Category 1: Wrongful Conviction Review Entity-Led Strategy (WCR Entity-Led Strategy)

The Innocence Project New Orleans (IPNO) seeks BJA funds to support the review of possible wrongful convictions caused by the inadequate prior standards. In August 2007, the Louisiana Public Defender Act (Act 307) was passed. Act 307 was designed to provide effective legal representation through binding standards and guidelines. The deadline for implementation of Act 307 was August 15, 2011. IPNO has experience with cases of ineffective assistance of counsel, having exonerated four people in the last 3 years with such a claim. IPNO currently has 246 cases in its intake system with top A/B screening grades and an arrest date before Act 307’s implementation. Of these cases, 77% were handled by a public defender, and 80% of applicants in IPNO’s screened cases are Black. IPNOs project will review cases with an A/B grade and pre-August 15, 2011, arrest date. This screening review will select cases for further investigative review based on the likelihood of wrongful conviction based on inadequate defense representation. The screening review is designed to maximize information without triggering filing deadlines, and investigation review will be based on witness interviews, consultation with experts, and review of public records. Reviewed cases will either be closed, referred, resolved, or move forward for IPNO representation.