Innocence project oregon. And for even more videos, visit our YouTube page .


Innocence project oregon. Kelli Horner, Josh Horner and Oregon Innocence Project Legal Director Steve Wax. Nov 20, 2023 · BRIEF OF THE INNOCENCE NETWORK, FORENSIC JUSTICE PROJECT, AND THE CENTER FOR INTEGRITY IN FORENSIC SCIENCES, INC. Contacting Oregon Innocence Project does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Oregon members of Polygraph Examiners of America. Oregon Justice Resource Center, PO Box 5248, Portland, OR 97208 | T: 503-944-2270 | F: 971-328-3982 | info@ojrc. If you are interested, please complete the form below and we will keep your information on file and add you to our volunteer listserv. When volunteer opportunities become available, we will advertise them Oregon Justice Resource Center, PO Box 5248, Portland, OR 97208 | T: 503-944-2270 | F: 971-328-3982 | info@ojrc. May 13, 2022 · Illinois, Oregon, and Utah have passed legislation to protect juveniles from the use of police deception during interrogations, but the use of these tactics against adults is still legal in all 50 states. Join the Innocence Project’s community of monthly supporters, our Innocence Advocates, who give to free innocent people and transform the criminal legal system. The information you obtain at Oregon Innocence Project: Assists innocent people who have been wrongfully convicted in Oregon to clear their names, trains law students, and promotes legal reforms that will prevent and address wrongful conviction. Sep 5, 2023 · Former Oregon Innocence Project client Jesse Johnson was freed in September 2023 after 25 years in custody, 17 of which were spent on Oregon’s death row. PORTLAND, Ore. Dec 21, 2022 · This past year, in both New Jersey and Oregon, the Innocence Project passed reforms to promote law enforcement transparency and accountability. 8. — After spending decades in prison, a Portland man was recently freed after the Oregon Innocence Project took up his case and showed that his prison sentence had been unfairly Feb 8, 2021 · The Oregon Innocence Project encourages your support of SB 1584, establishing a compensation law for wrongfully incarcerated Oregonians. Johnson declined a plea deal of first-degree manslaughter and first-degree robbery and was then tried and convicted on an aggravated murder charge for which he received a death Sep 11, 2025 · Oregon Innocence Project is administered by Oregon Justice Resource Center, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization. F: 971-279-4748. to help prevent future wrongful convictions. This means that policymakers, journalists, and people in Oregon have no way to know which officers are engaging in ongoing misconduct or if any disciplinary actions have been enforced. Our major areas of work include innocence and wrongful convictions, exonerations, and legal reforms to prevent and address wrongful convictions. The nationwide polygraph examiner network. One notable case overturned the manslaughter conviction of Nicholas McGuffin in 2020 based on faulty DNA testing by law enforcement. He has been an Oregon criminal-defense and civil-rights attorney since 2006. Johnson (PDF) (Filed by the American Civil Liberties Union of Oregon) State v. We have spoken with those involved in the 1994 incident, as well as the victim in that case, who all continue to affirm that Mr. Oct 5, 2023 · A Portland man who was imprisoned for the past 25 years for a 1997 crime has been freed due to evidence that dismissed a separate case from 1994. Horner is the first person to be exonerated in Oregon since the project started four years ago. Apr 28, 2021 · More than 20 innocent Oregonians have spent decades in prison for crimes they didn’t commit, but they continue to suffer because Oregon is one of only 13 states without a law to compensate the wrongfully convicted. Brockamp Eyewitness identification Oregon v. MEDIA We are based in Portland but we take cases from all over Oregon. Jan 29, 2016 · The Oregon Innocence Project gained an enormous feather in its cap when Steve Wax, Oregon’s top federal defender for 31 years, joined its ranks as the legal director in October 2014. The requirement applies to major class A and B felonies and homicides. To find organization(s) that may be able to assist you or a loved one, please look under the section headlined “National Organizations” as well as the section Oregon is one of nine states where police officers’ disciplinary history is mostly unavailable through public records requests. When volunteer opportunities become available, we will advertise them Exoneree Compensation in Oregon A person who was convicted of one or more felonies and subsequently had the conviction (s) reversed or vacated, or received a gubernatorial pardon, is eligible to receive compensation at a rate of $65,000 per year of wrongful incarceration, plus $25,000 per year of post-release supervision. Steve served as Legal Director of the Oregon Innocence Project and Senior Counsel of our FA:IR Law Project and is now Senior Counsel at OJRC. 06. Sep 24, 2024 · Fredrick Earl Bain stands with his two daughters. The headlines practically wrote themselves: “Discovery of dog saves Oregon man from sex crime conviction” (Fox News), “A man’s 50-year sex crime conviction was overturned thanks to a black lab named Lucy” (Insider. Please remember that contacting the Oregon Innocence Project does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Courtesy of Oregon Innocence Project Oregon’s Department of Justice gave few indications Tuesday it is ready to change its approach to payouts Volunteer with us. Black (PDF) State v Oregon Deception Bill is Signed into Law, Banning Police from Lying to Youth During Interrogations Both Oregon and Illinois enacted laws this week prohibiting police from using deceptive interrogation tactics on minors. Donate monthly today. During law school, Kassidy interned with OIP and at a private criminal defense firm in Eugene. The information you obtain at Dec 17, 2019 · Oregon Innocence Project staff and volunteers worked on Mr. The Oregon Innocence Project exists to help wrongfully convicted Oregonians clear their names. Oregon Innocence Project Oct 2014 - Sep 2021 7 years Portland, Oregon, United States Reviewed requests from persons asserting they were innocent of the crime (s) for which they were convicted Apr 5, 2016 · The Oregonian / OregonLive published these two articles: "Oregon Innocence Project misses mark in notorious murder (OPINION)," by John Foote, March 29, 2016, Clackamas County District Attorney. PARC corresponds with and mails a directory of these resources to prisoners, their friends and family members. We study the frequency and distribution of exonerations, and the causes, costs, and consequences of wrongful convictions. According to the Oregon Innocence Project, Danyale Henderson II at *1. info. Our policy team collaborated with a coalition of advocates to help pass a law that codified a police licensing program for all New Jersey law enforcement officers. org. Post-Conviction Litigation Help The following organizations assist incarcerated people with post-conviction litigation for free. “The state legislature and governor should be commended for taking this step to better enable the innocent to get the justice they deserve. Inclusion on this list in no way signals a recommendation by the Innocence Project or Innocence Network. 8 Evaluate information from a variety of sources and perspectives. According to various news sources, the analyst is accused of tampering with drug evidence and potentially affecting the integrity of more than a thousand cases. As an attorney with OIP, Kassidy works to exonerate individuals convicted of crimes they did not commit. The judge Oregon Innocence Project exists to help wrongfully convicted Oregonians prove their innocence. We are often the first point of contact for people to connect with prisoners' rights organizations, community organizations, prison literature and arts projects, family and visiting resources, health care and legal resources, parole and pre-release resources, and the prison abolition The OIP launch coincided with the annual national Innocence Network conference in Portland. Oregon Justice Resource Center is a 501 (c) (3) tax-exempt organization. Sep 6, 2020 · The Oregon Innocence Project in March 2016 took Bain’s case to U. The Oregon Innocence Project assists innocent people who have been wrongfully convicted in Oregon to clear their names, trains law students, and promotes legal reforms that will prevent and address wrongful conviction. Oregon v. Relationship, criminal, and Immigration Polygraphs. Sep 11, 2025 · The Oregon Innocence Project (OIP) is the state's only program dedicated to helping innocent people clear their names, and has so far exonerated 5 Oregonians from wrongful convictions for The Oregon Innocence Project is the only program of its kind in Oregon whose sole mission is to actively track claims of innocence, investigate those claims, test DNA and other scientific evidence, and litigate where appropriate. Support our work to strengthen and advance the innocence movement. Mar 17, 2023 · Kenneth Kreuscher is the Oregon Innocence Project’s managing attorney, litigating and coordinating OIP’s cases alongside staff and volunteer counsel, paralegals, investigators, and law students. Portland - Eugene - Salem - Gresham polygraphs. F. We collect, analyze, and publish comprehensive information on all known exonerations of criminal defendants in the United States. 6, 2018. hile it is important to prevent future wrongful convictions, it is equally important that we acknowledge e to the same causes of wrongful convictions, including mistaken Jul 20, 2023 · O’Connor and Kaplan wound up crossing paths with the Oregon Innocence Project, which she co-founded in 2014, then the two collaborated on a wide range of cases and youth justice issues. Now, with top defender Steve Wax at the helm, Oregon Innocence Project launches with the mission of exonerating the wrongly convicted Aug 18, 2015 · In an op-ed in the Portland Tribune on Friday, Oregon Innocence Project Co-Founder Aliza Kaplan urged police departments in the state to update their eyewitness identification protocol to avoid convicting the innocent. Emily Cureton / OPB “It’s important to believe juvenile sex crime victims and Feb 4, 2016 · Inside the Oregon Innocence Project Portland publication Street Roots takes us behind the scenes at the Oregon Innocence Project in an interview with co-founder and Lewis & Clark Law Professor Aliza Kaplan. In 2019, the law was amended to: improve the standard of proof for testing to be granted, to allow a court to order a DNA database comparison if testing yields an unknown DNA profile, and to allow a court to order an evidence inventory when a petition for testing is filed, so the State statute requires law enforcement to electronically record the entirety of their custodial interrogations of suspects when they occur in law enforcement facilities. The project's mission is to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, train law students, and promote legal reforms aimed at preventing Mar 26, 2015 · The Oregon District Attorneys Association opposes the bill, saying it would allow for too many old cases to be challenged and would be too costly for the state. Gill is innocent. While the Special Master largely adopted the Innocence Project’s proposed legal framework, the New Jersey Supreme Court did not accept it in “This legislation vastly improves the existing law, which has only helped one Oregonian access post-conviction DNA testing that we are aware of,” said Aliza Kaplan, co-founder of the Oregon Innocence Project. Hickman (PDF) Fingerprint analysis State v. The Oregon Innocence Project was founded in 2014 and is a program of the Oregon Justice Resource Center, a 501 (c) (3) nonprofit organization based in Portland, Oregon. 14 Explain rights and responsibilities of citizens. Jul 5, 2025 · Discover Company Info on STUDENT INNOCENCE PROJECT OREGON in Eugene, OR, such as Contacts, Addresses, Reviews, and Registered Agent. As well as freeing wrongfully Give monthly to help free the innocent. View Kassidy Oct 1, 2025 · Kassidy Hetland, JD ’20 Kassidy currently works as a staff attorney for the Oregon Innocence Project (OIP). The Oregon Innocence Project (OIP) is the state's only program dedicated to helping innocent people clear their names, and has so far exonerated 5 Oregonians from wrongful convictions for serious Bills addressing deceptive interrogation tactics and the reliability of confessions have also been introduced in both New York and Oregon. For media inquiries, visit our Media page. Evidence Preservation in Oregon State statute requires the automatic preservation of biological evidence collected in criminal investigations for aggravated murder, murder, rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, unlawful sexual penetration in the first degree, aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter in the first degree or Post-conviction DNA testing is available for any person convicted of a felony in which DNA evidence could exist. Jun 23, 2021 · When you look back on your life, what are some of your happiest memories? For the more than 200 people freed with the help of the Innocence Project, those me The Registry is a living archive of injustice. In 2004, Mr. Oct 9, 2018 · Oregon Innocence Project Announces First Exoneration, by Innocence Staff, Innocence Project, September 10, 2018 Oregon State Social Science Standards 8. We welcome applications from professionals and students with relevant experience and/or qualifications to volunteer at the Oregon Justice Resource Center and the Oregon Innocence Project. We provide pro bono (free of charge) legal assistance to people who assert factual innocence and where there is the possibility of proving innocence. Sep 27, 2023 · The Oregon Innocence Project became involved with Danyale Gill’s case in 2018. Nooth (PDF) DNA testing State v. According to And it’s the only organized effort in Oregon to track and investigate inmates' claims of innocence. 21 by Innocence Staff The Oregon Innocence Project (OIP) is an initiative led by the Oregon Justice Resource Center, a legal aid clinic. com). Cannon, 43, was convicted of a 1998 triple murder based in part on comparative bullet lead analysis, a forensic procedure used by the May 24, 2012 · An Oregon task force , comprised of law enforcement officers and led by Oregon Police Chief John Teague, is considering major changes to eyewitness identification procedures. , AS AMICI CURIAE IN SUPPORT OF PETITIONER Jan 25, 2015 · Professor Aliza Kaplan gives an update on the project’s journey over the past 10 months. District Court, asking a judge to consider the girl’s recantation and the reasons she had made the accusation. 5216/S. We are a member of the Innocence Network, an international grouping of more than 70 organizations from all over the world dedicated to providing pro bono legal and investigative Actual innocence Reeves v. The Oregon Innocence Project (OIP) was founded in 2014, inspired by the model originally developed by the Innocence Project in New York. Jun 16, 2021 · This law is rooted in the work and expertise of the Innocence Project, the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law, and the Oregon Innocence Project, which collectively have exposed hundreds of wrongful convictions based on false confessions. Any statement that was unrecorded and is presented as evidence shall be accompanied by a jury instruction about the superior reliability of electronic Oregon Deception Bill is Signed into Law, Banning Police from Lying to Youth During Interrogations Both Oregon and Illinois enacted laws this week prohibiting police from using deceptive interrogation tactics on minors. We advocate for reforms that prevent and address wrongful convictions. info/. T: 503-944-2270. ” Sep 11, 2025 · The Oregon Innocence Project (OIP) is the state's only program dedicated to helping innocent people clear their names, and has so far exonerated 5 Oregonians from wrongful convictions for serious Mar 31, 2021 · The Oregon Innocence Project STRONGLY encourages your support of SB 819, which would establish a procedure that allows a district attorney and incarcerated person to jointly petition the sentencing court for reconsideration of a conviction or sentence. You should not send confidential information to us. The Innocence Project works to create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice; free the innocent; and prevent wrongful convictions. OIP provides pro bono (free of charge) legal assistance to people who assert factual innocence and where there is the possibility of proving innocence. Our job is to get people who shouldn't be there out of prison and back with their families. Network Member Organization Locator and Directory The Innocence Network is an affiliation of over 70 organizations from all over the world. Feb 4, 2019 · A crowd listens to Josh Horner's story at a fundraiser for the Oregon Innocence Project in Bend on Dec. The task force joins a growing national movement to confront the problem of misidentification, which is so prevalent in DNA exoneration cases. Sep 21, 2015 · Late last week, the Oregon State Police notified local district attorneys about potential problems with their cases as the law enforcement agency launched investigations into misconduct by one of its own forensic analysts. S. Administratively, we set up the infrastructure of the office, created an intake system for prisoners to request assistance, an Jul 2, 2007 · Watch video interviews with exonerees and other Innocence Project videos in our new Audio & Video Archive . 5337 in Minnesota, which includes clarifying statutes on newly discovered evidence that make it easier for wrongfully convicted people to seek relief. Before joining OIP as a staff attorney, Kassidy worked as a public defender in Oct 7, 2023 · PORTLAND, Ore. Other contacts For general inquiries, fill out the form below. The Innocence Project, an affiliate of Amicus Innocence Network, proposed a similar new legal architecture to the Henderson court and Special Master. Johnson (PDF) (Filed by the Innocence Network) State v. The changes under consideration include additional training for police We work to free the innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, and create fair, compassionate, and equitable systems of justice for everyone. Photo by Jenny Coleman. Oregon Innocence Project is administered by Oregon Justice Resource Center, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization. To find organization(s) that may be able to assist you or a loved one, please look under the section headlined “National Organizations” as well as the section Until this week Oregon was the only state without an Innocence Project. While it is important to prevent future wrongful convictions, it is equally important that w Sep 7, 2023 · The Oregon Innocence Project on Wednesday accused the state of committing a "heinous injustice" in its handling of the case. info Oregon Innocence Project is administered by Oregon Justice Resource Center, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization. The bill is now heading to Oregon’s House, while New York’s bill is still pending. nt future wrongful convictions. We've helped free more than 250 innocent people from prison. Dec 23, 2024 · The Great North Innocence Project and Innocence Project teamed up to pass H. The information you obtain at this site is not, nor is it intended to be, legal advice. Several other states, including Delaware and New York, are taking steps to end police deception in interrogations altogether. We are always adding more videos, so check back often. The Oregon Innocence Project has been around for almost a year and it’s already in full swing. We launched the Oregon Innocence Project (OIP) in 2014 with a mission to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, train law students, and promote legal reforms aimed at preventing wrongful convictions. Click on the links below to watch videos. And for even more videos, visit our YouTube page . The Oregon Innocence Project (OIP) launched in 2014 with a mission to exonerate the wrongfully convicted, train law students, and promote legal reforms aimed at preventing wrongful convictions. Our office only takes cases from Oregon. Contacting the Oregon Justice Resource Center does not establish an attorney-client relationship. Johnson (PDF) Eyewitness identification State v. Kaplan wrote that problematic eyewitness identification practices can lead to wrongful convictions, such as that of Samuel Lawson, who was released last year after spending nine “This legislation vastly improves the existing law, which has only helped one Oregonian access post-conviction DNA testing that we are aware of,” said Aliza Kaplan, co-founder of the Oregon Innocence Project. ” May 1, 2015 · The Oregon Innocence Project (OIP), a Portland-based nonprofit dedicated to exonerating wrongfully convicted prisoners, is part of a national network of innocence projects staffed primarily by volunteer lawyers and law students. He has represented criminal defendants and/or civil-rights plaintiffs in both state and federal court at trial, on Oregon Innocence Project, PO Box 5248, Portland, Oregon 97208. At the event, more than 500 lawyers, scientists, and exonerees gathered to celebrate innocence work around the country. The Oregon Innocence Project STRONGLY encourages your support of SB 819, which would establish a procedure that allows a district attorney and incarcerated person to jointly petition the sentencing court for reconsideration of a conviction or sentence. Dec 22, 2009 · Phillip Scott Cannon was released from an Oregon jail on Friday after prosecutors in his case said he had been convicted based on unreliable forensics and couldn’t be retried because evidence in his case had been destroyed. Police misconduct can lead to wrongful convictions, and secrecy laws that protect Decision Goes Even Further than the Recent New Jersey Supreme Court Decision Recognizing the Scientific Research on the Fallibility of Eyewitness Identification Evidence Contact: Paul Cates, 212-364-5346, pcates@innocenceproject. Hickman (Oregon Innocence Project) Felony-murder laws; merger in sentencing; disproportionate punishment Jun 24, 2025 · Discover Company Info on OREGON INNOCENCE PROJECT in Portland, OR, such as Contacts, Addresses, Reviews, and Registered Agent. To learn more, visit https://ojrc. Now, with top defender Steve Wax at the helm, Oregon Innocence Project launches with the mission of exonerating the wrongly convicted Meet the dedicated team of professionals at the Oregon Justice Resource Center who are committed to advancing justice and equality in Oregon. Co-Director at Oregon Innocence Project · Experience: Oregon Innocence Project · Education: University of Oregon School of Law · Location: Portland · 242 connections on LinkedIn. Oct 6, 2021 · The Innocence Project is proud of its policy team’s work, which championed these much-needed reforms in collaboration with exonerated people, local coalitions, and innocence organization partners. Our work is guided by science and grounded in anti-racism, and we are looking for phenomenal people to join us in the fight. To learn more and support the work of the Oregon Innocence Project, visit oregoninnocence. Our biggest accomplishment has been getting off the ground and setting up shop. E: info@oregoninnocence. Learn more about OJRC by visiting their website. Aug 18, 2020 · The Oregon Innocence Project team who worked on Earl’s case includes Legal Director Steve Wax, Senior Staff Attorney Brittney Plesser, and two legal interns, Alex Meggitt (who is now a staff attorney with the project) and Kelly Muldavin. Johnson (Oregon Innocence Project) Executive clemency Haugen v. Oregon Innocence Project, PO Box 5248, Portland, Oregon 97208. . Cannon (PDF) Memory science State v. McGuffin’s case for five years from 2014-2019 alongside attorneys from other firms up until his conviction was overturned in November 2019. John Grogan polygraphs. View our policy reforms and active policy campaigns in Oregon. VOLUNTEER WITH OREGON INNOCENCE PROJECT We welcome applications from professionals and students with relevant experience and/or qualifications to volunteer with the Oregon Innocence Project. When volunteer opportunities become available, we will advertise them Oregon Innocence Project is administered by Oregon Justice Resource Center, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization. Evidence Preservation in Oregon State statute requires the automatic preservation of biological evidence collected in criminal investigations for aggravated murder, murder, rape in the first degree, sodomy in the first degree, unlawful sexual penetration in the first degree, aggravated vehicular homicide, manslaughter in the first degree or Oregon Deception Bill is Signed into Law, Banning Police from Lying to Youth During Interrogations Both Oregon and Illinois enacted laws this week prohibiting police from using deceptive interrogation tactics on minors. org (Portland, OR; November 29, 2012) — Today a unanimous Oregon Supreme Court issued a landmark decision requiring major changes in the way courts are required to Until this week Oregon was the only state without an Innocence Project. He had served 10 years behind bars. If you are looking to donate, get involved, or are seeking legal assistance, find your local Network member organization below. The Oregon Innocence Project encourages your support of SB 499-1, establishing a compensation law for wrongfully incarcerated Oregonians. 16. Our goal is to be a resource for Sep 11, 2018 · Wax, who was Oregon's former top federal public defender for 31 years before joining the Oregon Innocence Project, said this case is highly unusual. OJRC places a high priority on protecting your privacy. Just this week, Oregon’s full Senate passed a bill to end police deception in interrogations of young people. Oregon Innocence Project is administered by the Oregon Justice Resource Center, a 501 (c)3 nonprofit organization located in Portland, Oregon. Kitzhaber Expert witnesses; effects of long-term domestic violence on victims who are also charged with crimes Tyson v. Since the first project was launched in 1989 at the Cardozo School of Law in New York City, more than 1,500 people in the United States have been exonerated, although Mar 11, 2014 · The Oregon Innocence Project will soon join a coast-to-coast movement that has freed hundreds of wrongly incarcerated men and women. – The only program of its kind in Oregon solely dedicated to tracking and investigating claims of wrongful conviction and assisting innocent people in clearing their names is marking its tenth anniversary. Please complete the form below and we will keep your information on file and add you to our volunteer mailing list. Oregon was among the first states to adopt a DNA access law, but according to Oregon Innocence Project Director Steve Wax, it’s time for an update. Polygraph Innocence Project and Immigration Credibility Assessment. We make our data, research, and stories broadly accessible. JD, Harvard Law School, cum laude AB, Colgate University, cum laude Contact Steve. kto vop0a qxp vrdxu dsf9e b36z nt4zbty8 vh6hd 2qr rok