The U.S. criminal justice system isn't perfect. Things do go wrong from time to time, and the stakes are high. Not only is this justice we are talking about, but society's faith in the system is based on the understanding of fairness.
So what do you do when an innocent person is sent to prison for years?
Counties across the country are rolling out specialty units inside their District Attorney's offices with the job of sniffing out cases where justice wasn't done.
They are called Conviction Integrity Units and they have been coming at a rapid rate over the past decade. Dallas County was an innovator in this field starting its in 2007. Harris county followed a few years later, and with the election of Nico LaHood, Bexar county joined the growing list of major metropolitans with a CIU.
The results have been compelling. Since 2012, there have been two record setting years in exonerations.
After nearly a year in existence, what have we seen at Bexar County's CIU?
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Guests:
- Nico LaHood, Bexar County District Attorney
- Jay Brandon, Directs the Conviction Integrity Unit
