Wrongfully Convicted New Yorkers Lose More Than 11 Years

A wrongful conviction can take years of a person’s life away. New research shows that hundreds of people in New York have been cleared after being convicted of crimes they did not commit. The study was released by Davidoff Law Personal Injury Lawyers. It used cases listed by the National Registry of Exonerations since 1989.

New York Has Recorded 376 Exonerations

New York has had over 375 documented exonerations since 1989. An exoneration happens when a person is officially cleared of a crime after being convicted. The study found about 1.88 exonerations for every 100,000 New York residents.

More Than 4,300 Years Were Lost

Together, the exonerated New Yorkers spent 4,322 years behind bars. That equals an average of about 11 and a half years for each person. These were years the people could not get back after their names were cleared.

Many Cases Involved Homicide Charges

Nearly half of New York’s documented wrongful convictions involved homicide charges. Other common cases involved sexual assault and other crimes.

Most Exonerated New Yorkers Were Men

About 95% of the people exonerated in New York were men. Black New Yorkers made up just over 60% of the state’s documented exonerations.

The Numbers May Not Tell the Whole Story

The study only counted known cases listed by the National Registry of Exonerations. It does not include people who may have been wrongfully convicted but have not been cleared. For those who are exonerated, being released does not restore the many years they lost behind bars.