GN-IP is thrilled that Anna McGinn is joining the organization’s legal team as a Bank of America Fellow. A recent graduate of the University of Notre Dame School of Law, Anna will work with GN-IP for two years and increase our capacity to investigate claims of innocence, litigate cases where an innocent person has been wrongful convicted, and conduct advocacy towards criminal legal system reform.
Read moreExoneree Michael Hansen Finds a Renewed Sense of Self in Tattooing
Tattoo artist and owner of Kinship Collective Tattoo in Northfield, Minnesota, Michael Hansen, spoke with GN-IP this month for National Tattoo Day where he gave us a tour of his shop and talked all things tattooing.
Mike spent nearly seven years in prison for a crime he did not commit. After being freed with the help of GN-IP, Mike accomplished a long held dream that seemed impossible after his conviction: becoming a tattoo artist. Now, he's not only achieved that, but he's opened his own shop, has supervised the apprenticeships of four aspiring tattoo artists, and built a dedicated, supportive staff of artists along the way.
Law clerk Alexa Stebbins talks her first investigative trip & legal ethics
Summer law clerks Alexa Stebbins and Madison Wadsworth got their first taste of conducting legal investigations with a road trip to South Dakota this month to interview witnesses in a current GN-IP case. Prepped by GN-IP attorney Andrew Markquart, Alexa and Madison travelled to Hartford (a suburb of Sioux Falls) and Pine Ridge Reservation where they tracked down two people related to the case. We sat down with Alexa to learn more about what it takes to conduct legal investigations, what she learned from her trip, and why she believes innocence work is critical to making her a better attorney and our society a more just one.
Read moreExonerated client Javon Davis reflects on fatherhood after freedom
During this month of Father's Day, GN-IP exonerated client Javon Davis reflected on what he is grateful to be able to do with his kids now that he has been freed.
Read moreGN-IP Celebrates Juneteenth
Last week, GN-IP celebrated Juneteenth alongside community members during the Minneapolis Parks and Recreation-hosted Juneteenth Celebration at Bethune Park in North Minneapolis.
Read moreBidding Farewell to a GN-IP legend, Legal Director Julie Jonas
This month, we bid farewell to the Great North Innocence Project's trailblazing, inspiring, and longtime legal director, Julie Jonas as she begins her new role as a full time, tenured professorship at the St. Thomas University School of Law. While we will greatly miss Julie and her legal expertise, passion for innocence work, and institutional knowledge, we are thrilled that she is able to take this important step in her career.
Read moreThomson Reuter's Partnership Levels Up GN-IP's Communications Strategy
For the second consecutive year, GN-IP staff collaborated with an all-star team from Thomson Reuters for the annual IMPACTathon. This initiative offers an opportunity for Thomson Reuters employees from around the world to leverage their skills to contribute to the communities in which they live and work in pursuit of justice, truth, and transparency.
Read moreLaw Students with Passion for Criminal Law and Advancing Justice Join GN-IP this Summer
This summer, two law students are joining GN-IP as law clerks to support the legal team’s work screening and investigating potential cases of innocence. Myranda Sandberg will be starting her 3L at Mitchell Hamline School of Law in the fall and graduating with her law degree in December. Madison Wadsworth is a rising 3L law student at the University of Minnesota Law School.
Read moreDoes race matter in eyewitness identification?
One factor that can lead to eyewitness misidentification is the cross-race effect, or the phenomenon wherein people are generally worse at remembering the faces of people of a race other than their own. But why and how does this happen?
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