Michigan Innocence Clinic's "Shaken Baby Syndrome Project"

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 FY16 (BJA - Wrongful Conviction Review) Pub. L. No.114-113, 129 Stat 2242, 2307. 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 Regents of the University of Michigan, along with the Innocence Clinic at the University of Michigan Law School, will use the grant award to exonerate people wrongfully convicted based on allegations of Shaken Baby Syndrome. Funds will support a part-time attorney who has Shaken Baby Syndrome expertise, as well as secure consultations and retention of experts in order to properly evaluate and litigate Shaken Baby Syndrome cases.

CA/NCF