Ohio Innocence Project:Forensic Review 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 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 University of Cincinnati will use its FY17 Wrongful Conviction award to partner with the Ohio Innocence Project to conduct an extensive audit of forensic cases worked at the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation. CA/NCF