DNA Evidence

Question 1

4 Leading Causes of Wrongful Convictions

Answer 1

Eyewitness Misidentification Testimony
Non-validated or Improper Forensic Science
False confessions and incriminating statements
Snitches

Question 2

Eyewitness misidentifications:

• can?
• contributed to? #/%

Answer 2

• can confound investigations early on
• contributed to > 75% of 240+ wrongful convictions
  in US overturned by post-conviction DNA evidence

Question 3

False confessions

- how many in US

Answer 3

~25 % of 240+ wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence in U.S. have involved some form of false confession

Question 4

Informants/Snitches

• % of cases overturned by?
• informants or snitches?

Answer 4

15% of cases of wrongful conviction overturned by DNA testing
informant or jailhouse snitch testified against the defendant.