Wrongful Convictions: New Solution to an Old Problem Jessie Russell Journalism Advisor: Professor Rachel Somerstein Fall 2018

Wrongful Convictions What are they? Examples? Who are exonerees? What are the data?

2018 1989 Exonerations by year and type of crime. Retrieved from: https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/ExonerationConvictionYearCrimeType.aspx

2,310 exonerations in the United States since 1989 20,442 total years lost 8.8 years lost on average per case Exonerations in the United States. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exonerations-in-the-United-States-Map.aspx

Exonerations per state Amount of Exonerations Across the United States 271​ 238 202 353 Exonerations per state Exonerations By State. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exonerations-in-the-United-States-Map.aspx 1 353

Crime Type for the country 894 murder cases 321 sexual assault cases 263 child sex abuse cases 265 drug cases 119 robbery cases 448 other cases Exonerations in United States. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exonerations-in-the-United-States-Map.aspx

United States​ 2316 total exonerations​ ​ Perjury: 58% or 1,333 cases​ Official Misconduct: 52% or 1201 cases​ False or Misleading Forensic Evidence: 24% or 550 cases​ False Confession: 12% or 286 cases​ Mistaken Witness ID: 29% or 669 cases​ Percent of Exonerations by Contributing Factor. (n.d.) Retrieved from: https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/ExonerationsContribFactorsByCrime.aspx

2,099 cases male 211 cases female Exonerations By State. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exonerations-in-the-United-States-Map.aspx

271 exonerations in New York since 1989 2,592 years lost 9.6 years lost average/case Exonerations By State. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exonerations-in-the-United-States-Map.aspx

Central Park Five

Central Park Five April 19, 1989 Five young teenagers convicted for the rape and assault of Trisha Meili. Salaam claimed the interrogators deprived him and the other teens of food, drink and sleep for over 24 hours. Inconsistencies within the confessions and no physical evidence tying them to the crime scene.

Antron McCray 12.3 years lost 8/15/1990 12/19/2002

Raymond Santana Jr. 12.3 years lost 8/15/1990 12/19/2002

Kevin Richardson 12 years lost 12/11/1990 12/19/2002

Yusef Salaam 12.3 years lost 8/15/1990 12/19/2002

Korey Wise 12 years lost 12/11/1990 12/19/2002

Murder 119 cases Sexual Assault 35 cases Child Sex Abuse 19 cases Drugs 11 cases Robbery 21 cases Other 66 cases Exonerations By State.. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exonerations-in-the-United-States-Map.aspx

255 cases male 16 cases female Exonerations in United States. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exonerations-in-the-United-States-Map.aspx

Percent of Crime Pertaining to Sexual Assault in country Of the 321 sexual assault cases across the country: 67% 216 cases 42% 134 cases 38% 122 cases 30% 96 cases 8% 26 cases Percent of Exonerations by Contributing Factor. (n.d.) Retrieved from:https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/ExonerationsContribFactorsByCrime.aspx

Race and wrongful conviction

Race in New York Black 141 cases 52% White 72 cases 27% Hispanic 19% Other 6 cases 2% Exonerations in United States. (n.d.) Retrieved from https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exonerations-in-the-United-States-Map.aspx

Race in Country White 897 cases 39% Black 1,078 cases 47% Hispanic 12% Other 55 cases 2% Percent of Exonerations by Contributing Factor. (n.d.) Retrieved from: https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/ExonerationsContribFactorsByCrime.aspx

What is being done to prevent wrongful convictions? Commission on prosecutorial misconduct Knowledge Racial bias

So what? What are the stakes? Is this commission going to prevent wrongful convictions? What is to be learned?

Sources Shoutout to Katherine Judson, Scott McNamara, James Acker, the Central Park Five and especially Professor Somerstein! Armstrong, K., & Possley, M. (2009, August 18). Part 1: The verdict: Dishonor. Retrieved from https://www.chicagotribune.com/news/watchdog/chi-020103trial1-story.html Flynn, M. (2018, November 30). Mystery writers group rescinds award from sex crimes prosecutor over her role in Central Park Five rape case. Retrieved from https://www.washingtonpost.com/nation/2018/11/30/mystery-writers-group-rescinds-award-sex-crimes- prosecutor-over-her-role-central-park-five-rape-case/?utm_term=.7e75c3af1964 Joy, P. A. (2006). The Relationship Between Prosecutorial Misconduct and Wrongful Convictions: Shaping Remedies for a Broken System. SSRN Electronic Journal, 06(11), 05th ser. Mueller, B., Weiser, B., & Greenberg, Z. (2018, July 20). City Releases Trove of Documents in Central Park Jogger Case. Retrieved from https://www.nytimes.com/2018/07/20/nyregion/documents-from-the-central-park-jogger-case-are-released.html National Registry of Exonerations Data. (n.d.). Retrieved from https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/about.aspx