WEST PALM BEACH, Fla. — Palm Beach County's state attorney has created a new unit to review wrongful convictions.
State Attorney Dave Aronberg announced Monday the creation of a Conviction Review Unit to identify, remedy and prevent wrongful convictions.
"Wrongful convictions are contrary to our mission in this office, as they punish the innocent, undermine the integrity of our criminal justice system and threaten public safety by allowing the actual perpetrators to go free," Aronberg said in a statement.
The new unit will be comprised of attorneys, investigators and support staff who will conduct an initial screening process to identify plausible claims of innocence on behalf of convicted complainants.
If the claims merit review, the unit will then conduct a more detailed investigation to determine if a wrongful conviction occurred.
Among the remedies could include "dismissing the underlying charges and convictions," office spokesman Mike Edmondson said.
Anyone who believes he or she is innocent of a crime is asked to complete the petition for review. The petition may be completed by someone on behalf of another.
