- Maine law makers consider expanding timeframe for inmates to bring innocence petitions with new evidence beyond current one-year limit; prosecutors oppose.
- New study suggests that when indigent defendants get to choose their public defender, the system works better
- A new bill under consideration in Montana would require prosecutors to tell defendants that they plan to use an incentivized witness and the terms of the deal made in exchange for testimony. It also would allow defense counsel to request a pre-trial hearing where a judge can weigh the credibility of the testimony and if there is enough other evidence to corroborate the witness’ story. The judge could then choose to bar the testimony as inadmissible or issue a jury instruction, similar to how courts currently review the credibility of some scientific witnesses before a trial starts.
- Dallas’ exonerees mission to free the wrongfully convicted is the focus of a new film
Blog Editor
Mark Godsey
Daniel P. & Judith L. Carmichael Professor of Law, University of Cincinnati College of Law; Director, Center for the Global Study of Wrongful Conviction; Director, Rosenthal Institute for Justice/Ohio Innocence ProjectOrder Here
Contributing Editors
Justin Brooks
Professor, California Western School of Law; Director, California Innocence ProjectOrder his book Wrongful Convictions Cases & Materials 2d ed. hereCheah Wui Ling
Assistant Professor, Faculty of Law, National University of SingaporeDaniel Ehighalua
Nigerian BarristerJessica S. Henry
Associate Professor of Justice Studies, Montclair UniversityCarey D. Hoffman
Director of Digital Communications, Ohio Innocence Project@OIPCommunicati1Shiyuan Huang
Associate Professor, Shandong University Law School; Visiting Scholar, University of Cincinnati College of LawC Ronald Huff
Professor of Criminology, Law & Society and Sociology, University of California-IrvinePhil Locke
Science and Technology Advisor, Ohio Innocence Project and Duke Law Wrongful Convictions ClinicDr. Carole McCartney
Reader in Law, Faculty of Business and Law, Northumbria UniversityNancy Petro
Author and Advocate Order her book False Justice hereKana Sasakura
Professor, Faculty of Law, Konan University Innocence Project JapanDr. Robert Schehr
Professor, Department of Criminology & Criminal Justice, Northern Arizona University; Executive Director, Arizona Innocence ProjectUlf Stridbeck
Professor of Law, Faculty of Law, University of Oslo, NorwayMartin Yant
Author and Private Investigator Order his book Presumed Guilty here
Is it common pratice(s) for a lawyer (paid or court-appointed) to fail to…
Mention who made the allegation?
File for a speedy trial?
Question witnesses, including my main witness?
Collect evidence, especially when whereabouts was known?
Subpoena my main witness? (He told me clearly he had.)
Request a continuance when he knew his client was under the influence of a sleep aid? (Why didn’t the court request a continuance whe informed?)
Why would the court dismiss an appeal without counsel being notified or present at the hearing?