It is difficult to quantify the error rate since many innocent prisoners are in prison. But, a sizable number have been released. The Innocent Project takes on cases that have physical evidence, usually DNA. Here is their data:
innocenceproject.org/know/
The case (an Innocence Project case, by the way) I was referring in my post has been waiting for a response for a post-conviction review for over 13 months. At issue here is forensic incompetence and the outright framing of suspects., both at the state level and at the FBI (which has already admitted that it intentionally misrepresented its lab work at the original trial). The reason the appeallate court is dragging its feet is that there may be hundreds of prisoners who may file with similiar claims. It is pretty much common knowledge that coroners and police labs have poor training and even poorer oversight. In my county, coroners need have no formal medical or pathology training at all. The well equipped medical labs and the Sherlock Holmes-like MEs that are shown on TV are most certainly not the reality. As much error as possible must be eliminated in capital cases and for life imprisonment which can be even worse than the death penalty, especially if one is warehoused in a super max facility. By the way, I am not opposed to the death penalty per se, but would limit it to only a very few fundamental crimes.
