Tag Archives: Robert F. McDonnell

Lawmakers Need to Heed the Lessons of Wrongful Conviction

Last week Virginia’s Governor and the state’s Attorney General scrambled to find a legal way to release Jonathan Montogmery from prison after his accuser admitted the sexual assault—for which he had served four years—never happened. The Washington Post railed against “balky officials in Richmond who will not move off the dime to free him” in a published opinion (here). However, the editorial also properly identified the “root problem”: Virginia’s 21-day rule.

In states across the country existing laws indicate an unacceptable lack of awareness or concern over the lessons of wrongful conviction. Continue reading