U.S. Attorney Ronald Machen Jr.’s Office in Washington, D.C. recently founded the first federal unit in the nation to review and investigate wrongful conviction cases. The Conviction Integrity Unit was established after federal prosecutors in Washington examined evidence in five wrongful conviction cases from the 1980s that were eventually overturned. The Washington unit will identify and review cases in which defendants can offer new evidence, such as DNA testing, that may prove their innocence.
“This new unit will work to uncover historical injustices and to make sure that we are doing everything in our power to prevent such tragedies in the future,” said U.S. Attorney Machen Jr.
Although the Washington Conviction Integrity Unit is unprecedented for U.S. Attorney’s Offices nationwide, numerous prosecutors in various states have created similar conviction integrity units to address claims of wrongful conviction. For example, the Santa Clara County District Attorney’s Office and Brooklyn District Attorney’s Office have established units in recent years that have overturned over 15 wrongful conviction cases.
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Read about other conviction integrity units here.