Amicus Brief: Lamont Hunter
Lamont Hunter v. Charlotte Jenkins, Warden
Filing Date
November 15, 2019
Charge
Capital Murder
Jurisdiction
U.S. District Court Southern District of Ohio
Partners
Innocence Project, Ohio Innocence Project
Summary
CIFS, the Innocence Project, and the Ohio Innocence Project filed this brief in the United States District Court Southern District of Ohio in Lamont Hunter’s case to argue that especially in a capital murder case, courts should allow full discovery to the defendant. Without appropriate discovery, and in a case like this one where forensic science evidence was misstated at trial, injustice follows.
Overview
Based on their experiences exonerating innocent individuals and/or examining the causes of wrongful convictions, amici have become keenly aware of the role that unreliable or flawed scientific evidence and improper interrogation tactics have played in producing miscarriages of justices.
Misleading forensic evidence and false confessions are among the leading causes of wrongful convictions, particularly in homicide cases and those involving the alleged sexual abuse o f a child.
Amici have a compelling interest in ensuring that scientific evidence and testimony is accurate and reliable and proper interrogation procedures are employed throughout the criminal justice system.
This interest is implicated in this case by the prosecution's improper reliance on unsupported and unreliable forensic evidence and admittedly unlawful interrogation tactics in both the guilt and penalty phases.
The Network and CIFS' brief as amicus curiae will assist this Court in that it highlights the substantial role that faulty forensic evidence, particularly regarding child sexual abuse, and improper interrogation tactics play in producing wrongful convictions and inappropriately enhanced sentences, as illustrated by what happened in this case.
