Wrongfully Convicted Denied Answers Regarding NYPD’s Policies for Recording Interrogations and Eyewitness Identification
09.23.16 By Nick Lurie-Moroni
Derrick Hamilton at NYC City Hall (Sept. 23, 2016)
Numerous wrongfully convicted New Yorkers attended a press conference and New York City Council committee hearing today to hear firsthand from the NYPD whether it is requiring the recording of interrogations in entirety and eyewitness identification best practices. The NYPD was invited to a joint hearing of the Committees on Public Safety, Courts and Legal Services, but did not attend.
It remains unclear as to whether the department has mandatory policies to protect against false confession and recording of interrogations, top contributors to wrongful conviction in New York State and New York City. During the press conference prior to the hearing, numerous wrongfully convicted men and their families shared stories of the nightmare they endured with wrongful conviction. Their stories were moving, as were their impassioned calls for the NYPD to implement reforms so that no additional New Yorkers have to experience wrongful conviction. Unfortunately, their calls for more information regarding the status of these reforms went unanswered.
Sharonne Salaam, mother of Central Park 5’s Yusef Salaam, speaks out at NYC City Hall. “The only way to correct it is to record interrogations,” she said. Photo by MatteDesign.
Shabaka Shakur speaks on the horror of his wrongful conviction and considers himself one of several “victims” of disgraced detective Louis Scarcella. Photo by MatteDesign.
No more wrongful convictions sign. Photo by MatteDesign.
“I don’t want to come to another one of these things — wrongful conviction must stop today,” exoneree Marty Tankleff said. Photo by MatteDesign.
Johnny Hincapie was freed in Oct. 2015 for a murder he did not commit after 25 years in prison. Photo by MatteDesign.
Innocence Project Co-Founder and Co-Director Barry Scheck pushes NYC City Council to record interrogations and reform eyewitness ID reform. Photo by Matte Design.
Alan Newton was exonerated after 21 year in prison. Photo by MatteDesign.
Leave a Reply
Thank you for visiting us. You can learn more about how we consider cases here. Please avoid sharing any personal information in the comments below and join us in making this a hate-speech free and safe space for everyone.
October 15, 2016 at 2:18 pm
All major governments and many minor governments are 100% corrupt, totalitarian, police-states. It is the very nature of government. There will continue to be heinous oppression, impoverishment, and murdering of humanity by a handful of rich powerful individuals and the induvuduals that they own,, as long as these and all governments exist. Helping these individuals is heaven sent, that have been unjustly oppressed, incarcerated, etc. By this ‘justice’ system. A justice system that is by design corrupt, authoritarian/totalitarian, and exists for the sole purpose to keep all wealth, power, resources, etc. in the hands of a few wealthy miscreants. Trying to help humanity in this scenario is like putting a bandaid on an amputated limb. It only takes 3-5% of people of a population of people to effect violent total revolution. History has proven that a determined few can and have defeated even the most powerful enemy. Unless you are ebgaged in active guerilla warfare agsinst the governmebt that you live under, you are merely pissing into the wind. I realize that many people that you have helped ‘improve’ their lives by getting them out of prison and into a more ‘general-population-of-totalitarianism’, feel ‘better’ about their lot, but the problem as to why their plight originated still exists. Perhaps ‘both’ endeavors can be pursued simultaneously?