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Curated

Estimating the Prevalence of Wrongful Convictions, Virginia, 1973-1987 (ICPSR 36836)

Released/updated on: 2021-09-15

Geographic coverage: United States, Virginia

Time period: 1973-01-01--1987-01-01

This study extends research on wrongful convictions in the United States and the factors associated with justice system errors that lead to the incarceration of innocent people. Among cases where physical evidence produced a DNA profile of known origin, 12.6 percent of the cases had DNA evidence that would support a claim of wrongful conviction. Extrapolating to all cases in our dataset, the investigators estimate a slightly smaller rate of 11.6 percent. This result was based on forensics, case processing, and disposition data collected on murder and sexual assault convictions in the 1970s and 1980s across 56 circuit courts in the state of Virginia. To address limitations in the amount and type of information provided in forensic files that were reviewed in the Urban Institute's prior examination of these data, the current research includes data collected through a review of all publicly available documents on court processes and dispositions across the 714 convictions, which the investigators use to reassess prior estimates of wrongful conviction.

Curated

Post-Conviction DNA Testing and Wrongful Conviction Data from Sexual Assault and Homicide Cases in Virginia, 1973-1988 (ICPSR 34306)

Released/updated on: 2013-08-29

Geographic coverage: United States, Virginia

Time period: 1973-01-01--1988-01-01

This study examined the results of new DNA testing of old physical evidence from 634 sexual assault and homicide cases resulting in 715 convictions that took place in Virginia between 1973 and 1988. The research team conducted a retrospective study using data collected from the Virginia Department of Forensic Science files, visits to three Virginia county courthouses, and the COUNTY STATISTICS FILE 1 (CO-STAT): [UNITED STATES] (ICPSR 8314) to estimate the rate at which defendants are wrongly convicted and to identify case attributes associated with such wrongful convictions.

Curated

Restricted

Social Science Research on Wrongful Convictions and Near Misses, 1980-2012 (ICPSR 34522)

Released/updated on: 2016-05-31

Geographic coverage: United States

Time period: 1980-01-01--2012-01-01

These data are part of NACJD's Fast Track Release and are distributed as they were received from the data depositor. The files have been zipped by NACJD for release, but not checked or processed except for the removal of direct identifiers. Users should refer to the accompanying readme file for a brief description of the files available with this collection and consult the investigator(s) if further information is needed.

This study examined how the criminal justice system avoids wrongful convictions by comparing violent felony cases that ended in an official exoneration after conviction ("wrongful convictions") with those in which defendants had charges dismissed before trial or were acquitted on the basis of their factual innocence ("near misses"). Data were collected on a total of 460 cases (260 wrongful convictions and 200 near misses), and these cases were compared quantitatively and qualitatively on variables that might explain the different outcomes. These variables included the usual causes of wrongful convictions, such as eyewitness misidentification, false confession, and forensic error, as well as demographic, social, and procedural variables.