wrongful conviction

NACDL Senior Resource Counsel Vanessa Antoun and Post-Conviction Counsel provided instruction at the Tennessee Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers Annual Conference in Knoxville Tennessee on August 5th. Our presentation, Under the Microscope: Focusing on the FBI Hair Review and Beyond covered information for post-conviction lawyers about the microscopic hair comparison review, and training for lawyers who handle those cases, or other post-conviction innocence claims involving flawed or unreliable forensic evidence.

On July 20, 2016, NACDL presented a webinar on conducting state and local laboratory level reviews of microscopic hair comparison evidence for the purpose of determining whether the statements provided in criminal cases are scientifically valid. Under the Microscope: Examining Strategies for Implementing State & Local Microscopic Hair Comparison Reviews, a 1.5 hour program, provided an overview of the FBI MHCA Review, best practices for state and local reviews, an update on review efforts around the country, and specific examples from Iowa and Massachusetts.

NACDL will conduct an in-person, one-day training for at least 150 defense attorneys on litigating post-conviction claims of innocence. The goal of this training is to increase the ability of attorneys representing individuals in post-conviction proceedings to efficiently and effectively evaluate and litigate cases involving claims of innocence.

On June 23, 2016, NACDL presented the live streaming webcast, Bite Marks: Litigating the Change in American Board of Forensic Odontology Guidelines with speaker Dana Delger of the Innocence Project. The webcast provided essential information on a type of problematic forensic evidence that has led to wrongful convictions. In March 2016, the American Board of Forensic Odontology changed its Guidelines for bite mark analysis, significantly limiting the testimonial conclusions of board-certified experts.

NACDL will conduct an in-person, one-day training for at least 150 defense attorneys on litigating post-conviction claims of innocence. The goal of this training is to increase the ability of attorneys representing individuals in post-conviction proceedings to efficiently and effectively evaluate and
litigate cases involving claims of innocence.

NACDL will conduct an in-person, one-day training for at least 150 defense attorneys on litigating post-conviction claims of innocence. The goal of this training is to increase the ability of attorneys representing individuals in post-conviction proceedings to efficiently and effectively evaluate and litigate cases involving claims of innocence.