There is no shortage of inmates that will tell you that they are innocent of the crime that put them behind bars. Many of them have sought appeal after appeal, but to no avail, they do not get justice. But the latest stats that have been released reveal an alarming discovery that might change the minds of those who do not believe them.
A registry of wrongful convictions has been assembled through a joint project between the University of Michigan Law School and Northwestern University Law School that have reviewed cases that span several decades and include “male, female, black, Latino and Caucasian suspects,” according to the Grio. And as you might have guessed:
“…50 percent of false convictions are of African-Americans. Most of the convictions came from falsified crime scenes, eyewitness mistakes and misconduct by authorities, including both police officers and prosecutors.”
Amazing, right? You’re really surprised….if you’ve been living under a rock. The National Registry of Exoneration shows over 2000 wrongful convictions. The site’s updated list goes back as far as 1989 for all known exonerations in the United States.
Read more details here on horrific cases of wrongful conviction. One case was so absurd that one man served 24 years and was found to be innocent of the crime, but told that as long as he didn’t seek compensation, they would drop all charges.
-J.C. Brooks
May 23rd, 2012 at 8:47 am
Incredible… shaking my head.