Causes of Wrongful Conviction

The truth matters.

Sometimes a procedurally fair trial can result in an innocent person’s conviction. Mistaken eyewitness identification and false confessions can lead to wrongful convictions. Prosecutors can fail to turn over evidence, or defense attorneys don’t provide effective counsel. In many cases, racism and implicit bias play a significant role in the wrongful conviction of innocent people of color.

Every case of wrongful conviction is a case of the true perpetrator escaping justice—and potentially going on to commit more crimes. Only when we know the truth about whether a person is innocent or guilty, can justice be realized.

Mistaken Eyewitness Identification

Witness memories from stressful or traumatic situations are not always reliable, and identifications can be influenced by lineups or photo arrays in which the suspect unfairly stands out, and by suggestion—intentional or unintentional—from police or prosecutors. In addition, witnesses often struggle to identify strangers of a different race.

16

of exonerations in Washington state involve mistaken witness identification

28

of exonerations nationally involve mistaken witness identification

57

of DNA exoneration cases nationally involve mistaken witness identification

Alan Northrop

Alan Northrop is innocent, but he was sentenced to 23 years in prison when he was thought to resemble a police composite sketch of a perpetrator, and was then identified by a witness in a series of suggestive live and photo identification procedures.

Read Alan's Story

False Confessions

People confess to crimes they didn’t commit for a range of reasons, including deception, coercion, threat of harsh sentences, exhaustion, or fear of violence by law enforcement.

23

of exonerations in Washington state involve false confessions

12

of exonerations nationally involve false confessions

24

of DNA exoneration cases nationally involve false confessions

Ted Bradford

Ted Bradford is innocent, but he was arrested in connection with a sexual assault when two neighbors said they had seen a car similar to Ted’s near the scene of the crime. After nearly nine hours of interrogation, believing—based on statements by his interrogators—that there was evidence from the crime scene that could be tested to exonerate him, Ted gave a statement that he “probably” committed the crime. His statement had numerous inconsistencies with the evidence, and he recanted shortly after. However, Ted was charged, convicted, and sentenced to ten years in prison based on his false statement.

Read Ted's Story

Police and Prosecutor Misconduct

Fraud, negligence, or misconduct by prosecutors or police is common among DNA exoneration cases. Police may deliberately use suggestion in identification procedures, coerce false confessions, or lie about observations. Prosecutors may withhold or mishandle evidence, allow untruthful witnesses to testify, or rely on fraudulent forensic experts.

39

of exonerations in Washington state involve police or prosecutor misconduct

54

of exonerations nationally involve police or prosecutor misconduct

51

of DNA exoneration cases nationally involve police or prosecutor misconduct

Larry Davis and Alan Northrop

Larry Davis and Alan Northrop are innocent, but they were convicted of sexual assault following a series of highly suggestive eyewitness identification procedures. The victim misidentified Larry and Alan, who were the only suspects to repeat in each of the lineups. Additionally, a friend of the victim who worked at the police station provided her with details about Alan and Larry right before the lineups occurred. Despite a lack of physical evidence connecting Alan and Larry to the crime, law enforcement chose to ignore other leads and focused their suspicion exclusively on them.

Read Their Story

Unreliable Evidence

Questionable forensic evidence plays a significant role in at least half of overturned convictions. Evidence lacking scientific reliability or validity can be admitted. Evidence can be deliberately or accidentally handled at the crime scene, contaminated or mislabeled in the lab, and misrepresented in the report.

12

of exonerations in Washington state involve unreliable evidence

23

of exonerations nationally involve unreliable evidence

26

of DNA exoneration cases nationally involve unreliable evidence

Heidi Goodwin

Heidi Goodwin is innocent, but she served 10 years in prison for a crime she did not commit. Due to unreliable evidence, Heidi was convicted in 2003 of shaking a toddler hard enough to cause brain damage. Doctors later concluded it’s impossible to determine whether the injuries were sustained while in Heidi’s care, primarily based on the medical community’s changed understanding of shaken-baby syndrome.

Perjured Informant Testimony

Witnesses can provide information or testimony in exchange for personal benefits, such as leniency or dropped charges in their own criminal cases, money, or special privileges—creating a strong incentive to lie.

61

of exonerations in Washington state involve perjured informant testimony

58

of exonerations nationally involve perjured informant testimony

15

of DNA exoneration cases nationally involve perjured informant testimony (jailhouse snitch only; not including other “incentivized” witnesses)

Donovan Allen

Donovan Allen is innocent, but he was sentenced to life without the possibility of parole for the murder of his mother. After more than 14 hours of interrogation, Donovan began to wonder out loud whether he “probably” had blacked out and killed his mother given that law enforcement was so certain that he had committed the crime. Despite the fact that no evidence connected Donovan to the crime, he was charged with aggravated first-degree murder and went to trial in February 2002. A number of individuals gave perjured testimony against Donovan that seemed to corroborate his false confession, in exchange for benefits or leniency in their own criminal cases.

Read Donovan's Story

Ineffective Defense Counsel

Overworked defense attorneys can fail to properly do their jobs, including neglecting to investigate, call witnesses, or prepare for trial. These failures occur at both the trial level and on appeal.

Paul Statler, Robert Larson, and Tyler Gassman

Paul Statler, Robert Larson, and Tyler Gassman are innocent but, in 2009, were sentenced to 42, 27, and 21 years respectively, based on statements by one of the actual perpetrators implicating them in an armed robbery. In 2012, following Washington Innocence Project investigations, Superior Court Judge Michael Price vacated Paul, Tyler, and Robert’s convictions, and ordered a new trial. The judge criticized the police investigation and the trial defense attorneys for failing to assemble the phone and work records that showed their innocence.

Read Their Story

Racism and Implicit Bias

Criminal victims, witnesses, police officers, prosecutors, judges, and even public defenders can have unconscious biases based on ingrained racial stereotypes. These stereotypes go back to our country’s history of slavery and are reinforced today in media and popular culture. Whether intentional or not, people’s biases affect their perceptions, memories, and actions. Ultimately, this perpetuates significant disparities in criminal justice.

Black people are more likely to be wrongfully convicted than any other racial or ethnic group.

According to figures from the National Registry of Exonerations, Black people make up 13 percent of the U.S. population, but approximately 47 percent of national exonerations. Black people are:

7

more likely than white people to be wrongfully convicted of murder

3.5

more likely to be wrongfully convicted of sexual assault

12

more likely to be wrongfully convicted of drug crimes

Black people are more likely to be wrongfully convicted of murder when the victim was white.

Only about 15 percent of people killed by Black people were white, but 31 percent of Black exonerees were wrongfully convicted of killing white people. Black people convicted of murder are 50 percent more likely to be innocent than white people convicted of murder.

Black exonerees wait longer for justice.

Black exonerees spend more time in prison than white exonerees before they’re cleared and released (10.7 years vs. 7.4 years for white people).

Race is a major factor in mistaken witness identification.

Called the “cross-race effect,” scientific research has shown that it is more difficult for witnesses to correctly identify someone of a different race or ethnicity. Mistaken witness identification was a factor in 72 percent of all wrongful convictions identified through DNA. Among those cases, at least 42 percent involved a witness and suspect of different races.

James Anderson

James Anderson is innocent, but he was sentenced to 17 1/2 years in prison for an armed robbery in Tacoma, even though he was in California at the time. He had been extradited from California to Pierce County in order to face charges on a different robbery. When he was able to prove he was in California on the date of that crime, prosecutors charged him with a different robbery on a different date. James was convicted solely based on identification by two men, who received dramatically reduced sentence recommendations on other robberies in return for their testimony against James.

Read James's Story

Innocent People Suffer a Terrible Burden

Even if they are freed, wrongfully convicted people suffer lasting physical and psychological harm from their imprisonment. They lose their everyday lives and are separated from their families and communities. And, society loses the human potential of innocent people.

Support Exonorees

Interested in Learning More About Wrongful Convictions?

Check out our resource list or visit the National Registry of Exonerations.

Resource List