Miscarriages of justice and the conviction of the innocent
Archive theme
The death penalty is the only punishment that admits no correction. Every case of a person sentenced to death and later found innocent — through DNA evidence, a retracted testimony, a retrial — says something about all the cases in which the review did not arrive in time.
This page collects the news on miscarriages of justice, retrials and people cleared after a death sentence.
Latest news
OCTOBER 19, 2016DEATH PENALTYVIRGINIA (USA): SUPPORTED BY NEW DNA EVIDENCE, MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH IN 1970 FILES INNOCENCE CLAIM
Sherman Brown (69, Black), a man who was sentenced to death in 1970 for the Oct. 1, 1969 murder of a
- JULY 25, 2016TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Judge: Man cleared of murder shouldn't be declared innocent.
USA - Texas. Judge: Man cleared of murder shouldn't be declared innocent.
MAY 15, 2015ChinaDEATH PENALTYCHINA: MAN SENTENCED TO DEATH FOR MURDER AFTER 17 YEARS
A former Chinese police officer was sentenced to death for homicide, 17 years after the murdered woman's
- JANUARY 20, 2015United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens acknowledged evidence that proved "beyond a shadow of doubt" that Texas executed an innocent man in 1989.
USA - Texas. Retired Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens acknowledged evidence that proved "beyond a shadow of doubt" that Texas executed an innocent man in 1989.
- SEPTEMBER 17, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Former FBI Director Says People Were Executed Based Partly on Faulty Agency Testimony
USA - Former FBI Director Says People Were Executed Based Partly on Faulty Agency Testimony
- APRIL 28, 2014United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - More Than 4% of Death Row Inmates May Be Innocent.
USA - More Than 4% of Death Row Inmates May Be Innocent.
- OCTOBER 16, 2013JapanDEATH PENALTY
the Supreme Court of Japan rejected the seventh request for retrial from Masaru Okunishi, an 87-year-old
the Supreme Court of Japan rejected the seventh request for retrial from Masaru Okunishi, an 87-year-old
- JUNE 14, 2013TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Governor Rick Perry signed SB 1292 , which limits death penalty.
USA - Texas. Governor Rick Perry signed SB 1292 , which limits death penalty.
- APRIL 17, 2013TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. The Senate unanimously passed SB 1292, a DNA-testing proposal seeking to prevent wrongful convictions
USA - Texas. The Senate unanimously passed SB 1292, a DNA-testing proposal seeking to prevent wrongful convictions
JANUARY 4, 2013IndiaDEATH PENALTYINDIA: SENTENCED TO DEATH, PAK NATIONAL WINS BLAST CASE ON RE-TRIAL
A Pakistani national, convicted and sentenced to death in India eight years back in connection with
- OCTOBER 22, 2012South KoreaDEATH PENALTY
a South Korean court posthumously acquitted a man executed 50 years ago
a South Korean court posthumously acquitted a man executed 50 years ago
- MAY 21, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - 15 states urged the U.S. Justice Department to intervene to help import thiopental
USA - 15 states urged the U.S. Justice Department to intervene to help import thiopental
MAY 21, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTYUSA: REGISTRY TALLIES OVER 2,000 WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS SINCE 1989
The University of Michigan law school and Northwestern University have compiled a new National
- MAY 15, 2012TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Columbia University law professor James Liebman said Carlos De Luna was innocent when he was executed in 1989
USA - Texas. Columbia University law professor James Liebman said Carlos De Luna was innocent when he was executed in 1989
MAY 15, 2012MalaysiaDEATH PENALTYMALAYSIA: TWO IRANIAN MEN FREED OF DRUG TRAFFICKING CHARGE
In Malaysia, two Iranian men escaped the gallows after the High Court freed them of a drug trafficking
MAY 15, 2012DEATH PENALTYTEXAS (USA): MAN EXECUTED FOR A CRIME HE DID NOT COMMIT
Columbia University law professor James Liebman said Carlos De Luna was innocent when he was executed in 1989.
FEBRUARY 15, 2012DEATH PENALTYFLORIDA (USA): KILLER EXECUTED AFTER 31 YEARS ON DEATH ROW
A man convicted of raping a 29-year-old mother and dragging her into Tampa Bay's
- JANUARY 23, 2012United StatesDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Joe D'Ambrosio, 49, white, becomes the Nation's 140th Death Row Exonerated
USA - Ohio. Joe D'Ambrosio, 49, white, becomes the Nation's 140th Death Row Exonerated
JANUARY 23, 2012DEATH PENALTYUS SUPREME COURT DECISION MEANS D'AMBROSIO STAYS FREE
the U.S. Supreme Court declined to hear an appeal by the state of Ohio challenging the
- SEPTEMBER 7, 2011GeorgiaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Georgia. Corrections officials have set a Sept. 21 execution date for Troy Davis
USA - Georgia. Corrections officials have set a Sept. 21 execution date for Troy Davis
SEPTEMBER 7, 2011DEATH PENALTYGEORGIA (USA): TROY DAVIS EXECUTION SET FOR SEPTEMBER 21
Georgia corrections officials have set an execution date for a high-profile death
- JANUARY 7, 2011ColoradoDEATH PENALTY
USA - Colorado. Outgoing Gov. Bill Ritter today awarded a posthumous pardon to Joe Arridy, who was executed in 1939
USA - Colorado. Outgoing Gov. Bill Ritter today awarded a posthumous pardon to Joe Arridy, who was executed in 1939
- JANUARY 6, 2011IllinoisDEATH PENALTY
USA - Oklahoma. Billy Don Alverson, 39, black, was executed
USA - Oklahoma. Billy Don Alverson, 39, black, was executed
JANUARY 6, 2011DEATH PENALTYILLINOIS (USA): HOUSE VOTED TO ABOLISH THE DEATH PENALTY
Illinois House voted to abolish the death penalty. Late Thursday afternoon, the House
- DECEMBER 12, 2010TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Only 8 people were condemned to die in Texas this year, the lowest number since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
USA - Texas. Only 8 people were condemned to die in Texas this year, the lowest number since the death penalty was reinstated in 1976.
OCTOBER 21, 2010DEATH PENALTYTEXAS (USA): CONVICTED KILLER OF ELDERLY COUPLE EXECUTED
A Texas man convicted for the slayings of an elderly couple found brutally beaten and stabbed
- SEPTEMBER 2, 2010ArkansasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Arkansas. Johnny Depp appeals for release of Damien Echols
USA - Arkansas. Johnny Depp appeals for release of Damien Echols
- MARCH 5, 2010OhioDEATH PENALTY
USA - Ohio. Joe D'Ambrosio, once on death row, now free
USA - Ohio. Joe D'Ambrosio, once on death row, now free
- DECEMBER 20, 2009GeorgiaDEATH PENALTY
USA - Georgia. New evidence in the Troy Davis case has recently emerged
USA - Georgia. New evidence in the Troy Davis case has recently emerged
- SEPTEMBER 30, 2009TexasDEATH PENALTY
USA - Texas. Texas pardons longest-serving inmate freed by DNA, James Lee Woodard
USA - Texas. Texas pardons longest-serving inmate freed by DNA, James Lee Woodard