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THE NEW YORK
BAR FOUNDATION

Welcome to the Task Force on Wrongful Convictions

Final Report of the New York State Bar Association’s Task Force on Wrongful Convictions (PDF)

Task Force Created to Study Prolifteration of Wrongful Convictions

"There should be no higher priority than to ensure the fair administration of justice."

- NYSBA President Bernice Leber

Noting that the number of criminal convictions overturned in New York State is undermining public confidence in our justice system, New York State Bar Association President Bernice Leber (Arent Fox, LLP) announced the creation of a Task Force on Wrongful Convictions.

The blue ribbon task force, chaired by Barry M. Kamins, Immediate Past President of the New York City Bar Association and adjunct professor at Brooklyn and Fordham Law Schools, will study the systemic, procedural and statutory causes that contribute to wrongful convictions and propose solutions to this growing problem. The Task Force is comprised of distinguished jurists, prosecutors, criminal defense attorneys, members of law enforcement, good government groups and leading members of academia.

“For each wrongful conviction that surfaces, how many others are still unfairly resolved? Ensuring the fair administration of justice must be the number one priority in our criminal justice system. As leaders of the profession, we have a responsibility to do everything we can to protect the innocent and make sure men and women are not punished – not even for even one day – for crimes they did not commit,” said Leber. “That so many distinguished New Yorkers have agreed to serve on the Task Force speaks to the importance of our mission. I am extremely pleased that these leaders have taken up this great challenge.”

Read the full news release on the establishment of the Task Force on Wrongful Convictions.

Articles of Interest on the Task Force on Wrongful Convictions

Mission Statement:

The number of exonerations in New York undermines the assumption that the criminal justice system sufficiently protects the innocent. Many of the exonerations do not involve DNA evidence. The consequences are far-reaching, considering among other things, the lengthy incarcerations some defendants have experienced.

The Task Force is charged with identifying the causes for wrongful convictions, and to attempt to eliminate them.

The Task Force shall identify all of the causes of the wrongful convictions and isolate the systemic causes that produced these injustices.

The Task Force shall focus on current rules, procedures and statutes that were implicated in each caser and propose solutions in the form of procedural changes and legislation.

The Task Force shall provide opportunities to educate the profession and the public on the causes of these erroneous convictions with the aim of ensuring that our laws, policies and practices are designed to reduce the risk of convicting the innocent and increasing the likelihood of convicting the guilty.

In addition, the Task Force shall review and report on the current remedies/compensation available to those wrongly convicted and propose reforms, where appropriate.

The Task Force shall also prepare a report recommending any appropriate reforms, both by statute, policy and practice, to the Executive Committee and the House of Delegates.