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Official Misconduct in Wrongful Convictions

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Official Misconduct in Wrongful Convictions

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Dedicated Attorneys Help Victims of Official Misconduct in Wrongful Convictions Seek Accountability and Justice 

Although the criminal justice system remains one of the cornerstones of our society, not every criminal case reaches the right result. Unfortunately, hundreds or potentially thousands of people across the country are wrongfully convicted every year. A study by the National Registry of Exonerations found that in more than half of approximately 2,400 surveyed cases, official misconduct by police and/or prosecutors contributed to the wrongful conviction. The report found that prosecutors and police commit official misconduct at roughly equal rates in state criminal cases. 

If you were exonerated after a court found that you were wrongfully convicted of a crime, Marrone Law Firm, LLC can help you hold those responsible for your conviction accountable. No amount of money can give you back the time you spent in jail or in prison for a crime you did not commit, but you deserve some measure of justice and the financial resources you need to help begin to put your life back on track after being exonerated.

Call or contact our dedicated civil rights lawyers today for a free case evaluation to discuss how our experienced legal team helps those who have been proven innocent of the crimes they were convicted of by seeking accountability and justice for official misconduct in wrongful convictions

Examples of How Official Misconduct Can Result in Defendants Becoming Victims of Wrongful Convictions

Either the law enforcement officers who investigated your case or the prosecutors who handled your criminal trial may have engaged in official misconduct. In some cases, both parties engage in official misconduct that leads to a wrongful conviction. 

Examples of police officer official misconduct can include:

  • False arrest, or arresting an individual without probable cause to suspect them of having committed a crime. 
  • Utilizing excessive force in detaining an individual, including employing lethal force in situations where a detainee did not pose a threat of serious injury or death to officers or to the public or using police canines to inflict injury.
  • Planting inculpatory evidence on a detainee or at the scene of a crime.
  • Falsifying arrest records and reports.
  • Assault or physical or mental abuse by law enforcement officers or corrections officers, which may be employed to coerce a false confession.
  • Continuing to detain an individual after they should have been legally released.
  • Engaging in perjury when testifying in court.

Examples of prosecutorial misconduct may include:

  • Withholding or destroying exculpatory evidence.
  • Offering favorable treatment to co-defendants or other offenders in exchange for false or misleading testimony.
  • Coaching other witnesses to provide false or misleading testimony. 
  • Continuing to pursue prosecution despite having insufficient evidence to support probable cause.
  • Misrepresenting facts or evidence to the trial court.

Marrone Law Firm, LLC Can Assist You with Seeking Financial Recovery after Being Exonerated When You Have Been the Target of Official Misconduct in Wrongful Convictions

Pursuing a claim of official misconduct in wrongful convictions is a complex, fact-intensive endeavor. In many cases, it can prove difficult to secure the evidence needed to prove official misconduct by specific individuals, as police departments and district attorney’s offices have little incentive to cooperate in an investigation that may show their department engaged in misconduct. 

In Philadelphia, the district attorney’s office has established the Conviction Integrity Unit, a task force of prosecutors who review credible claims of actual innocence and claims of wrongful conviction. In the past few years the unit has managed to obtain dozens of exonerations and commutations in Philadelphia County.

If you have been exonerated after the court found that you were wrongfully convicted, Marrone Law Firm, LLC can help if your wrongful conviction was the product of official misconduct by police or prosecutors. Our experienced legal team has the knowledge and resources to thoroughly investigate cases of official misconduct in a wrongful conviction. We will tenaciously pursue evidence that supports your case, not backing down against the efforts of law enforcement departments and prosecutors’ offices who seek to shield that information. We are proud to defend the rights of those who have been wrongfully convicted due to police and prosecutor misconduct and to hold law enforcement officials who engage in violations of criminal defendants’ rights accountable for their actions. 

Reach out to Our Firm Today for a Free Case Evaluation to Discuss Your Legal Rights and Options

Philadelphia civil rights attorney

After you have been exonerated as having been wrongfully convicted of a crime, turn to the civil litigation & trial attorneys in Philadelphia, PA at Marrone Law Firm, LLC for a free, no-obligation consultation to discuss your legal rights and options if you have been the victim of official misconduct in wrongful convictions. 

Frequently Asked Questions about Official Misconduct in Wrongful Convictions

FAQ: How long do I have to pursue a claim for compensation if I was the victim of official misconduct leading to my wrongful conviction?
Under Pennsylvania’s statute of limitations, you may have two years to file a lawsuit to pursue compensation for the losses that you have suffered due to your wrongful conviction that was obtained through official misconduct. In addition to the statute of limitations, when you pursue compensation from a government agency in Pennsylvania, such as a law enforcement agency or a district attorney’s office, you must provide notice of your claim within six months. A knowledgeable attorney from our firm can review the details of your case to advise you as to how long you may have to pursue your claim for compensation.

FAQ: What can I recover compensation for in a claim for official misconduct in wrongful convictions?
If you have a viable claim for having been harmed by official misconduct that led to your wrongful conviction, you may be entitled to compensation for losses that you have sustained, including loss of earnings or income due to being imprisoned, loss of enjoyment of life due to being deprived of your freedom during your incarceration, and emotional trauma and distress. If the official misconduct involved intentional or reckless conduct, you may also be entitled to receive punitive damages, intended to punish the responsible parties for their conduct.

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