Name
Exploring New Frontiers: How to Frame and Litigate Emerging Shifts in Social Science
Description

The post-conviction litigation of shifts in science is a key part of the Network's advocacy. There has been much discussion on using shifts in traditional forensic sciences to exonerate our clients. Such litigation of scientific issues has led to hundreds of exonerations, and applying a similar approach to shifts in social sciences creates even more possibilities. After an introduction to the general litigation of shifted science claims, this session will focus on how advancements in social science research in the areas of eyewitness identifications and confessions provide additional possibilities for undoing wrongful convictions. In the past year, at least two courts have embraced arguments that modern social science regarding eyewitness misidentification-which was not available at the time of conviction-undermined confidence in the conviction and warranted relief. Litigation of shifts in social science research thus presents a critical new frontier for the innocence movement.