Illinois Innocence Project

IIP’s policy work includes not only supporting mission-forward bills but also serving as a “watchdog” for legislation threatening prevention. We do this either by outright opposing bills or discussing with lawmakers how legislation might be re-formulated. In May 2019, our policy team was resisting bills that would: reverse an eyewitness identification best practice for lineup administration; reduce the documents prosecutors must disclose when requested via the Freedom of Information Act, limit access to information that might help an innocent person; make it easier for the Illinois State Police crime lab to use an entire piece of evidence when conducting DNA testing, destroying any future chance to test that evidence as science advances.

In a little more than 12 hours, is likely to execute a man, Tony Carruthers, who has proclaimed his for the last 32 years. And if they do so, it will be on the basis of testimony from an incentivized jailhouse snitch who has since recanted, while also ignoring actual evidence from the crime that still hasn't been tested for .

This powerful column in the Nashville Tennessean makes clear why this circumstance is a gross injustice. The Tennessee Innocence Project is among those lobbying to try and stop what could be the ultimate tragedy -- the state-sanctioned killing of an innocent man.

The question Tennessee must answer before its next ex*****on | Opinion Tennessee plans to execute Tony Carruthers on May 21, despite questions about his guilt and untested DNA evidence.