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CONTACT PERSON:
VALERIE WILLARD
PUBLIC INFORMATION OFFICER
(504) 310-2590
| AUGUST
3, 2005 |
FOR
IMMEDIATE RELEASE |
Louisiana Supreme
Court Chief Justice Pascal F. Calogero, Jr., while attending
the 2005 Annual Meeting of the Conference of Chief Justices
(CCJ) and the Conference of State Court Administrators (COSCA)
held in Charleston, South Carolina, from August 1-August 3,
announced today the Conference’s
adoption of a resolution on wrongful criminal convictions.
This resolution was initially proposed to the Public Trust
and Confidence in the Judiciary Committee by Chief Justice
Calogero in January 2005 and was adopted by the Conference
of Chief Justices this week. As adopted, the resolution highlights
the scope of the issue and the impact upon public confidence
in the criminal justice system of wrongful convictions, and
it expresses the Conference’s support of state judicial
officers and appropriate public agencies in their efforts
to prevent the conviction of persons wrongfully charged with
criminal offenses, and improvement in procedures for considering
post-conviction claims of innocence.
Chief Justice Calogero stated, “Wrongful convictions
are inefficient in that they cost the system time and money
punishing innocent people, retrying cases, and possibly paying
restitution to the convicted, but innocent party. Wrongful
convictions are ineffective because they punish innocent persons
while letting the guilty persons free to commit more crimes.
Wrongful convictions are also clearly unfair ---unfair to
the innocent defendant and his family, unfair to the victim
who must relive the event if the case is retried, unfair to
other victims who may be harmed while the real perpetrator
continues to commit crimes, unfair to the taxpayers who must
pay twice for wrongful convictions, and unfair to officials
and other personnel in the justice system. For all these reasons,
wrongful convictions undermine public trust and confidence
in the system.”
The Conference of Chief Justices was established over 50 years
ago to improve the administration of justice in the states,
commonwealths and territories of the United States. The Conference
accomplishes this mission by facilitating the exchange of
information among its members, educating and training its
members, promoting the independence and effectiveness of the
judiciary, developing and advancing policies of common interest
to the members, and by supporting adequate funding and resources
for the operation of state courts.
The Conference of Chief Justices’ 2006 Mid-Year Meeting
will be held in New Orleans in February.
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