Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice
@quattronecenter.org
National research and policy hub at the University of Pennsylvania, created to correct errors and catalyze long-term structural improvements to the US criminal justice system. Visit https://www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/quattronecenter/
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The TX Court of Criminal Appeals has stayed the execution of Robert Roberson. QC Executive Director @tcita.bsky.social breaks down the case and what's next.
More than a hundred drug cases were dismissed in Philadelphia last week after evidence showed that three police officers had given false testimony. Hundreds more convictions involving the officers are now under review:
Three Philly cops who defenders say ‘straight up lied’ cause 134 drug cases to be dismissed, hundreds more expected
Nearly a thousand cases could be thrown out after prosecutors said the officers repeatedly gave false statements in court and can't be trusted.
www.inquirer.com
December 12, 2025 at 2:45 PM
More than a hundred drug cases were dismissed in Philadelphia last week after evidence showed that three police officers had given false testimony. Hundreds more convictions involving the officers are now under review:
@radleybalko.bsky.social, Quattrone Center journalism fellow, hosts the investigative podcast Collateral Damage. Episode 5 details the 2010 killing of unarmed 21-year-old Trevon Cole during a Las Vegas no-knock raid.
Hear more and subscribe: theintercept.com/podcasts/col...
Hear more and subscribe: theintercept.com/podcasts/col...
December 11, 2025 at 2:59 PM
@radleybalko.bsky.social, Quattrone Center journalism fellow, hosts the investigative podcast Collateral Damage. Episode 5 details the 2010 killing of unarmed 21-year-old Trevon Cole during a Las Vegas no-knock raid.
Hear more and subscribe: theintercept.com/podcasts/col...
Hear more and subscribe: theintercept.com/podcasts/col...
Our latest sentinel event review on the case of Eric Anderson uncovered 40 contributing factors to his wrongful conviction.
We sat down with Quattrone Center’s Senior Advisor John Hollway to break down what this review means for agencies, communities, and the future of accountability.
We sat down with Quattrone Center’s Senior Advisor John Hollway to break down what this review means for agencies, communities, and the future of accountability.
December 10, 2025 at 3:02 PM
Our latest sentinel event review on the case of Eric Anderson uncovered 40 contributing factors to his wrongful conviction.
We sat down with Quattrone Center’s Senior Advisor John Hollway to break down what this review means for agencies, communities, and the future of accountability.
We sat down with Quattrone Center’s Senior Advisor John Hollway to break down what this review means for agencies, communities, and the future of accountability.
Clearance rates are seen as the best indicator of a police department's efficacy in public safety, but experts believe they don't show the whole picture. As state lawmakers nationwide draft legislation to boost these clearance rates, @stateline.org reports on how police departments plan to improve.
Why ‘clearance rates’ don’t tell the whole story about solving crimes • Stateline
Police departments’ “clearance rates” — the percentage of cases they declare closed — are one of the most widely cited benchmarks for how effectively they combat crime. But the figures can be confusin...
stateline.org
December 8, 2025 at 3:07 PM
Clearance rates are seen as the best indicator of a police department's efficacy in public safety, but experts believe they don't show the whole picture. As state lawmakers nationwide draft legislation to boost these clearance rates, @stateline.org reports on how police departments plan to improve.
Despite crime levels hitting historic lows, 39 states across the country increased their prison populations in 2023 — a stark reversal from 13 years of slow decarceration. @sentencingproject.bsky.social provides analysis into this new trend and recommendations for decarceration: tinyurl.com/2vt885kn
December 5, 2025 at 2:48 PM
Despite crime levels hitting historic lows, 39 states across the country increased their prison populations in 2023 — a stark reversal from 13 years of slow decarceration. @sentencingproject.bsky.social provides analysis into this new trend and recommendations for decarceration: tinyurl.com/2vt885kn
Since 2015, we've conducted Sentinel Event Reviews to find solutions to some of the most unwanted outcomes in the criminal legal system: wrongful convictions, police use of force, forensic errors, & more. But what exactly are they? Our newest edition of Defining Justice has all the answers you need.
December 4, 2025 at 3:12 PM
Since 2015, we've conducted Sentinel Event Reviews to find solutions to some of the most unwanted outcomes in the criminal legal system: wrongful convictions, police use of force, forensic errors, & more. But what exactly are they? Our newest edition of Defining Justice has all the answers you need.
We're intrigued to learn more about the potential for rapid video response in policing. Tune in online with Justice Clearinghouse for discussion of a randomized control trial of rapid video response, featuring: Dr. Renee J. Mitchell, Dr. Sherah Basham, and Stacey Rothwell.
Tele-policing Using Rapid Video Response as an Alternative to In-Person Policing – Justice Clearinghouse
www.justiceclearinghouse.com
December 2, 2025 at 7:30 PM
We're intrigued to learn more about the potential for rapid video response in policing. Tune in online with Justice Clearinghouse for discussion of a randomized control trial of rapid video response, featuring: Dr. Renee J. Mitchell, Dr. Sherah Basham, and Stacey Rothwell.
Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez spent 27 years wrongfully incarcerated on a life sentence due to eyewitness misidentification. In a recent episode of Legal Talk Network’s “For The Innocent” podcast, JJ discusses his journey to freedom, leadership, and activism.
Listen now: https://tinyurl.com/2m2dnrpx
Listen now: https://tinyurl.com/2m2dnrpx
A Murdered Cop and a Mishandled Mugshot – JJ Velazquez’s Wrongful Conviction - Legal Talk Network
In 1998, a retired NYPD officer was shot and killed inside an illegal gambling parlor. Angry cops wanted speedy justice for one of their own, and an Discover insightful episodes on Legal Talk Network'...
tinyurl.com
December 2, 2025 at 3:00 PM
Jon-Adrian "JJ" Velazquez spent 27 years wrongfully incarcerated on a life sentence due to eyewitness misidentification. In a recent episode of Legal Talk Network’s “For The Innocent” podcast, JJ discusses his journey to freedom, leadership, and activism.
Listen now: https://tinyurl.com/2m2dnrpx
Listen now: https://tinyurl.com/2m2dnrpx
Jimmie "Chris" Duncan walked free last week after 27 years on Louisiana's death row for a murder conviction based on unreliable bitemark evidence.
innocenceproject.org/news/jimmie-...
innocenceproject.org/news/jimmie-...
Jimmie “Chris” Duncan is Released After 27 Years on Louisiana’s Death Row - Innocence Project
Mr. Duncan was wrongfully convicted of a crime that never occurred based on now discredited bite mark and forensic pathology testimony from notorious “experts” Michael West and Steven Hayne.
innocenceproject.org
December 1, 2025 at 10:28 PM
Jimmie "Chris" Duncan walked free last week after 27 years on Louisiana's death row for a murder conviction based on unreliable bitemark evidence.
innocenceproject.org/news/jimmie-...
innocenceproject.org/news/jimmie-...
Former Quattrone Center Fellow @mathuclair.bsky.social shares how the fellowship supported the fieldwork for his book, expanded his network, and shaped his career. If you’re doing justice-focused research, he says: apply!
Deadline: December 31
Learn more + apply: www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/q...
Deadline: December 31
Learn more + apply: www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/q...
December 1, 2025 at 3:30 PM
Former Quattrone Center Fellow @mathuclair.bsky.social shares how the fellowship supported the fieldwork for his book, expanded his network, and shaped his career. If you’re doing justice-focused research, he says: apply!
Deadline: December 31
Learn more + apply: www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/q...
Deadline: December 31
Learn more + apply: www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/q...
A new report from @aclu.org highlights how wrongful death penalty convictions disproportionately affect people of color due to factors such as systemic racism, prosecutorial misconduct, and more.
Read the full report: www.aclu.org/publications...
Read the full report: www.aclu.org/publications...
November 28, 2025 at 2:30 PM
A new report from @aclu.org highlights how wrongful death penalty convictions disproportionately affect people of color due to factors such as systemic racism, prosecutorial misconduct, and more.
Read the full report: www.aclu.org/publications...
Read the full report: www.aclu.org/publications...
More coverage of the Sentinel Event Review report we released last week seeking to understand how Eric Anderson was wrongfully convicted in Detroit and what reforms can prevent future injustice.
Get the full story: https://tinyurl.com/4uydyz43
Source: CBS News Detroit
Get the full story: https://tinyurl.com/4uydyz43
Source: CBS News Detroit
November 26, 2025 at 6:02 PM
More coverage of the Sentinel Event Review report we released last week seeking to understand how Eric Anderson was wrongfully convicted in Detroit and what reforms can prevent future injustice.
Get the full story: https://tinyurl.com/4uydyz43
Source: CBS News Detroit
Get the full story: https://tinyurl.com/4uydyz43
Source: CBS News Detroit
A new report from @colorado.edu's Visual Evidence Lab highlights growing issues regarding video and its usage in court. With the rise of AI and unclear guidelines on how to present, store, and use video as evidence, 20 experts came together to provide recommendations on how to remedy these concerns:
Inaugural Report: "Video’s Day in Court: Advancing Equitable Legal Usage of Visual Technologies and AI"
At its launch in April 2025, the Visual Evidence Lab gathered experts from across academia, law, media forensics, journalism and human rights practice to
www.colorado.edu
November 24, 2025 at 6:30 PM
A new report from @colorado.edu's Visual Evidence Lab highlights growing issues regarding video and its usage in court. With the rise of AI and unclear guidelines on how to present, store, and use video as evidence, 20 experts came together to provide recommendations on how to remedy these concerns:
In a 6-1 decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court banned the use of shaken baby syndrome as a reason for unexplained head trauma, becoming the first state in the nation to do so. The majority decision stated that the biomechanical community does not generally accept the syndrome, justifying their ban.
NJ high court bars shaken baby syndrome as ‘unreliable’ in child abuse cases
In a split ruling that has far-reaching implications for child abuse cases, the New Jersey Supreme Court on Thursday barred prosecutors from blaming shaken baby syndrome for children’s unexplained hea...
www.newsfromthestates.com
November 24, 2025 at 3:45 PM
In a 6-1 decision, the New Jersey Supreme Court banned the use of shaken baby syndrome as a reason for unexplained head trauma, becoming the first state in the nation to do so. The majority decision stated that the biomechanical community does not generally accept the syndrome, justifying their ban.
In our most recent sentinel event review, a cross-functional team found 40 factors contributed to the #wrongfulconviction of Eric Anderson, who spent 9 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
Read the full story: tinyurl.com/2eehjs78
Read the full story: tinyurl.com/2eehjs78
November 21, 2025 at 3:08 PM
In our most recent sentinel event review, a cross-functional team found 40 factors contributed to the #wrongfulconviction of Eric Anderson, who spent 9 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
Read the full story: tinyurl.com/2eehjs78
Read the full story: tinyurl.com/2eehjs78
We would like to congratulate Calvin Duncan for winning the race for New Orleans' next clerk of the criminal court! Duncan spent 28 years incarcerated for a 1981 murder he didn't commit, graduating from law school, founding the Light of Justice program, and releasing his memoir post-exoneration.
Calvin Duncan’s Unlikely Journey: Convict to Exoneree to Elected Official
www.nytimes.com
November 20, 2025 at 4:00 PM
We would like to congratulate Calvin Duncan for winning the race for New Orleans' next clerk of the criminal court! Duncan spent 28 years incarcerated for a 1981 murder he didn't commit, graduating from law school, founding the Light of Justice program, and releasing his memoir post-exoneration.
QC Senior Advisor John Hollway spoke at a press event headed by Wayne County's Prosecutor's Office — releasing our newest report investigating the wrongful conviction of Eric Anderson.
"The process is not about blame," he noted. "It is about building a safer and more reliable justice system."
"The process is not about blame," he noted. "It is about building a safer and more reliable justice system."
New report on a wrongful conviction highlights old missteps, in hopes of preventing future mistakes
The Wayne County Prosecutor's Office is dissecting a wrongful conviction bit by bit, in an effort to understand what went wrong and apply lessons to future prosecutions.
www.michiganpublic.org
November 18, 2025 at 7:59 PM
QC Senior Advisor John Hollway spoke at a press event headed by Wayne County's Prosecutor's Office — releasing our newest report investigating the wrongful conviction of Eric Anderson.
"The process is not about blame," he noted. "It is about building a safer and more reliable justice system."
"The process is not about blame," he noted. "It is about building a safer and more reliable justice system."
Eric Anderson spent nine years in a Michigan prison for a crime he didn't commit. Today, we're releasing a new report — summarizing our recent sentinel event review — aiming to understand this miscarriage of justice and how we can prevent others like it.
🔗 www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/1...
🔗 www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/1...
November 17, 2025 at 6:30 PM
Eric Anderson spent nine years in a Michigan prison for a crime he didn't commit. Today, we're releasing a new report — summarizing our recent sentinel event review — aiming to understand this miscarriage of justice and how we can prevent others like it.
🔗 www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/1...
🔗 www.law.upenn.edu/live/files/1...
BREAKING: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has commuted the death row sentence of Tremane Wood to life in prison without parole. Wood received a clemency recommendation from the state pardon and parole board last week, noting that Wood did not commit the murder for which he was convicted in 2002.
Oklahoma governor spares the life of death row inmate just before scheduled lethal injection
Stitt granted clemency on Thursday to 46-year-old Tremane Wood, who was sentenced to die for the stabbing death of a man during a botched robbery on New Year's Day 2002.
www.pbs.org
November 13, 2025 at 6:04 PM
BREAKING: Oklahoma Gov. Kevin Stitt has commuted the death row sentence of Tremane Wood to life in prison without parole. Wood received a clemency recommendation from the state pardon and parole board last week, noting that Wood did not commit the murder for which he was convicted in 2002.
Reposted by Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice
Tremane Wood is scheduled to be executed tomorrow at 10am in Oklahoma for a crime his brother admitted to committing.
If you want to help, you can call Gov. Stitt: 405-521-2342
The pardon and parole board has recommended clemency. The final decision is up to Gov Stitt.
If you want to help, you can call Gov. Stitt: 405-521-2342
The pardon and parole board has recommended clemency. The final decision is up to Gov Stitt.
November 12, 2025 at 7:40 PM
Tremane Wood is scheduled to be executed tomorrow at 10am in Oklahoma for a crime his brother admitted to committing.
If you want to help, you can call Gov. Stitt: 405-521-2342
The pardon and parole board has recommended clemency. The final decision is up to Gov Stitt.
If you want to help, you can call Gov. Stitt: 405-521-2342
The pardon and parole board has recommended clemency. The final decision is up to Gov Stitt.
Reposted by Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice
The state of Texas is trying to block a new hearing in #RobertRoberson’s case that could prove his innocence. He was granted a third stay of execution last month, and has spent 22 years on Texas’ death row.
His case is in limbo. Read here: bit.ly/3LDvsEM
His case is in limbo. Read here: bit.ly/3LDvsEM
State pushes back on evidentiary hearing in Robert Roberson’s death penalty case
Robert Roberson’s legal team has long sought to present a deluge of evidence compiled since his 2003 capital murder trial that they say will prove his...
bit.ly
November 12, 2025 at 9:49 PM
The state of Texas is trying to block a new hearing in #RobertRoberson’s case that could prove his innocence. He was granted a third stay of execution last month, and has spent 22 years on Texas’ death row.
His case is in limbo. Read here: bit.ly/3LDvsEM
His case is in limbo. Read here: bit.ly/3LDvsEM
SF's public defenders are overwhelmed by their caseload, as leaders announce they're "ethically bound to refuse new appointments when caseloads make it impossible to provide competent, diligent representation to existing clients." The system of private contract attorneys is also at a breaking point:
San Francisco Public Defenders Warn Caseload Crisis Is Forcing Unavailability Declarations - Davis Vanguard
The San Francisco Public Defender's Office is facing an overload of cases due to increased complexity of laws and digital evidence, leading to potential release of incarcerated people due to lack of defense attorneys and a call for immediate funding and...
davisvanguard.org
November 13, 2025 at 2:45 PM
SF's public defenders are overwhelmed by their caseload, as leaders announce they're "ethically bound to refuse new appointments when caseloads make it impossible to provide competent, diligent representation to existing clients." The system of private contract attorneys is also at a breaking point:
We're honoring the service of all veterans today, and we're grateful to our friends at the Death Penalty Information Center for this new report — the first-ever comprehensive account of veterans sentenced to death in the United States.
deathpenaltyinfo.org/research/ana...
deathpenaltyinfo.org/research/ana...
Forgotten Service, Lasting Wounds: Military Veterans and the Death Penalty | Death Penalty Information Center
**Executive Summary** - Though the Supreme Court has recognized the importance of military service in capital mitigation, the legal...
deathpenaltyinfo.org
November 11, 2025 at 8:00 PM
We're honoring the service of all veterans today, and we're grateful to our friends at the Death Penalty Information Center for this new report — the first-ever comprehensive account of veterans sentenced to death in the United States.
deathpenaltyinfo.org/research/ana...
deathpenaltyinfo.org/research/ana...
The Philadelphia Police Department is solving cases at its fastest pace in 40 years, thanks to new technology and a years-long decrease in violent crime. @inquirer.com covers how they've made these accomplishments while striving for even higher clearance rates, less misconduct, and more:
Philly detectives are solving homicides at the highest rate in 40 years as violence plummets and tech improves
Still, nearly 800 killings between 2021 and 2023 have yet to result in an arrest, according to an Inquirer analysis.
www.inquirer.com
November 11, 2025 at 3:00 PM
The Philadelphia Police Department is solving cases at its fastest pace in 40 years, thanks to new technology and a years-long decrease in violent crime. @inquirer.com covers how they've made these accomplishments while striving for even higher clearance rates, less misconduct, and more:
In 26 states, there is no requirement that a lawyer be present at pretrial motions, but in jurisdictions that ensure counsel at first appearance (CAFA), lawyers note key benefits for defendants. A new policy brief from @innovatingjustice.bsky.social advocates for CAFA in all 50 states:
Counsel at First Appearance: An Object Lesson in Policy Implementation - Center for Justice Innovation
This policy brief approaches the ongoing efforts to secure early counsel as a challenge of implementation and offers practical advice on ensuring the push is transformed into change on the ground.
www.innovatingjustice.org
November 10, 2025 at 7:45 PM
In 26 states, there is no requirement that a lawyer be present at pretrial motions, but in jurisdictions that ensure counsel at first appearance (CAFA), lawyers note key benefits for defendants. A new policy brief from @innovatingjustice.bsky.social advocates for CAFA in all 50 states: