Will the Medill Innocence Project take my case?
To be considered for investigation, a case must meet all of the following criteria:
(1) The crime must have taken place no further than 250 miles from Evanston, Illinois. Preference, however, is given to cases within 100 miles;
(2) The charges must include murder;
(3) The case must have been heard by the state Appellate Court on direct appeal and the conviction must have been affirmed;
(4) The prisoner must be claiming actual innocence. We do not accept cases where legal defenses (such as self-defense, mere presence, coercion, or "battered wife syndrome") are raised. We do not accept cases where the applicant was present during the crime; and
(5) We accept non-DNA cases for investigation.
To have a case considered for our pool of potential cases, please contact us.