In recent days, John Miller was set free after more than 21 years behind bars. His entire case was based on the testimony of one witness — which turned out to be a lie.
Chester Holman, Terrance Lewis, and six others have also been exonerated since Philadelphia District Attorney Larry Krasner took office. Before that, names like Shaurn Thomas and Anthony Wright dominated headlines over the years as others were set free following decades of wrongful conviction.
So, is wrongful conviction an anomaly? Or is it an epidemic in Philadelphia?
Patricia Cummings, Conviction Integrity and Special Investigations Unit supervisor for the Philadelphia District Attorney's Office, joins Marissa Bluestine, former executive director of the Pennsylvania Innocence Project — who is now assistant director of the Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice at the University of Pennsylvania — and Bradley Bridge, an assistant defender at the Defender Association of Philadelphia with more than 20 years of experience helping individuals get post-conviction relief.
In addition, the audience hears a one-on-one interview with exoneree Anthony Wright. He spent 25 years behind bars for a rape and murder that he did not commit. Cleared by DNA evidence, Wright endured a second trial and was eventually found not guilty by a jury. He sued the city of Philadelphia and won.