Kentucky Alliance Proposes Conviction Integrity Unit

Several advocacy groups presented a resolution Friday asking the Jefferson County Commonwealth's Attorneys office to establish a conviction integrity unit.The Kentucky Alliance Against Racist and Political Repression teamed with the Fairness Campaign, Kentuckians for the Commonwealth and the Kentucky Commission on Human Rights to make the request. The groups want an integrity unit established to help overturn wrongful convictions.The office would have about a four-person staff and would investigate questionable convictions. Alliance co-chair K.A. Owens says the criteria for questionable convictions is yet to be established."I think there are various groups and individuals who could put their heads together and come up with a set of criteria that would require or mandate further investigation," he says.The Commonwealth's Attorney's office says its attorneys already investigate past convictions when irregularities are presented.