Florida Innocence Commission Hopeful for Reform

The commission that Florida’s Supreme Court created in 2010 to study the causes of wrongful convictions and recommend reforms held its final meeting earlier this week. The commission will submit its recommendations in a final report to the Supreme Court next week.

The Florida Innocence Commission, comprised of prosecutors, defense attorneys, law enforcement and other professionals in the criminal justice community, have expressed concerns about funding for criminal justice reform. The Orlando Sentinel reports:

“If we are serious about reducing wrongful convictions, underfunding is the single, greatest threat,” said Alex Acosta, panel member and dean of Florida International University’s College of Law.

 

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“We often talk about the cost of justice,” Perry said. “We ought to think about the cost of injustice.”

The panel has already introduced eyewitness identification reforms to improve live and photo lineups, and has voted to ask the Florida Legislature for increased funding for public defenders. To date, there have been 13 DNA exonerations in Florida.

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National View: A Map of States with Innocence Commissions in the U.S.