Does the Innocence Project use DNA?

The Innocence Project represents clients seeking post-conviction DNA testing to prove their innocence. We also consult on a number of cases on appeal in which the defendant is represented by primary counsel and we provide information and background on DNA testing litigation.

Is there an Innocence Project in Washington State?

The Washington Innocence Project Clinic, formerly Innocence Project Northwest (IPNW), the only resource of its kind in Washington state, works to free innocent prisoners, remedy causes of wrongful conviction and offer law students an outstanding education.

How often do DNA tests prove innocence?

In almost half of the cases that the Innocence Project takes on, the clients’ guilt is reconfirmed by DNA testing. Of all the cases taken on by the Innocence Project, about 43% of clients were proven innocent, 42% were confirmed guilty, and evidence was inconclusive and not probative in 15% of cases.

What organizations help the wrongfully convicted?

Other Wrongful Conviction Websites

• THE INNOCENCE PROJECT. The Innocence Project was founded in 1992 by Barry C.
• TRUTH IN JUSTICE.
• NORTHWESTERN CENTER ON WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS.
• CENTURION MINISTRIES.
• NATIONAL LEGAL AID.
• THE CHAMPION-NACDL.
• CENTER FOR SOCIAL JUSTICE (CSJ)
• THE PRISON LEGAL NEWS.

How can DNA prove innocence?

The idea was simple: if DNA technology could prove people guilty of crimes, it could also prove that people who had been wrongfully convicted were innocent. Research shows that 99.9% of human DNA is identical, but that . 1% can be used in forensic labs to differentiate one individual from another.

Can DNA fingerprinting be used to re investigate old cases?

Recent advancements in DNA technology have improved law enforcement’s ability to use DNA to solve old cases. Original forensic applications of DNA analysis were developed using a technology called restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP).

In what ways has Washington worked to prevent wrongful convictions?

Our efforts to improve criminal justice in Washington and support exonerees has led to important reforms and new laws for better eyewitness identification procedures, preservation of crime scene evidence, and access to post-conviction DNA testing.

What kinds of cases does the Innocence Project work on?

The Innocence Project ONLY considers cases that are:

• Postconviction—the trial and direct appeal are over and final.
• There is physical evidence that, if subjected to DNA testing, will prove that the defendant is actually innocent.
• The defendant must have been convicted of a crime.

How do you prove wrongful conviction?

How Do I Get a Certificate of Innocence?

1. An appeals court vacated or reversed the conviction, and the indictment was dismissed.
2. A new trial was ordered on appeal and you were found not guilty, or the prosecution did not retry the case.

How many false convictions are there a year?

Over 2400 people have been exonerated in the United States since 1989. When it comes to the number of wrongful convictions, the US is the undisputed leader, which is quite worrying. Wrongful convictions statistics for 2018 show there were 151 exonerations that year. Another 143 individuals were exonerated in 2019.