Tarrant County fights for conviction integrity

Nobody wants innocent people incarcerated, but it happens frequently.

That is why nonprofits, like the Innocence Project, spend a lot of effort getting as many of these wrongfully convicted people out of jails and prisons.

One was John Earl Nolley, a Bedford man who spent almost 19 years incarcerated after being wrongly convicted.

Nolley was able to prove his innocence with the help of the Innocence Project, attorney Reagan Wynn and a new dog in the fight, the Tarrant County’s Conviction Integrity Unit.

“Despite our best efforts, the criminal justice system is imperfect. If an innocent person is wrongfully convicted, we, as prosecutors, must ensure that the person does not continue to be wrongfully imprisoned,” Dawn Boswell, chief of the Conviction Integrity Unit in Tarrant County, wrote in a guest column.

The CIU reviews cases, similar to what the Innocence Project does, and makes sure the best procedures are in place for prosecutors. The unit wants to make sure the right person is convicted of the crime and that it is done in the most ethical manner.

The Innocence Project said in a news statement that Nolley’s case is the first the CIU “recommended to be reversed.”

It won't be the last.

This story was originally published May 17, 2016 at 6:34 PM with the headline "Tarrant County fights for conviction integrity."