First of Its Kind
In The Nation
The North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission is the first of its kind in the nation. The Commission was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2006 and began operating in 2007. Since then, the Commission has reviewed over 2,500 innocence claims and conducted multiple hearings.
Independent & Balanced Truth Seeking
The Commission is charged with providing an independent and balanced truth-seeking forum for credible post-conviction claims of innocence in North Carolina.
The Commission is separate from the appeals process. A person exonerated through the Commission process is declared innocent and cannot be retried for the same crime.
The Commission began operation in 2007
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Total Number of Claims Received since Commission's Creation0
Total Number of Cases Closed since Commission's Creation0
Number of Claims Received in 20200
Number of Hearings Conducted since Commission's Creation*0
Exonerations***Data compiled September 30, 2020
*The hearings for Leon Brown, Henry McCollum, and Edward McInnis were conducted as Motions for Appropriate Relief based on the Commission’s investigation. **Twelve individuals have been exonerated as a result of the Commission’s investigations.
Convictions Resulting from Trial or Plea
• Alford and no contest pleas are included in plea category.
• N/A is for individuals who apply but have not been convicted.
Applicants’ Convictions
• Some applicants were convicted of multiple offenses.
Applicants’ Innocence Claims
• Some applicants made multiple innocence claims.
• It is important to note that several of these categories do not fit the statutory requirement for actual innocence and result in an automatic rejection.
Reasons for Rejection
• Some cases were rejected for more than one reason.
Race Breakdown
Gender Breakdown
