FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE | From the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission | Lindsey Guice Smith, Executive Director
The Commission is very grateful to the North Carolina General Assembly and the Governor for implementing a budget that included an unprecedented EXPANSION to the Commission’s budget. This EXPANSION will allow the Commission to maintain talented staff, hire much needed additional staff to manage OUR EVER increasing workload, PROVIDE CONSISTENT support FOR our Victims’ program, and PROVIDE funds to pay for operational expenses like forensic testing and expert witnesses.
The North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission is a state agency charged with investigating post-conviction claims of factual innocence. The agency was created by the General Assembly in 2006 and began operations in 2007. The Commission is the first and only of its kind in the country. Since 2007, over 3000 claims have been submitted and review by the Commission. The Commission has held 17 hearings. Fifteen individuals have been exonerated as a result of the Commission’s investigations. In addition, there are currently five individuals whose cases are awaiting final adjudication by a post-Commission three-judge panel.
For more information, please contact the Commission’s Executive Director, Lindsey Guice Smith, at (919) 890-1580 or [email protected]. You may also find more information on the Commission’s website at www.innocencecommisson-nc.gov.