Innocence commissions
An innocence commission is a legal commission set up by a government to review criminal convictions in a new light.
History
In 2002, the first U.S. state to develop an Innocence commission was North Carolina. The Innocence Commission was developed to rehear cases where the accused and their advocates claim wrongful conviction. The commission was founded after a series of high-profile cases of conviction were overturned. The states of Pennsylvania, California, Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Illinois have since created similar commissions.
The law is modeled after one of the United Kingdom .
Retired Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake Jr. led the panel that recommended the new process to the State.
Process
North Carolina
Via an application process, the eight-member commission selects which cases to review.
Appointment Process
North Carolina
Commission members will be appointed by the chief justice of the state Supreme Court and chief judge of the state Court of Appeals.
High-profile Overturned Cases
North Carolina
- Darryl Hunt, murder conviction, served 18 years, exonerated 2003, DNA evidence.
- Alan Gell, murder conviction, served 8 years, death row inmate, exonerated 2004, revealed prosecutors withheld key evidence.
Other solutions
- Creation of panels to review and improve legal process
External links
- Innocence Network UK
- N.C. Gov. Sets Up Innocence Commission
- North Carolina governor signs law establishing inmate innocence commission
- Easley signs innocence commission into N.C. law
- Easley Signs Innocence Inquiry Commission Bill
- Injustice victims given new chance
- Injustice network to be launched
- Pioneering conference on miscarriages of justice