Wrongful Conviction

By Clayton T. Robertson (Criminal Defense, Civil Litigation & Civil Rights Attorney)

For those of you who have already been convicted, or who fear a impending injustice prejudicing a friend or loved one, the following list includes some of the many grounds that typically provide the basis for a wrongful conviction. (These are not listed in order of frequency.)

- Police or Prosecutorial Misconduct

- False Confessions

- Eyewitness Misidentification

- Ineffective Assistance of Counsel (Inadequate Defense)

- Unreliable Informant Testimony

- Invalidated, False, or Misused Forensic Science

- Perjurious Testimony

- Jailhouse Informants

- Inadequate Police Investigation

- Unavailable Science at Time of Conviction (e.g., DNA)

If you are interested in discussing your post-conviction case, please consult an experienced attorney. For other resources, you may contact the Innocence Project at https://innocenceproject.org/. The California Innocence Project may be found here: https://californiainnocenceproject.org/submit-a-case/resources/.

The University of Michigan's "The National Registry of Exonerations" can be located here:

http://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/Exonerations-in-the-United-States-Map.aspx