ALBANY -- New York State is taking steps to deal with people wrongfully convicted of a crime.
On Wednesday, Attorney General Eric Schneiderman announced the establishment of a Conviction Review Bureau, a first-of-its-kind statewide initiative, designed to address issues related to wrongful convictions. Schneiderman says the bureau will "work to ensure that New York's justice system maximizes its ability to convict the real perpetrators of crimes, while preventing innocent people from being penalized for crimes they did not commit." "There is only one person who wins when the wrong person is convicted of a crime: the real perpetrator, who remains free to commit more crimes," Schneiderman said. "For victims, their families, and any of us who could suffer the nightmare of being wrongly accused, it is imperative that we do everything possible to maximize accuracy, justice, and reliability in our justice system."
Schneiderman's office plans to work with District Attorneys across the state to address compelling claims of innocence. The Conviction Review Board will review potential wrongful conviction cases, conduct a top-to-bottom review of the investigatory and prosecutorial procedures used by the Attorney Generals office. It will also meet to resolve unjust conviction torts filed against the state.
Onondaga County District Attorney William Fitzpatrick supports the new bureau. "As prosecutors, we should always be vigilant of preventing wrongful convictions. That starts with establishing and implementing practices and procedures to ensure the right person is arrested and tried. It also requires careful examination of legitimate claims of innocence that warrant review after conviction."
Barry Scheck, Co-Director of the Innocence Project, sees it as a step in the right direction. "We applaud Attorney General Schneiderman for taking on the problem of wrongful convictions in New York. As we've learned through DNA exonerations, wrongful convictions give you an opportunity to see where the system failed and how it can be made more just."
Do you think the new bureau will help prevent innocent people who are convicted of a crime? What more can police, prosecutors and the state do to prevent this from happening? Leave your thoughts below.
