The JRU only considers Shelby County felony convictions, whether the conviction was after a jury trial, bench trial, or a guilty plea. Priority will be given to cases involving plausible claims of actual innocence—that is, cases involving new, verifiable evidence of innocence not shown to the jury at time of trial or known at the time of plea.
The JRU’s first step is to receive applications for its consideration. The attorneys will conduct an initial investigative review of each case in order to determine whether a case will advance to a full investigation. A full investigation includes review of the complete case file and legal pleadings, and may also include field work and witness interviews, among other tools. Once the full investigation is complete, the attorneys will determine if there is a legal remedy that can be or should be pursued. The Director will make a recommendation to DA Mulroy regarding next steps. DA Mulroy has sole discretion as to whether a legal remedy will be pursued.
While the results in a particular case are the most important focus, the JRU will also focus on problematic aspects of cases that indicate some systemic problem that can or should be remedied at the law enforcement or prosecution level. Aside from any particular case, the JRU may recommend policy or process changes within the District Attorney’s Office so that a particular systemic problem does not persist.