State legislators will get an in-depth look at what happens when the criminal justice system makes a mistake and convicts an innocent person on Wednesday.
Wisconsin Innocence Project staff — along with two men whom the project helped exonerate — will hold a one-hour informational session for lawmakers. State Reps. Gary Hebl and Dale Kooyenga are sponsoring the session. Hebl said the goal isn’t to pass any particular laws to prevent wrongful convictions or to compensate those who have been exonerated. Nevertheless, he said testimony from the exonerees may eventually lead to reforms.
“When we actually have victims who have suffered through incarcerations of years, it pulls on the heartstrings of how this has affected them and their families. And hopefully that education will spur our Legislature on to appropriate actions to correct the situation,” said Hebl.
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Innocence Project staff said their goal is to educate, not to lobby for any specific reforms.
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