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:
