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News
Guilty Until Proven Innocent
A story about Californian Herman Atkins and his exoneration after serving a decade of his 47 year sentence. He was convicted in 1988 even though two witnesses gave inconsistent identifications at trial. Herman’s case is one that is featured in the documentary After Innocence (2005). Read more about the case
Shaken-baby Case will Rely on Forensics
A case out of Ohio gaining national attention is looking at reliability of testimony of experts in ‘shaken-baby syndrome’ cases and of ‘short-fall’ injuries. Read more about the case here.
Mother Cleared of Murder: 13 Years in Prison; Pathologist’s Faulty Testimony Led to Verdict
A second-degree murder charge has been withdrawn against an Ontario woman who spent more than 13 years in prison for the death of her toddler son following the faulty testimony of disgraced pathologist Charles Smith. The Crown told an Ontario justice Tuesday it does not wish to proceed with a new
Arizona Murder Mystery: Guilt of Man in 1962 Killings Thrown into Question
Part One: Conviction Questioned They were dead before their bodies hit the ground. In the moonlight, the gunman stood over the two of them and delivered one more shot for each, right in the temple. It was 1962, and the area was still pure desert, creosote bushes and scrub grass
DNA Testing Proves Gilbert Man’s Innocence in 2003 Rape
For all media inquiries please contact: Lindsay Herf • Arizona Justice Project Lindsay.Herf@asu.edu For Immediate Release December 22, 2010 DNA Testing Proves Gilbert Man’s Innocence in 2003 Rape Phoenix, AZ – DNA testing proves that Arizona Justice Project client John Watkins did not commit the 2003 Gilbert rape for which
New Film Recalls ’70 Pioneer Hotel Fire
Every December for the past 40 years, Albert Pesqueira thinks about the devastating fire at the Pioneer Hotel. He remembers what he saw and felt that night as a rookie firefighter. But this December he will bring his memories to life. Pesqueira is the creator of “Hot Pion: The Pioneer
Articles

Wrongfully Imprisoned 29 Years, Stanley Wrice Wins Second Chance
After maintaining his innocence for 29 years, an Illinois man has earned the right to a hearing on his actual innocence claim. Stanley Wrice was convicted in 1982 after falsely confessing to Chicago Police for a brutal sexual assault. Wrice’s case is set to be heard before the Illinois Supreme Court. Read more about the

Scientific Advances Cloud Past Arson Cases
A recent Pittsburgh Tribune-Review article published states that advances in arson investigation could now make past evidence outdated, and because of this, several convictions in Pennsylvania are now being challenged. Currently, questionable arson convictions are also under review in other states including Texas, Massachusetts, and here in Arizona. From the article:
Justice: Prosecute Prosecutors?
In Virginia, Bennett Barbour served countless years on a sentence for a rape conviction that was based on eyewitness testimony, the least reliable of all the forms of evidence used in courts today. The police learned that, through testing of DNA material, Mr. Barbour was excluded as being the perpetrator in this

Man Wins Supreme Court Appeal For New Trial
In a ruling by the U.S. Supreme Court, a Louisiana man has won the right to a new trial after a major Brady Rule violation in his case has come to light. Juan Smith was convicted with for an armed robbery in which only one piece of evidence was used to
Death Sentence in Delaware Overturned
A man is once again free after serving 20 years on Delaware’s Death Row. Jermaine Wright’s sentence was overturned after his attorneys proved that, even with a videotaped confession, the evidence against him was not sufficient enough to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that Mr. Wright was indeed guilty. According to an article in