Arizona Case Expansion Program

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 Arizona Board of Regents at the University of Arizona, with its Wrongful Conviction Clinic at the University of Arizona College of Law, will use the grant award to expand its reach to work with clients who were wrongfully convicted in non-DNA cases. The award will hire a full-time attorney to review and litigate non-DNA innocence claims and increase the litigation fund for expert services.

CA/NCF