Indiana Lawyer Examines Innocence in Indiana

This week's Indiana Lawyer has two excellent articles looking at DNA evidence and cases of wrongful conviction in Indiana. The first is a profile of exoneree Larry Mayes:

“I just couldn’t believe they’d put someone innocent away like they did,” Mayes said, reflecting on his wrongful conviction. “I’d heard people talk about this, but I never would have believed it until I experienced it for my own self. But it does happen, and it’s been a long, hard road.”

The second details the work done by the Innocence Project and the IU-Indy Defense Clinic in taking cases of potentially innocent defendants:

It’s an ongoing saga unfolding nationwide, and the numbers continue to increase. Before 2008, Indiana had five exonerations. Now, six have been freed, and other defendants who’ve maintained their innocence from the start are attempting to obtain their own exonerations.

...“It’s awful to have someone in prison you believe is innocent,” said Fran Watson, an attorney and Indiana University School of Law – Indianapolis professor who leads a criminal defense clinic that handles wrongful-conviction cases. “It’s not just enough to be innocent; you have to show the violation. As long as it takes, you’re particularly glad when justice gets done, finally."

DNA testing continues to improve, becoming more accessible to more defendants. However, it still isn't cheap and you can only test DNA in cases where such evidence exists. Of the 129 death row exonerations, DNA was a significant factor in only 16 of the cases.

In fact, today is the final day of a fundraising effort by the Innocence Project to acquire testing for their defendants. If you're so inclined, head to their website and make a donation to push them over their goal.