Post-Conviction Innocence Claim Identification, Review and Resolution

The purpose of the Wrongful Conviction Review Program is to provide high quality and efficient representation for potentially wrongfully convicted defendants in post-conviction claims of innocence. This program is funded under the Full-Year Continuing Appropriations Act,Pub. L. No. 112-10, div. B, secs. 1101-1104; Pub. L. No. 111-117, 123 Stat. 3034, 3134. Post-conviction innocence claims are likely to include complex challenges to the reliability or accuracy of evidence presented at trial which fall mainly into three categories: eyewitness identification evidence; confession evidence; and forensic evidence. The goals of this initiative are to: provide quality representation to those who may have been wrongfully convicted; alleviate burdens placed on the criminal justice system through costly and prolonged post-conviction litigation; and identify, whenever possible, the actual perpetrator of the crime.

The North Carolina Center on Actual Innocence will use the grant award to expedite its case review process and to successfully litigate cases through hiring a case coordinator, a full-time staff attorney, and contracting with an investigator. The new staff will increase the ability to efficiently screen out invalid claims, allowing the grantee to better focus on advancing and litigating valid claims. Funding may enable the grantee to identify and exonerate a significantly higher number of those wrongfully convicted by providing high quality and efficient representation in post-conviction claims of innocence.

CA/NCF