Between 1980 and today, at least 137 people nationwide have been wrongfully convicted of murder in cases in which jailhouse informants played a role, according to the National Registry of Exonerations.
And those aren’t the only scandals:
And those aren’t the only scandals:
1989:
Prolific jailhouse informant Leslie Vernon White appeared on “60 Minutes” and demonstrated how he fabricated testimony. The @LATimes had written about him the year before:
latimes.com/archives/la-xp…
Prolific jailhouse informant Leslie Vernon White appeared on “60 Minutes” and demonstrated how he fabricated testimony. The @LATimes had written about him the year before:
latimes.com/archives/la-xp…
1990:
A California grand jury report blasts the use of jailhouse informants by prosecutors and police. It calls for sweeping reforms.
The reforms are not implemented.
A California grand jury report blasts the use of jailhouse informants by prosecutors and police. It calls for sweeping reforms.
The reforms are not implemented.
1999:
The dangers of jailhouse informant testimony are highlighted as part of a Chicago Tribune series on Illinois’ death penalty. The Tribune found that at least 46 inmates were on Illinois’ death row because of cases that involved jailhouse informant testimony.
The dangers of jailhouse informant testimony are highlighted as part of a Chicago Tribune series on Illinois’ death penalty. The Tribune found that at least 46 inmates were on Illinois’ death row because of cases that involved jailhouse informant testimony.
See this 1999 article, coincidentally written by current ProPublicans @smmills1960 and @bykenarmstrong:
chicagotribune.com/investigations…
chicagotribune.com/investigations…
2004:
The Center on Wrongful Convictions at @NorthwesternLaw releases a report that claims that cases involving informants — many of them jailhouse snitches — were responsible for 45.9% of death penalty exonerations since the punishment was reinstated in the 1970s.
The Center on Wrongful Convictions at @NorthwesternLaw releases a report that claims that cases involving informants — many of them jailhouse snitches — were responsible for 45.9% of death penalty exonerations since the punishment was reinstated in the 1970s.
2004:
Cameron Todd Willingham is executed in Texas for the 1991 deaths of his three young children, who perished in a house fire. Jailhouse informant Johnny Webb, who testified that Willingham confessed to him, later recants his testimony.
Cameron Todd Willingham is executed in Texas for the 1991 deaths of his three young children, who perished in a house fire. Jailhouse informant Johnny Webb, who testified that Willingham confessed to him, later recants his testimony.
2014:
A public defender claims that his client’s constitutional rights were violated through the use of a long-standing jailhouse informant program in Orange County, California. As many as 140 cases may be affected. Other murder cases are retried as a result.
A public defender claims that his client’s constitutional rights were violated through the use of a long-standing jailhouse informant program in Orange County, California. As many as 140 cases may be affected. Other murder cases are retried as a result.
2017:
An Orange County, California, grand jury acknowledges wrongdoing in individual cases, in the wake of the snitch scandal, but its report dismisses claims that there was any sort of organized jailhouse informant program in place.
An Orange County, California, grand jury acknowledges wrongdoing in individual cases, in the wake of the snitch scandal, but its report dismisses claims that there was any sort of organized jailhouse informant program in place.
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