Conviction Review Unit

The Minnesota Conviction Review Unit (CRU) is now accepting applications. For more information please visit the CRU webpage by clicking HERE.

The Great North Innocence Project received a two- year, $300,000 grant from the U.S. Department of Justice that will fund the formation of Minnesota’s first-ever Conviction Review Unit (CRU). The CRU operates as a partnership between the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and the Great North Innocence Project.

The Great North Innocence Project will allow the state to review legal cases for people believed to be innocent. While there are dozens of CRUs across the country, Minnesota’s will be just the fourth in the country that operates through an Attorney General’s Office. To date, CRUs have helped initiate the exoneration of 444 people in the U.S.

“This is a momentous development in our ongoing mission to seek justice for all wrongfully convicted people in Minnesota,” said Sara Jones, executive director of the Great North Innocence Project. “Every criminal case carries with it the specter of a mistake, oversight, or even misconduct by law enforcement or lawyers. A CRU provides a powerful additional tool in the toolbox of justice for wrongfully convicted people.”

“Prosecutors are ministers of justice. We have a duty to ensure those convicted of crimes are in fact guilty of those crimes,” said Attorney General Ellison. “We strive for perfection but know our system is imperfect. This grant will allow us to create a unit to fearlessly review cases to make sure justice was served, and if not, to right those wrongs.”

The purpose of a CRU is to prevent, identify and remedy wrongful convictions. Each case the CRU accepts for review will have a strong indication that the person imprisoned could be innocent of the crime for which they were convicted. Minnesota’s CRU also will develop policy proposals to address the most frequently identified causes of wrongful convictions and, when possible, identify the person or people who actually committed the crime. Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and Hennepin County Attorney Mike Freeman submitted letters of support and have vowed to work cooperatively with the CRU in cases that might arise from their counties.

The structure and functioning of the CRU will be announced in early 2021.

“Justice is served when the person who committed a crime is held accountable and the innocent are free – and that is what a CRU will do for Minnesota,” said Julie Jonas, legal director of the Great North Innocence Project. “We look forward to engaging with jurisdictions across the state to correct wrongful convictions and continue our meaningful search for truth.”

For more information about the Minnesota Conviction Review Unit and for frequently asked questions please click HERE.