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Understanding the Causes

The extraordinary number — not to mention the stories themselves — of exonerations throughout the United States has proven that our criminal justice system has systemic flaws and that reform is needed to help prevent future wrongful convictions. Read more about the primary causes of wrongful convictions and remedies here:

The Causes of Wrongful Conviction (The Innocence Network Website)

Causes and Remedies (The Innocence Network Website)

2006

Exoneration Cedric Willis
Innocence Project New Orleans client
Conviction: Capital Murder, Armed Robbery
Years Served: 12

2007

MIP Established Mississippi Innocence Project Established at University of Mississippi School of Law

2008

Exoneration Levon Brooks
Innocence Project New York client
Charge: Capital Murder
Years Served: 18
Exoneration Kennedy Brewer
Innocence Project New York client
Charge: Capital Murder
Years Served: 13
Legislation Mississippi DNA Task Force Formed
Exoneration Arthur Johnson
Innocence Project New Orleans client
Charge: Rape
Years Served: 16

2009

Legislation DNA Preservation and Post-Conviction Testing Signed into Law
Legislation Compensation Statute Provides Funds to Wrongfully Convicted

2010

Exoneration Kevin Norwood
Charge: Armed Carjacking
Years Served: 15
Exoneration Philip Bivens
Innocence Project New Orleans client
Charge: Capital Murder
Years Served: 30
Legislation Requiring Board Licensing for pathologists performing State Funded Aubottomsies
Exoneration Larry Ruffin (Posthumously)
Innocence Project New Orleans client
Charge: Capital Murder
Years Served: 30
Exoneration Bobby Ray Dixon
Innocence Project New Orleans client
Charge: Capital Murder
Years Served: 30

2011

Legislation Establishing non-partisan, diverse panel tasked with appointing state medical examiner and creating advisory panel to aid medical examiner office issues
Legislation Eye-witness ID training

2012

2013

Legislation Helped to defeat HB 788

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