Innocence Project

Question 1

6 factors leading to wrongful convictions

Informants

Answer 1

people who are paid to testify, many have testified in exchange for their release from prison, have testified in multiple cases that they have evidence of guilt through overhearing a confession or witnessing a crime

Question 2

6 factors leading to wrongful convictions

Bad Lawyering

Answer 2

the failure of a lawyer to investigate, call witnesses, or prepare for the trial. This can include sleeping in the court during trial, failure to show up for hearings, failure to investigate alibis, failure to call expert witnesses

Question 3

6 factors leading to wrongful convictions

Eyewitness Testimonies

Answer 3

eyewitnesses can miss identify suspects in crimes for many reasons, some include the witness was only shown the suspect in incriminating context or one photo being marked differently in a line up

Question 4

6 factors leading to wrongful convictions

Forensics

Answer 4

mishandling evidence, not following proper chain of custody, tampering with evidence, contamination, or incorrect collection

Question 5

6 factors leading to wrongful convictions

Government Misconduct

Answer 5

employing suggestion when conducting identification procedures, coercing false confessions, lying or intentionally misleading jurors, failing to turn over exculpatory evidence to prosecutors

Question 6

6 factors leading to wrongful convictions

False Confessions

Answer 6

duress, coercion, intoxication, diminished capacity, mental impairment, ignorance of the law, fear of violent, the actual infliction of harm, the threat of a harsh sentence, misunderstanding the situation