Help Protect Innocent Minnesotans from Lying Jailhouse Informants

Michael Hansen was wrongfully convicted of murdering his infant daughter in Alexandria, Minnesota and served six years in prison before he was exonerated. Michael was convicted in part due to the testimony of a jailhouse informant who claimed that he made incriminating statements while they were in jail together. The jailhouse informant avoided prison by pleading guilty to a greatly reduced charge and having another charge against him dismissed after agreeing to testify for the prosecution, securing his own freedom based on a lie that sent Michael to prison for a crime he didn’t commit. 

Minnesota lawmakers should take action to pass and enact safeguards to prevent false jailhouse informant testimony from leading to wrongful convictions, so that what happened to Michael doesn’t happen to anyone else. 

We need your help to get this important measure passed! Use the form above to contact state Sen. Warren Limmer’s office and request that they support the Jailhouse Informant Tracking policy in the House budget proposal, to protect against wrongful convictions in Minnesota.

This campaign is in partnership with the Great North Innocence Project.