New Hennepin County Conviction Integrity Unit to examine reports of wrongful convictions

Hennepin County Attorney Mary Moriarty today announced the creation of the unit, whose job will be looking into past cases where there’s credible evidence that there was a wrongful conviction.

“The basic function is to investigate past convictions where there is a credible basis to suspect that a wrongful conviction or some other serious injustice may have occurred,” Moriarty said at a press conference announcing the unit. “Forming our own unit also allows us to work directly with victims and their families.”

Leading the new team put together by Moriaty is Andrew Markquart, who says that its purpose is to make things right for those who have been wronged.

“If someone is sitting in prison for a crime they didn’t commit, that is an intolerable offense against that individual, against that individual’s family, and against that individual’s community,” Markquart said.

Markquart says the Conviction Integrity Unit can help prosecutors learn from past mistakes that led to wrongful convictions.

Before joining the unit, Markquart represented Marvin Haynes, who was freed last year after serving 20 years in prison for a crime he did not commit.

Haynes himself says the new Conviction Integrity Unit will help people like him who’ve been wrongly committed and give families relief from trying to get convictions overturned.