From: UW-Madison news <releases@news.wisc.edu>
Date: August 30, 2005 4:07:54 PM CDT
To: Dennis Chaptman <dchaptman@wisc.edu>
Subject: UW-Madison News Release--New Justice Commission
Reply-To: UW-Madison news <releases@news.wisc.edu>
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
8/30/05
CONTACTS: Byron Lichstein, Frank J. Remington Center, University of Wisconsin
Law School, (608) 265-2741, bclichstein@wisc.edu;
Kelly J. Kennedy, Office of the Attorney General, (608) 266-7876; Teresa
Weidemann-Smith, State Bar of Wisconsin, (608) 250-6025
NEW CRIMINAL JUSTICE COMMISSION FORMED FOR WISCONSIN
MADISON - In an effort to improve Wisconsin's criminal justice system by
identifying and remedying problems that have led to wrongful convictions, legal
officials from around the state have formed a new Wisconsin Criminal Justice
Study Commission.
The panel's first meeting will be held on Wednesday, Aug. 31 from 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.
at the State Bar
Center, 5302
Eastpark Blvd., in Madison.
The commission was formed by the State Bar of Wisconsin, the University of Wisconsin
Law School, Marquette University
Law School
and Wisconsin Attorney General Peg Lautenschlager.
The problem of wrongful convictions is well recognized. Manitowoc
County man Steven Avery served 18
years in prison, based largely on an eyewitness identification, before he was
exonerated by DNA evidence.
Between 1989 and 2003, at least 328 wrongly convicted people nationwide were
legally exonerated and freed from prison, including several from Wisconsin,
in addition to Avery.
In many of those cases, the wrongful conviction of an innocent person meant
that a violent and dangerous offender was allowed to escape detection and
remain free in the community.
More than half of the 328 exonerated people served more than 10 years in prison,
and 80 percent served at least five years. Overall, they served more than 3,400
years, at an estimated cost to taxpayers of $85 million. The number of
discovered exonerations raises questions of whether the actual number of
wrongful convictions might be much higher.
All three branches of government in Wisconsin
have begun to take action to address this problem. Lautenschlager recently
implemented a new "Model Policy and Procedure for Eyewitness
Identification" that places Wisconsin law
enforcement in the forefront of the national movement to implement the most
scientifically reliable eyewitness identification procedures.
The Wisconsin Supreme Court recently decided four cases with important
consequences for the truth-seeking function of courts. And the Avery Task
Force, a legislative commission, introduced legislation to address some of the
causes of wrongful convictions.
The new commission is made up of well-respected criminal justice professionals
from every facet of the system, including prosecutors, police, defense
attorneys, judges, and victims' advocates, as well as community leaders from
outside the system.
Commission members will have freedom to
determine their own agenda by identifying important problems and crafting
solutions. The commission is expected to meet five times over the next year.
The members are:
- Stephen E. Bablitch, former CEO, Cobalt Corporation and former Secretary,
Wisconsin Department of Corrections;
- Daniel P. Bach, Wisconsin Deputy Attorney General;
- Penny Beerntsen, victim's advocate;
- Daniel D. Blinka, law professor, Marquette University Law School;
- Jerome F. Buting, attorney, Buting & Williams;
- John Charewicz, Portage County Sheriff;
- Walter J. Dickey, law professor, University of Wisconsin Law School;
- Robert D. Donohoo, Chief Deputy District Attorney, Milwaukee County;
- Enrique Figueroa, director, Roberto Hernandez Center, University of
Wisconsin-Milwaukee;
- Keith A. Findley, law professor, University of Wisconsin Law School;
- Hon. Frederic W. Fleishauer, Portage County Circuit Court Judge;
- Stephen M. Glynn, attorney, Glynn, Fitzgerald & Albee;
- Thomas J. Hammer, professor, Marquette University Law School;
- Ken Hammond, director, Law Enforcement
Education, Training & Standards Bureau, Wisconsin Department of Justice;
- Nanette H. Hegerty, Milwaukee Chief of Police;
- Scott L. Horne, La Crosse County District Attorney;
- Peggy A. Lautenschlager, Wisconsin Attorney General;
- Hon. Michael G. Malmstadt, Milwaukee County Children's Court Judge;
- Cheryll A. Maples, administrator, Community Corrections, Wisconsin Department
of Corrections;
- Hon. Emily S. Mueller, Racine County Circuit Court Judge;
- Gerald W. Mowris, attorney, Pellino, Rosen, Mowris & Kirkhuff and former
president, State Bar of Wisconsin;
- Suzanne C. O'Neill, attorney, Wisconsin State Public Defender;
- Floyd Peters, Superior Chief of Police;
- Gerard A. Randall, Jr., CEO and President, Private Industry Council,
Workforce Development Board of Milwaukee County;
- Michael E. Smith, law professor, University
of Wisconsin Law School;
- Kelli Sue Thompson, Wisconsin Deputy State Public Defender;
- Noble Wray, Madison Chief of Police.
