Martin Tankleff, photographed in Argyle Park in Babylon, N.Y., was convicted of murdering his parents when he was 17 years old. After serving more than 17 years in prison, his conviction was vacated. In April, Tankleff reached a settlement with Suffolk County for $10 million. Photo: David Handschuh/NYLJ
When innocent people plead guilty, their available remedies to raise an actual innocence claim were just foreclosed last week with the New York State Court of Appeals decision in People v. Tiger.
According to the Innocence Project in New York City, 40 out of 358 people exonerated with DNA evidence pleaded guilty to crimes they did not commit. The National Registry of Exonerations identifies hundreds of people who pleaded guilty and were later exonerated. Finally, www.guiltypleaproblem.org identifies 360 exonerees who pleaded guilty to crimes they were innocent of. Innocence Project: DNA Exonerations, 1989- 2014: Review of Data and Findings from the First 25 Years, by Emily West and Vanessa Meterko, Pgs. 725-727.
