An innocence commission is a legal commission set up by a government to review criminal convictions in a new light.
Contents
History
In 2002, the first U.S. state to develop an Innocence commission was North Carolina. The Innocence Commission was developed to rehear cases where the accused and their advocates claim wrongful conviction. The commission was founded after a series of high-profile cases of conviction were overturned. The states of Pennsylvania, California, Connecticut, Wisconsin, and Illinois have since created similar commissions. [1]
The law is modeled after one of the United Kingdom [2].
Retired Chief Justice I. Beverly Lake Jr. led the panel that recommended the new process to the State.
North Carolina
Via an application process, the eight-member commission selects which cases to review.
North Carolina
Commission members will be appointed by the chief justice of the state Supreme Court and chief judge of the state Court of Appeals.