New Yorkers Challenging Wrongful Convictions
From left to right: Assemblyman Clyde Vanel, Sen. Myrie Zellnor, Sharonne Salaam, and Raymond Santana introducing a criminal justice package in New York on Dec. 14, 2021 in Central Park. (Image: Elijah Craig/Innocence Project
Call 518-888-7946 to tell the Governor’s Counsel Office to urge Gov. Hochul to sign the Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act into law.
New York has the third-highest number of wrongful convictions in the nation. Currently, the law makes it effectively impossible for innocent people who pleaded guilty and do not have the benefit of DNA evidence, to challenge their convictions in court. This prevents countless people with credible innocence claims from getting relief in court.
The Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act (A.2878-A/S.7548), would fix the law to enable an authentic legal pathway to exoneration. This bill would:
- Allow people without the benefit of DNA evidence in their cases to get back into court to prove their innocence.
- Provide a right to post-conviction discovery.
- Establish a right to counsel for those with wrongful conviction claims.
Use the form above to tell the Governor’s counsel to urge Gov. Hochul to sign this critical bill into law to help all wrongfully convicted New Yorkers prove their innocence.
The Innocence Project is part of a coalition that includes VOCAL-NY, New York County Defender Services, and other legal organizations supporting The Challenging Wrongful Convictions Act.