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Baltimore City Wrongful Conviction Review Program

Award Information

Award #
2017-FA-BX-0001
Funding Category
Competitive Discretionary
Location
Congressional District
Status
Closed
Funding First Awarded
2017
Total funding (to date)
$219,366

Description of original award (Fiscal Year 2017, $219,366)

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 FY17 (BJA - Wrongful Conviction Review) Pub. L. No. 115-31, 131 Stat 135, 203. 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 Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project will use its FY17 Wrongful Conviction award to partner with the University of Baltimore Innocence Project Clinic and the Office of the State’s Attorney for Baltimore City to create the Wrongful Conviction Review Program. CA/NCF

Date Created: September 6, 2017