After years of debate and study, a rare coalition of the New York State Bar Association, the District Attorneys Association of New York and the Innocence Project proposed on Tuesday that the state adopt practices to reduce the chances that juries would be swayed by mistaken eyewitnesses or false confessions.
In effect, the proposals would require investigators to treat the words of witnesses and suspects as if they were another kind of trace evidence subject to contamination.
Tag Archives: False-Confession
False Confession is used whenever the wrongly convicted person made statements that were not the true, even if those statements were not a confession.
John Horton
Featured Case #41: John Horton was wrongly convicted of murder in 1995. His cousin subsequently confessed to the crime. The case is supported by the Center of Wrongful Convictions of Youth at Northwestern University School of Law.
Facebook Page | Proposal Post | Featured Case Post | Article | Petition
News
12 October 2016 : New trial granted
The Court ruled that John was entitled to a new trial because prosecutors had violated his due process rights by not disclosing exculpatory evidence, although a special concurrence penned by one of the Justices added that this case was riddled with “outrageous errors and missteps” and that John has “significant” evidence of actual innocence.
10 February 2016 : Released on Bond. Judge Joseph G. McGraw set his bond at $50,000.
Michelle Byrom
Featured Case #36 : Facebook page | Facebook Group | Proposal Post | Featured case post | Article
Mississippi had a self-serving confession from Edward Jr., implicating his mother and blaming Gillis for the murder. And they had a confession from Michelle Byrom herself, taken while she was heavily medicated, amid questions about her mental stability. What exactly did this confession sound like? The sheriff told the addled Byrom: “Listen, we are going to be able to pull enough together … don’t leave [Edward, Jr.] hanging out here to bite the big bullet.” To which Michelle Byrom, Edward Jr.’s mother, replied: “No, he’s not going to. I wouldn’t let him … I will take all the responsibility. I’ll do it.”
Conviction overturned on 31st March, 2014
Back in the custody of Tishomingo County 28th July, 2014
Retrial set for 1 Sep 2015 17th January, 2014
Almost executed by Mississippi, Michelle Byrom free 26 June, 2015
Almost Executed by Mississippi Michelle Byrom is Now Free 6 July. 2015 @ YouCouldBeWrong.wordpress.com
If you would like to help Michelle with medication, clothing, or personal items, you can visit herYouCaring site, which gives her 100% of the proceeds.
Barry Beach
For a description of the case please see http://www.centurionministries.org/cases/barry-beach/
Featured Case #27 : Facebook page | Proposal Post | Featured case post
17 Jan 2015 : Appeal Filed
26 Jan 2015 : Time for Montana to treat Barry Beach better
20 Nov 2015 : Clemency Granted
12 Dec 2015 : Meet Jay Via: One bad cop, in one county, who did a whole lot of damage Radley Balko, Washington Post.
Charles Erikson
Featured Case #19 : Facebook page | Proposal Post | Featured case post | Website
Charles wrongly confessed to a murder, implicating his friend Ryan Ferguson. Ryan has been freed after a coerced witness recanted, it’s ridiculous that Charles remains in prison.
The link to serial killer Edward Wayne Edwards :
“November 1, 2001 Kent Heithholt found murdered in Columbia, Missouri. The next day Edwards blogs about the murder at ZodiacKiller.com, and references the murder of “CJB” ( Cheryl Jo Bates) 35 years earlier.”
Source: Edward Wyane Edwards Timeline
Amanda Knox and Raffaele Sollecito
Featured Case #2 : Featured Case Post | Proposal Post | Facebook Page
Country : Italy ( Amanda Knox is US citizen )
Appeal hearing : 25 March, 2015
Exonerated : 27 March, 2015
Kirstin Blaise Lobato
A superb video on the case. Test the DNA!
Featured Case #1 : Facebook page | Facebook Page | Proposal Post | Featured case post | Report on September 2014 appeal hearing
News and articles
Kirstin Lobato is imprisoned for crimes that did not occur Hans Sherrer, Las Vegas Tribune, April 16, 2015.
The Kirstin Lobato Case: An American Miscarriage of Justice ( Copy ) Joseph Bishop, May 24, 2012
November 23, 2015 Nevada Supreme Court reverses denial of appeal
Intercept Article 1 December 2015
December 19, 2017 New Trial Granted
December 29, 2017 Case dismissed with prejudice
Wrongly Convicted Group Website 