New Hampshire Must Pass Senate Bill 141 to Identify and Reveal Wrongful Convictions

Call Governor Ayotte 978-705-9087 and urge her to support Senate Bill 141 and allow it to become law.

The ability to file a motion for a new trial is a critical post-conviction mechanism that helps identify wrongful convictions. Unfortunately in New Hampshire, there is a strict three-year deadline to file a motion for a new trial.

This restriction means that even if Granite Staters have newly discovered evidence of innocence, they are outright denied an opportunity to file a petition to be heard.

Senate Bill 141 would create a narrow exception to the three-year time bar, allowing the innocent to file a motion after three years if there is newly discovered evidence, new forensic testing, or new scientific understanding in their case.

We know that many exonerees have had to wait years before new evidence was uncovered in their cases or new forensic testing or scientific understanding was available. There should never be a hard deadline when it comes to filing a motion to prove innocence.

Thanks to your support, the New Hampshire legislature overwhelmingly passed SB 141 but the bill still needs the Governor’s support.

Take action: Urge Gov. Ayotte to allow SB 141 to become law.

This campaign is in partnership with the New England Innocence Project.