Name
Changed Science and Wrongful Convictions
Description

Misapplied forensic evidence, evidence based on flawed science, or a lack of adequate scientific testing are major contributors to wrongful convictions. Therefore, petitions for post-conviction relief often include challenges to the government's scientific evidence. These challenges highlight the advancement and changes in scientific knowledge, methods, and technologies in the years since the trial. In this session, we will discuss how changed science can identify and remedy wrongful convictions, how to apply "changed science writs" in jurisdictions that have them, and how to use changed science proactively under federal habeas corpus law or in states that do not have a specific post-conviction remedy for changed science. This lecture will also cover how science changes and how that may impact results, drawing specifically from forensic biology.