40 years ago, Charles McCrory was convicted of murdering his wife based on now-debunked bite-mark evidence. The same expert who testified at trial now says the marks don't match (and may not be bite marks at all). But McCrory remains in prison:

One month out, Roberson execution date looms “If Roberson’s execution is not stayed, he will be the first person executed in the United States for a conviction obtained using the now widely debunked “Shaken Baby Syndrome” hypothesis.” www.palestineherald.com/news/one-mon...

The city of Chicago will pay out $90 million to settle almost 176 #wrongfulconviction lawsuits tied to a former police sergeant. Since the officer's arrest in 2012, the city has exonerated almost 200 people, providing certificates of innocence to almost all of them.

In the past, getting an education has been a barrier for Michigan’s incarcerated, leading to heightened chances of recidivism. Wayne State University now provides bachelor’s programs to formerly incarcerated individuals with Pell grant eligibility, removing financial barriers to upward mobility.

It's nice to see more and more #crime and #criminallegalsystem reporters here on Bluesky. Journalists play a key role in shining a spotlight on the American criminal legal system. Today, we’re sharing a list of reporters and journalists that inspire us and keep the conversation going.

Our 2024 report on the use of error-prone colorimetric #FieldDrugTests found that these tests are used in more than 773,000 arrests each year, and that 30,000 people are arrested each year based on false positives. #NationalForensicScienceWeek

Can pets transfer human DNA? Could these transfers lead to false implications, or help to identify suspects? A new paper in Science & Justice suggests the answer is YES. Our dog-loving Executive Director @tcita.bsky.social takes a look. #NationalForensicScienceWeek

A 2020 law made police disciplinary records public in New York, and @nytimes.com and @nysfocus.bsky.social have been diving into thousands of cases where officers avoided accountability despite evidence that they broke the law. The first article in a new series:

@quattronecenter.org Assistant Director Marissa Bluestine spoke to @nysfocus.bsky.social about the state's CIU and how it is handling wrongful convictions. https://penncareylaw.news/4pn15lz?

In North Carolina, almost half of people released from state prisons are re-arrested two years later. Owned by a formerly incarcerated man, a local nonprofit aims to lower those rates of recidivism, providing education, mental health, legal support, and more to those transitioning out of prison.

Did you know that we support innocence orgs and conviction integrity/review units working on post-conviction DNA cases? We help with case review, testing plans, strategy and more for free! Reach out to Adina Thompson, DNA Training and Technical Assistance Project Manager, here: bit.ly/4puqBoY

Oscar Eagle was freed in July after spending over 25 years in prison for an attempted murder he has always maintained he didn't commit. Records show police misconduct in the eyewitness ID process, and Eagle's defense attorney failed to present evidence of his alibi at trial.

Advances in forensic science are essential to a more fair and accurate criminal legal system. As we add new tools, we must also revisit the use of outdated & error-prone methods. Countless Americans are still incarcerated based on convictions rooted in faulty methods. #NationalForensicScienceWeek

🧪 It's #NationalForensicScienceWeek. We'll be sharing stories all week about the role of #forensics in creating a more fair and more just criminal legal system. Stay tuned! Source: @exonerationlist.bsky.social

Texas has scheduled Robert Roberson's execution date for October 16, despite countless forms of evidence pointing toward his innocence. In response, 20 exonerees from across the country joined @cifsjustice.org in signing an open letter, calling for the State to stand on the right side of justice.

Can alternative forms of justice be used to establish a more equitable and effective criminal legal system? Our new executive director @tcita.bsky.social shares her thoughts in our newest Q&A video. Thank you Erik for the question!

After spending 27 years in prison for a murder conviction in which he’s always maintained his innocence, Bryan Hooper is officially a free man. Last month, the Hennepin County Conviction Integrity Unit committed to exonerating Hooper after a jailhouse informant admitted to the crime.

Our new executive director, @tcita.bsky.social, explains two big ways she would transform the criminal legal system. Check part 1 here and 🧵 for part 2. Thank you Joe for the question!

New York City police officers used facial recognition software to arrest Trevis Williams for an indecent exposure charge that he did not commit. Representatives from @legalaidnyc.bsky.social suggest that his case reflects several other wrongful arrests in the city involving facial recognition.

QC Journalism Fellow @radleybalko.bsky.social memorializes Paul House, a wrongfully convicted man from Tennessee who was proven factually innocent by SCOTUS in 2006 and released in 2008. Balko's tribute provides insight into chronic illness in prison and the dire need for forensic testing oversight.

A powerful op-ed from @jeremycherson.bsky.social & David Gaspar of @bailproject.org makes it crystal clear — bail reform makes us all safer and it's a step backward to repeal these advances. The article links to several excellent recent studies of these reforms. 🔗 www.nytimes.com/2025/09/01/o...

Powerful new insight from @innocenceproject.bsky.social provides a set of recommendations to address the role of flawed death investigations in causing wrongful convictions.

The QC mourns the passing in July of James Ferguson II, a champion for civil rights and racial equality. Throughout his career, he worked to reverse several wrongful convictions, advocated for busing to support school integration, and became a partner at North Carolina's first integrated law firm.

The QC extends a warm welcome to Visiting Scholar @emilycleslie.bsky.social! An economics professor at her alma mater, BYU, Emily will spend a sabbatical year here at UPenn. She has done extensive research on pretrial detention, domestic violence, and budget fixed effects design. Welcome Emily!

About to record a new episode of Ask Amanda Anything. Questions welcome!

QC Executive Director @tcita.bsky.social breaks down the facts behind reducing cash bail for non-violent crimes. 🧵

Tyler Musier has spent nearly two decades in prison for a murder he maintains he didn't commit. Prosecutors and other advocates, including a man who says his son committed the crime, are seeking Musier's exoneration. Story by @ellierushing.bsky.social.

A judge in North Carolina has overturned the convictions of four men who were previously believed to have murdered NBA star Chris Paul's grandfather, citing new exculpatory DNA evidence and recanted witness testimony. A fifth man convicted for the 2002 murder passed away in 2019, post-release.

Save the date to join our friends at @nacdl.org for their annual criminal justice network conference Oct. 9-10:

Bryan Hooper has spent almost 30 years in prison for a 1998 murder conviction evidence shows he didn't commit. Attorneys at the Great North Innocence Project and Hennepin County Conviction Integrity Unit are collaborating to seek his exoneration.

New York’s shift to scanning all incoming prison mail to prevent drugs entering prisons raises deep privacy and human dignity concerns. Learn how these changes reflect a troubling national trend, undermining prisoners’ crucial connections with loved ones and limiting trust in our justice system.

A group of California lawmakers want to pass legislation requiring police officers to disclose when they use generative AI to write their reports. While not prohibiting or denigrating the use of it, advocates believe that there must be transparency in its usage.

This powerful NY Times video illustrates how narrative videos can impact whether an incarcerated person receives clemency: www.nytimes.com/2025/08/12/o...

Floyd Bledsoe spent 16 years incarcerated for the murder of his sister-in-law before the Midwest Innocence Project helped him get exonerated. Celebrating ten years of freedom, Bledsoe opened a community farm in Kansas allowing families to connect with nature and animals, his passion pre-conviction.

Last week, a coalition led by @kqednews.kqed.org released a free, public database that compiles over a million police use-of-force, shooting, and misconduct records. The new archive will provide added transparency with law enforcement to journalists, researchers, lawyers, and community members.

From 2014-2023, nearly 2,000 unsolved homicides in St. Louis left families without closure and the justice system unaccountable. The "Remember Me" project addresses this through investigative reporting and memorial.

The state of Oregon awarded its first certificate of innocence to Nicholas McGuffin, a man who spent eight years in prison for a wrongful murder conviction. McGuffin was released in 2019 after law enforcement failed to disclose exculpatory DNA evidence in his 2011 trial.

A new state law in Missouri now gives a governor-appointed board control over St. Louis’ police, replacing its civilian oversight board, which was designed to hold officers accountable. This blocks any interference with police operations. Learn how this affects community safety and transparency.

Marvin Grimm spent 45 years in prison for a murder he didn't commit before he was freed last year. Yet to receive his $5 million wrongful conviction settlement from the city of Richmond, the Governor of Virginia recently stepped in to advocate on Grimm's behalf.

Maryland Exoneree John Huffington is suing former prosecutors and other government and law enforcement leaders in connection with the 32 years he spent in prison — including 10 years on #deathrow for a murder DNA proves he didn't commit.

Recently exonerated, Sandra Hemme is suing the city of St. Joseph and eight police officers for destroying evidence that would have proved her innocent during her 1985 murder trial. Hemme is known to have spent more time behind bars than any other wrongly convicted woman in American history.

Penn Carey Law welcomed 137 accomplished legal professionals to the University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School as members of the LLM/LLCM Class of 2026. We’re excited to watch this incredible group thrive and contribute to our global Penn Carey Law network. www.law.upenn.edu/live/news/17...

We posted previously about the work stoppage in Massachusetts by court-appointed attorneys, due to pay rates being the lowest in New England. Now cases are being dismissed for defendants if they have gone 45 days without an attorney:

This Camden, NJ program shows that sending social workers to address immediate needs reduces the reliance on law enforcement to respond to mental health crises:

Please join us in warmly welcoming @tcita.bsky.social on her first day as our new Executive Director! She is a seasoned attorney with a strong background in research, litigation, and policy. We’re excited for what’s to come and grateful to have her leading the Center’s work. Welcome, Tricia! 🎉

A judge awarded Alexander Torres $14 million after he spent over 20 years in prison for a wrongful murder conviction. Torres was freed and exonerated in 2021 with help from the L.A. County Conviction Integrity Unit and the California Western Innocence and Justice Clinic.

Today, we’re saying thank you to John Hollway for 13 years of leadership as the founding executive director of the Quattrone Center. In John’s thirteen years of leadership (since its founding), the Quattrone Center has become a national leader in criminal justice reform research and policy.

Duane Williams wrongfully spent 11 years in prison for an arson-murder conviction before the Wayne County Conviction Integrity Unit found evidence of Brady violations in his case. Now free, Williams is suing the city of Detroit for what his lawyer calls the largest fabrication he's ever witnessed.

Last week, the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals overturned the murder conviction of Pablo Hernandez, who confessed to the notorious 1979 murder of 6-year-old Etan Patz in NYC after 7 hours of unwarned questioning. The court cited flawed jury instruction about the interrogation evidence.

An excellent profile of the @manhattanda.bsky.social's Conviction Integrity Unit: www.amny.com/law/manhatta...