Macomb County Prosecutor Peter Lucido has issued a statement noting that Thursday, October 2nd is Wrongful Conviction Day, a day that acknowledges the reality of wrongful convictions and the profound harm they cause.
“As prosecutors, our calling is not measured simply by the number of convictions we secure but by the pursuit of justice itself,” Lucido said. “Wrongful Conviction Day is a stark reminder of the grave consequences when justice is denied.
“The integrity of the criminal justice system must be preserved above all else,” Lucido said. “While we cannot give back years unjustly taken, we can and must do everything in our power to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future.”
In 2022, Lucido created the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU). The following year, the Department of Justice awarded the CIU the Post Conviction DNA Evidence Grant Award, a $1.6 million award of grant money, to better identify and review post-conviction cases for DNA evidence and testing that may support a claim of innocence.
The CIU continues to review and investigate claims of factual innocence (DNA and non-DNA) to determine whether there is clear and convincing evidence that an applicant’s claim of innocence, (i.e., that he/she played no role in the underlying conviction), is supported by new evidence.
In 2023, the CIU obtained its first exoneration.
The CIU also engages in community outreach to educate incarcerated individuals and their families about their right to request a wrongful conviction review.
“As prosecutors, our calling is not measured simply by the number of convictions we secure but by the pursuit of justice itself,” Lucido said. “Wrongful Conviction Day is a stark reminder of the grave consequences when justice is denied.
“The integrity of the criminal justice system must be preserved above all else,” Lucido said. “While we cannot give back years unjustly taken, we can and must do everything in our power to prevent such tragedies from happening in the future.”
In 2022, Lucido created the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU). The following year, the Department of Justice awarded the CIU the Post Conviction DNA Evidence Grant Award, a $1.6 million award of grant money, to better identify and review post-conviction cases for DNA evidence and testing that may support a claim of innocence.
The CIU continues to review and investigate claims of factual innocence (DNA and non-DNA) to determine whether there is clear and convincing evidence that an applicant’s claim of innocence, (i.e., that he/she played no role in the underlying conviction), is supported by new evidence.
In 2023, the CIU obtained its first exoneration.
The CIU also engages in community outreach to educate incarcerated individuals and their families about their right to request a wrongful conviction review.
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