions by law enforcement officials, prosecutors, or court officers. When the individuals responsible for upholding justice act unlawfully, the result can be wrongful conviction and imprisonment. Examples of official misconduct include:
- Withholding exculpatory evidence that could exonerate a suspect
- Manipulating or planting evidence to frame an individual or compromise the investigation
- Coercing a confession using psychological or physical force
Mistaken Witness Identification
Eyewitness identification has inherent flaws as reliable evidence in court proceedings. Some false witness identifications are not made knowingly but can occur because of stress, faulty memory, and the natural course of aging. However, some instances of false identification are due to:
- Suggestive identification procedures by law enforcement to “point” the witness toward a specific individual
- Racial bias toward racial or ethnic groups different from the witness’s
- Confirmation bias from investigators who purposefully or inadvertently communicate subtle cues to the witness
False or Misleading Forensic Evidence
Many wrongful convictions stem from false or misleading forensic evidence, such as DNA testing, hair samples, and fingerprints. Forensic evidence inaccurately presented or analyzed can lead to erroneous conclusions that may contribute to wrongful convictions. For example:
- Misinterpreted blood spatter patterns can lead investigators to form an incorrect narrative about the crime and implicate the wrong suspect
- Faulty ballistics analysis that misidentifies bullet casings or recovered bullets from a specific firearm
- Compromised or degraded DNA evidence that could result in a false identification or a lack of DNA evidence from the scene that would exonerate an individual
False Confession
Police interrogations that involve coercion, duress, or psychological pressure can lead to false confessions. A false confession occurs when an individual admits to a crime they did not commit and is often the result of:
- Investigators who do not stop questioning even when the suspect asks for legal counsel
- Officers who withhold water, food, rest, or bathroom breaks to make the suspect physically uncomfortable
- A language barrier or a cognitive impairment
Contact a Wrongful Conviction Attorney for Help
The Mueller Law Firm helps wrongfully convicted individuals pursue compensation for the pain and suffering of imprisonment for crimes they did not commit. Call us for yourself or a loved one who was wrongly convicted. Although we cannot restore the precious time lost, personal injury lawsuits can reveal unscrupulous individuals and agencies and shine a light on miscarriages of justice. Call us today at 248-489-9653 for a free consultation.
