report of the advisory committee on wrongful convictions - Joint State

328 Pages·2011·1.73 MB·English

REPORT OF THE
ADVISORY COMMITTEE ON
WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS

SEPTEMBER 2011

General Assembly of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania
JOINT STATE GOVERNMENT COMMISSION
108 Finance Building
Harrisburg, Pennsylvania 17120
The release of this report should not be
interpreted as an endorsement by the
members of the Executive Committee of
the Joint State Government Commission of
all the findings, recommendations and
conclusions contained in this report.

JOINT STATE GOVERNMENT COMMISSION
ROOM 108 FINANCE BUILDING
HARRISBURG PA 17120-0018

Telephone [phone]
Fax [phone]

E-mail: [email protected]
Website: http://jsg.legis.state.pa.us

________________________________________________________________________

The Joint State Government Commission was created by the act of July 1, 1937
(P.L.2460, No.459) as amended, as a continuing agency for the development of
facts and recommendations on all phases of government for the use of the General
Assembly.
________________________________________________________________________

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JOINT STATE GOVERNMENT COMMISSION

Representative Florindo J. Fabrizio, Chair

Senator John C. Rafferty, Jr., Vice Chair
_____________________________________________________

EXECUTIVE COMMITTEE

Senate Members House Members

Joseph B. Scarnati, III Samuel H. Smith
President Pro Tempore Speaker

Dominic F. Pileggi Michael C. Turzai
Majority Leader Majority Leader

Jay Costa Frank J. Dermody
Minority Leader Minority Leader

Patrick M. Browne Stanley E. Saylor
Majority Whip Majority Whip

Anthony H. Williams Michael K. Hanna
Minority Whip Minority Whip

Michael L. Waugh Sandra J. Major
Chair, Majority Caucus Chair, Majority Caucus

Richard A. Kasunic Dan B. Frankel
Chair, Minority Caucus Chair, Minority Caucus

MEMBER EX-OFFICIO

Representative Florindo J. Fabrizio, Commission Chair
_____________________________________________________

David S. John, Jr., Executive Director

Glenn J. Pasewicz, Assistant Director

Stephen F. Rehrer, Counsel
_____________________________________________________
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ADVISORY COMMITTEE
ON WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS

Members

John T. Rago, Esq.
(Chair)

Robert A. Alston, Esq. Ray Krone
Gary Neil Asteak, Esq. Spero T. Lappas, Esq.
Richard J. Brady Carol Lavery
The Honorable William R. Carpenter Beata Peck Little
The Honorable Bruce L. Castor Jr. Bethann R. Lloyd, Esq.
John Cencich, J.S.D. Michael Machen, Esq.
Rev. Sean Kevin Code The Honorable Edward M. Marsico Jr.
The Honorable Robert E. Colville John G. McDougall, Esq.
James D. Crawford, Esq. Charles W. Moffatt
The Honorable J. Shane Creamer Anne T. Panfil, Esq.
William M. DiMascio The Honorable Ernest D. Preate Jr.
The Honorable Richard S. Dougherty Jr. Michael F. Rieders, Ph.D.
Eileen Elliott, Esq. Diana Robertson
Jules Epstein, Esq. David Rudovsky, Esq.
The Honorable Risa Vetri Ferman The Honorable Francis J. Schultz
Frank G. Fina, Esq. John S. Shaffer, Ph.D.
John A. Fiorill Thomas W. Sheridan, Esq.
The Honorable Bradley H. Foulk* Allan D. Sobel, Esq.*
The Honorable Daniel B. Garber Marc Robert Steinberg, Esq.
Ellen T. Greenlee, Esq. The Honorable Linda D. Thompson
Syndi L. Guido, Esq. The Honorable R. Seth Williams
Margaret D. Gusz Theodore E. Yeshion, Ph.D.
James B. Hazen Ralph J. Young*
Brooke Hedderick The Honorable Stephen A. Zappala Jr.
Mary E. Kohart, Esq. Tom Zeager
Ellen Kramer, Esq.
________________

*Deceased
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CONTENTS

EXECUTIVE SUMMARY............................................................................................ 1

Summary of Key Proposals Generated by the Subcommittees ............................... 5
Eyewitness Identification ................................................................................... 5
Confessions ........................................................................................................ 5
Indigent Defense Services .................................................................................. 5
Informant Testimony ......................................................................................... 5
Prosecutorial Practice ......................................................................................... 6
Postconviction Relief ......................................................................................... 6
Redress ............................................................................................................... 7
Science ............................................................................................................... 7

INTRODUCTION ......................................................................................................... 9

Exonerations ........................................................................................................... 11

Presentations .......................................................................................................... 15

Subcommittee on Investigation .............................................................................. 18

Subcommittee on Legal Representation ................................................................ 19

Subcommittee on Redress ...................................................................................... 19

Subcommittee on Science ...................................................................................... 20

Organization of Report........................................................................................... 20

EYEWITNESS IDENTIFICATION ........................................................................... 21

Mistaken Eyewitnesses are a Primary Cause of Wrongful Convictions ................ 21

Some Factors Affecting Eyewitness Identifications .............................................. 23
Cross-Race Effect ............................................................................................ 23
Stress ................................................................................................................ 25
Weapons Focus ................................................................................................ 27

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Response Latency, Eyewitness Memory Strength,
Retention Interval and the Forgetting Curve ................................................. 28
Sex, Intelligence and Age ................................................................................ 29
Additional Factors ............................................................................................ 30

Research Techniques ............................................................................................. 31

Eyewitness Identification Procedures: Best Practices .......................................... 31

Summary of Common Best Practices Recommendations ..................................... 31

Best Practices Recommendations: Models ........................................................... 33

Best Practices and Other Reforms by State ........................................................... 39
Connecticut ...................................................................................................... 39
Florida .............................................................................................................. 40
Georgia ............................................................................................................. 40
Illinois .............................................................................................................. 40
Maryland .......................................................................................................... 41
New Jersey ....................................................................................................... 41
North Carolina ................................................................................................. 42
Ohio .................................................................................................................. 42
Rhode Island and Providence Plantation ......................................................... 43
Texas ................................................................................................................ 44
Vermont ........................................................................................................... 44
Virginia ............................................................................................................ 45
West Virginia ................................................................................................... 45
Wisconsin ......................................................................................................... 45

Discussion of Specific Recommendations for Lineups ......................................... 46

Experiences in Other Jurisdictions: Field Studies ................................................ 66
Hennepin County, Minnesota .......................................................................... 66
Illinois Pilot Program on Sequential
Double-Blind Identification Procedures ........................................................ 68
Ongoing Field Studies ...................................................................................... 77
Reasonable Basis Model .................................................................................. 78
Show-Ups ......................................................................................................... 78

Other Proposals to Prevent Eyewitness Misidentifications ................................... 80
Jury Instructions ............................................................................................... 80
Expert Testimony ............................................................................................. 81

Proposals in this Report for Eyewitness Identification .......................................... 82

Summary of Eyewitness Identification Proposals ................................................. 82
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ELECTRONIC RECORDING OF CUSTODIAL INTERROGATIONS ................... 83

False Confessions and other Incriminating Admissions
are Substantial Causes of Wrongful Convictions ................................................ 83

Causes of False Confessions .................................................................................. 83

Interrogation Practices and Techniques ................................................................. 92

Detecting Deception .............................................................................................. 100

Presumption of Guilt – “Tunnel Vision” ............................................................... 102

Best Practices Recommendation ............................................................................ 107

Implementation Models ......................................................................................... 109
Model Bill for Electronic Recording of Custodial Interrogations ................... 109
National District Attorneys Association .......................................................... 110
American Bar Association ............................................................................... 110
The National Conference of Commissioners on Uniform State Laws ............ 110

Judicial Rulings ...................................................................................................... 111
Alaska .............................................................................................................. 111
Indiana .............................................................................................................. 112
Iowa .................................................................................................................. 112
Massachusetts .................................................................................................. 113
Minnesota ......................................................................................................... 114
New Hampshire ............................................................................................... 115
New Jersey ....................................................................................................... 115

Legislative Mandates ............................................................................................. 116

Executive Policy .................................................................................................... 117
New York ......................................................................................................... 117
Utah .................................................................................................................. 117

Police Experiences ................................................................................................. 117

Legislative and Judicial Studies; Pilot Programs ................................................... 119
Arkansas ........................................................................................................... 119
California Commission on the Fair Administration of Justice ........................ 119
Connecticut ...................................................................................................... 119
New York ......................................................................................................... 120
Vermont ........................................................................................................... 120
Other Jurisdictions ........................................................................................... 120
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Other Proposals to Prevent False Confessions........................................................ 120
Admission of Expert Testimony ...................................................................... 121
Restrict Interrogative Techniques .................................................................... 121
Promote Reliability over Voluntariness ........................................................... 122
Abolish or Modify Miranda ............................................................................. 124

Proposals in this Report for
Electronic Recording of Custodial Interrogations ............................................... 126

Summary of Electronic Recording of Custodial Interrogations Proposals ............ 127

POSTCONVICTION RELIEF..................................................................................... 129

Summary of Proposed Amendments to
the Postconviction DNA Testing Law ................................................................. 132

LEGAL REPRESENTATION ..................................................................................... 135

Representation of Indigent Defendants .................................................................. 135

Governmental Misconduct ..................................................................................... 136
Duties of the Prosecutor ................................................................................... 136
Current Standards ............................................................................................. 139
Recommendations ............................................................................................ 141

Jailhouse Witnesses ............................................................................................... 143
Disclosure and Pretrial Hearing ....................................................................... 145
Jury Instruction ................................................................................................ 145
Other Recommendations .................................................................................. 146

Summary of Proposals ........................................................................................... 147
Indigent Defense Services ................................................................................ 147
Informant Testimony ....................................................................................... 147
Prosecutorial Practice ....................................................................................... 147

REDRESS .................................................................................................................... 149

Statutory Compensation ......................................................................................... 150

Status Quo .............................................................................................................. 151
42 U.S.C. § 1983 .............................................................................................. 151
Malicious Prosecution....................................................................................... 152

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Conviction Integrity ............................................................................................... 153

Transitional Services .............................................................................................. 154

Summary of Proposals ........................................................................................... 155

Position of the Office of Attorney General in Regard to
the Recommendations of the Subcommittee on Redress ..................................... 155

SCIENCE ..................................................................................................................... 157

Accreditation and Oversight of Forensic Laboratories ......................................... 160
Preservation of Evidence ................................................................................. 163
Training ............................................................................................................ 165

Summary of Proposals ........................................................................................... 166

PROPOSALS ............................................................................................................... 167

Training Attorneys Relating to
Eyewitness Identification and Confessions.......................................................... 167

Taping of Interrogations – Electronic Recording Statute ...................................... 169

Eyewitness Identification – Eyewitness Identification Improvement Act ............. 172

Adequacy of Legal Representation ........................................................................ 176
Prosecutorial Practice........................................................................................ 177

Informant Testimony.............................................................................................. 178
Jury Instruction ................................................................................................ 178
Statute Relating to Informant Testimony ......................................................... 178
Other Proposals Relating to Informants ........................................................... 180

Postconviction Relief ............................................................................................. 180
Pennsylvania Postconviction
DNA Testing Act and Preservation of Evidence............................................ 180

Redress for Wrongful Convictions ........................................................................ 193
Expungement and Compensation .................................................................... 193
Transitional Services ........................................................................................ 198
Subsequent Reviews of Wrongful Convictions ............................................... 198

Accreditation and Oversight of Forensic Laboratories .......................................... 202
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COST IMPLICATIONS .............................................................................................. 209

Training Attorneys Relating to
Eyewitness Identification and Confessions ......................................................... 209

Taping of Interrogations – Electronic Recording Statute ...................................... 209

Eyewitness Identification – Eyewitness Identification Improvement Act ............. 211

Adequacy of Legal Representation ........................................................................ 212
Prosecutorial Practice ....................................................................................... 212

Informant Witnesses .............................................................................................. 213
Jury Instruction ................................................................................................ 213
Statute Relating to Informant Testimony ......................................................... 213
Other Proposals Relating to Informants ........................................................... 213

Postconviction Relief ............................................................................................. 214
Preservation of Evidence ................................................................................. 214
Postconviction DNA Testing ........................................................................... 214

Redress for Wrongful Convictions ........................................................................ 215
Expungement ................................................................................................... 215
Compensation .................................................................................................. 216
Transitional Services ........................................................................................ 216
Pennsylvania Commission on Conviction Integrity ........................................ 217

Accreditation of Forensic Laboratories ................................................................. 217

Forensic Advisory Board ....................................................................................... 218

REFORMS ELSEWHERE .......................................................................................... 219

APPENDIX A. Senate Resolution No. 381 (Sess. of 2006) ....................................... 229

APPENDIX B. Pennsylvania Exonerees .................................................................... 233

APPENDIX C. Master Table of Citations .................................................................. 255

APPENDIX D. Jurisdictions Adopting Eyewitness Identification Reforms .............. 263

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