Friday Roundup: Independence and Freedom

Leading into Independence Day weekend, Linda Cronin-Gross

writes at the Huffington Post

about Stephen Kiernan’s book “Authentic Patriotism,” and the work of individuals and organizations working to make American better. We were honored to be included in Kiernan’s book – he wrote about his experience with the Innocence Project

on our blog

when the book was released last month.

An editorial in today’s Detroit Free Press says Michigan is

risking wrongful convictions

by failing to improve its public defense system: “It’s time to fix Michigan’s unconstitutional, costly and morally indefensible system of injustice,” the editorial reads. We wrote about bad defense and wrongful convictions

yesterday

.

A groundbreaking package of criminal justice reforms

went into effect in Ohio on Tuesday

. The measures, passed by the legislature

this spring

, will help free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions and apprehend true perpetrators of crime. New York exoneree Anthony Capozzi

settled a lawsuit against the state

for $4.25 million for the two decades he spent in prison after he was wrongfully convicted of raping two women in 1987.  He was exonerated in 2007.

Florida’s new Actual Innocence Commission is

taking shape

, as Innocence Project of Florida Executive Director Seth Miller

writes on the group’s blog

.

Two crime labs that Georgia had slated to close

will stay open

to ensure that investigations are unhindered, the Associated Press reported today.