Wrongful Conviction Lawyer in California

Unfortunately, wrongful convictions throughout the United States are common. It is estimated that approximately 2% to 10% of all convictions in the country are wrongful. There are several causes of wrongful convictions and they are as follows:

• False confessions: According to the Innocence Project, false confessions are one of the main causes of wrongful convictions. People confess to crimes they did not commit for many reasons, including wanting to end long interrogations by police or because they suffer from a psychological disorder.
• Acceptance of a plea deal: The state and federal prosecution and even criminal defense lawyers often advise defendants to accept a plea bargain deal, leading to many wrongful convictions of innocent people. Prosecutors may also threaten defendants with extremely harsh sentences in an effort to scare them into accepting a plea deal. 
• Mistaken identification by eyewitnesses: Eyewitnesses to a crime can make mistakes just like anybody else. Unfortunately, one mistaken identification is sometimes enough to strengthen the prosecution’s case enough so they can secure a conviction. In other instances, witness testimony may not represent the true facts, which can also result in a wrongful conviction.

Flawed forensic evidence: Forensic evidence is often considered some of the strongest evidence, but it is not always perfect. Forensic experts often make conclusions and speculations in their testimony, and present them to the jury as fact. Experts can also misinterpret evidence such as bloodstain patterns, which can result in a wrongful conviction.