Recording Interrogations is a Public Safety Imperative
By John F. Terzano
Last month, Frank Sterling was exonerated by DNA evidence after being incarcerated 18 years for a crime he did not commit. Sterling was…
Read More »Crime Labs Need Independence and Robust Oversight to Ensure Justice
By John F. Terzano
San Francisco’s top public defender, Jeff Adachi, recently called for the city’s crime lab to become independent of the police department. This announcement…
Read More »Jailhouse Snitches Sabotage Justice with Unreliable Evidence
By John F. Terzano
Earlier this month, Orleans Parish District Judge Lynda Van Davis granted a new trial for Michael Anderson, who was convicted of murder and sentenced…
Read More »Another Exoneration Demonstrates the Need for Criminal Justice Reform
By John F. Terzano
After seventeen years, Gregory Taylor was finally freed on February 17th when the three judge panel of the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission…
Read More »Cole Pardon a Stark Reminder of the Need to Fix Eyewitness Procedures
By Edwin Colfax
On March 1 Texas Governor Rick Perry officially pardoned Timothy Cole, who was wrongfully convicted over two decades ago. Tragically, the DNA tests that…
Read More »Meaningful Oversight is Necessary for Reliable Forensic Science
By John F. Terzano
Concerns about the validity of forensic evidence have come to the fore in recent years following a series of wrongful convictions and…
Read More »Failing to Punish Prosecutorial Misconduct Only Invites More
By John F. Terzano
On the last day of 2009, federal district court judge Ricardo Urbina dismissed homicide charges against five former Blackwater security guards involved…
Read More »Prosecutors Must Seek Justice, Not Merely Convictions
By John F. Terzano
As advocates of justice, prosecutors play a unique and powerful role in our justice system. Yet too often, prosecutors fall prey to…
Read More »Another Case of Mistaken Eyewitness Identification
Forest Shomberg walked free from a Wisconsin prison last month after serving six years for a crime he did not commit. Thanks to…
Read More »Mistakes Continue to Highlight the Need for Forensic Science Oversight
By John F. Terzano
Shoddy forensic science has led to a major setback in a murder investigation that could close the door on efforts to bring…
Read More »Changing the “Convict at All Costs” Culture of Prosecutor’s Offices
By John F. Terzano
All too often, prosecutors’ offices fall prey to a culture of conviction-seeking at all costs. Prosecutors who become singularly focused on conviction…
Read More »Prosecutors Must be Held Accountable for Misconduct
By John F. Terzano
Charged with dual roles as advocates and ministers of justice, prosecutors are the most powerful actors in our criminal justice system. They…
Read More »Tim Cole Panel Begins Study Texas Wrongful Convictions
By John F. Terzano
Texas has had more than its share of tragic wrongful convictions. Of the more than 40 people exonerated by DNA in Texas,…
Read More »Two More Exonerations Stress the Need for Credible Evidence
By John F. Terzano
Two more innocent men have been freed from death row. Just last week, Yancy Douglas and Paris Powell became the 137th and 138th…
Read More »Texas Cannot Wait for Good Science in the Courtroom
By John F. Terzano
Last week, Texas Governor Rick Perry removed three members from the Texas Forensic Science Commission. The changes come at a critical juncture…
Read More »Study of Georgia’s Wrongfully Convicted Highlights Powerful Need for Reform
By John F. Terzano
Twenty innocent men spent almost 170 years in prison in Georgia for crimes they did not commit. What does eight years mean…
Read More »The Costs of Wrongful Convictions Continue to Rise
By John F. Terzano
Last week, the San Jose Mercury News reported that Jeffrey Rodriguez, a man from San Jose who spent five years in prison for…
Read More »Sonnier’s Release Highlights Continuing Problem
By John F. Terzano
Another innocent man is free in Texas. Ernest Sonnier was released from custody on Friday after DNA testing implicated two different men in…
Read More »When Will Prosecutors Begin to be Held Accountable for Their Misconduct?
By John F. Terzano
One of the most troubling trends that foster prosecutorial misconduct is the failure of state bar and disciplinary agencies to take action…
Read More »False Confessions: What would it take to make you confess?
By John F. Terzano
Why would anyone confess to a crime they did not commit? What would it take to get you to confess to a…
Read More »
