Friday Roundup: Misconduct, Compensation and the Death Penalty
01.21.11
The U.S. Department of Justice
will create an entity
that will determine how to discipline career officials who commit prosecutorial misconduct.
Innocence Project client Steven Barnes will be highlighted in next week’s audio documentary “
We Were All Incarcerated
” which details his wrongful conviction and ultimate exoneration.
Even when the wrongfully convicted in California are proven innocent,
many are denied compensation
.
A Texas man
accused of murdering his wife
was freed this week when it was revealed the woman committed suicide. Illinois governor Pat Quinn
wants to hear from constituents
before deciding whether or not to approve a bill abolishing the death penalty.
A federal judge today
sentenced former Chicago Police Commander Jon Burge
to 4.5 years in prison for perjury relating to his role in the torture of suspects during his 23 years on the force. Several people who were convicted based on confessions coerced under Burge’s watch have since been cleared.
Paul Hildwin, a Florida death row prisoner, is
seeking to have DNA evidence in his case compared to state and federal databases
for possible evidence of a different perpetrator. The Innocence Project has consulted on Hildwin’s case for seven years.
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.