home

Tag: snitches

New Policy Paper on Jailhouse Snitch Testimony

By Jeralyn, Section Crime Policy
Posted on Wed Dec 26, 2007 at 11:43:49 AM EST
Tags: wrongful convictions, snitches (all tags)
Share This: Digg! StumbleUpon del.icio.us reddit reddit

The non-partisan Justice Project has a new policy paper (pdf) on jailhouse snitch testimony, one of the top causes of wrongful convictions. From the press release:

The use of jailhouse snitch testimony has been widely used throughout the American criminal justice system. Unfortunately jailhouse snitches are often utilized by prosecutors despite their testimony being widely regarded as the least reliable form of evidence in the criminal justice system. A 2005 study of 111 death row exonerees found that 51 were wrongly sentenced to death in part due to testimony of witnesses with incentive to lie.

More...

(1 comment, 306 words in story) There's More :: Permalink :: Comments