POSTVERDICTS LAW LIBRARY
How Do Innocence Projects Decide Which Cases to Review?
Innocence projects use their own intake criteria to decide which cases they can review. Common considerations include a claim of factual innocence, the type and location of the conviction, remaining evidence, the possibility of meaningful investigation, procedural posture, and the organization's available resources.
General educational information only. Not legal advice.
Important terms
Intake criteria are the published or internal requirements a case must satisfy before review.
Screening does not decide guilt or innocence; it determines whether the organization will investigate further.
Conflict review checks whether professional obligations prevent the organization from participating.
Why it can matter
A concise theory supported by specific records is easier to assess than a large unsorted submission. Useful materials can include charging documents, judgments, appellate opinions, transcripts, laboratory reports, discovery, and prior post-conviction decisions.
Applicants should answer intake questions directly and explain what new investigation or testing could show.
Limits to keep in mind
A rejection may reflect limited resources or a mismatch with the organization's criteria rather than a definitive judgment about the case.
Repeated, duplicative submissions can slow review. Follow the organization's current instructions and update it only with genuinely new information.