Report: ‘Alarming’ rates of police and prosecutor misconduct
September 15, 2020 10:49AM AKDT
By ROBIN McDOWELL The Associated Press
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) — A new, in-depth analysis on wrongful convictions is putting a spotlight on “alarming” rates of police and prosecutor misconduct. The National Registry of Exonerations spent more than six years examining the cases of 2,400 innocent people who were later exonerated. The group’s report was released Tuesday. It found that 54% were sent to prison because of intentional or negligent mistakes by police, prosecutors and other law enforcement officials. The report found that in general, the more severe the crime, the higher the rate of wrongdoing. The most common form of misconduct involved concealing evidence that could have cleared the defendant. That occurred in 44% of cases.