Conviction Integrity and Expungement Unit: Innocence Assessed

The Washtenaw County Prosecutor Conviction Integrity and Expungement Unit (CIEU) is in Michigan’s sixth largest county. The goal of the CIEU is to: investigate claims of actual innocence to determine whether new, credible, material evidence not previously addressed by any court, supports the claim; and provide screenings for expungement cases and partner with community organizations to facilitate expungement support. The CIEU has a backlog of over 35 claims and regularly receives new applications. To accomplish this goal, the CIEU will hire a full-time assistant prosecutor to supervise and train part-time interns to free up the Director to work closely with investigators on prioritizing leads, focus on case review and development, identify laboratories, and oversee the testing process. The CIEU will continue to coordinate with the state Attorney General’s Office on the review of promising cases of actual innocence, work together with investigators to locate evidence, and arrange for testing of biological evidence in a timely manner without court involvement.