New Conviction Integrity Unit to review felony cases in Fairfax County

FAIRFAX, Va. - Imagine spending years in prison for a crime you didn’t commit. Fairfax County is taking a big step to prevent that from happening by launching its first-ever Conviction Integrity Unit, a new effort to review possible wrongful felony convictions. 

Addressing wrongful felony convictions

The backstory:

The unit will operate in partnership with the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project, a nonprofit that works to exonerate the wrongfully convicted.

"Wrongful convictions undermine public trust in the justice system and have devastating impacts on defendants, their families, and our community," Descano said. "Establishing a Conviction Integrity Unit is a crucial part of making Fairfax County’s criminal legal system both fairer and more just."

Under the partnership, individuals who believe they have been wrongfully convicted of a felony in Fairfax County can submit their cases for review through MAIP. 

The organization will handle initial screenings and work with the CIU to litigate cases that have substantial claims of innocence. Priority will be given to individuals who are currently incarcerated.

Shawn Armbrust, MAIP’s executive director, praised the county’s commitment to justice. "When people see that elected officials are willing to identify and learn from past acts of injustice, it enhances the public’s trust in our system and ultimately improves public safety," Armbrust said.

Since its founding in 2000, MAIP has helped exonerate more than 40 wrongfully convicted individuals across D.C., Maryland, and Virginia, securing their release after a combined 900 years in prison. 

The organization has also played a key role in passing 20 laws in the region aimed at preventing wrongful convictions and supporting exonerees.

Before the CIU’s formation, Descano’s office worked to overturn several wrongful convictions, including cases involving exculpatory evidence withheld by authorities and an illegal traffic stop that led to the wrongful conviction of a D.C. firefighter.

What they're saying:

FOX 5 caught up with Fairfax County Police Chief Kevin Davis, who was a police commissioner in Baltimore, where the city has a similar unit. 

"The last thing anybody wants to see is someone who spends any amount of time, whether it’s days or years, being convicted for a crime he/she did not commit. And I think that’s just part of the fabric of the criminal justice system in our country. We want to get it right, and we have to get it right. And to have a mechanism like this to make sure that decisions made in the past are consistent with the evidence, that’s a good thing for everybody.

FOX 5 also spoke with David Boyce.  He was convicted of murder in Newport News in the early 90s and always maintained his innocence.  After many years of what he calls an uphill battle to have his case re-examined, he was exonerated after spending 23 years in jail for the crime he did not commit.

Boyce said he’s happy to hear that a prosecutor is taking this on, saying it’s a small cost for a big change in the lives of the wrongfully convicted and their families.

"I hope that it will be a trend that other prosecutors in other states tend to follow. Because you can’t lose. If you can prove the person’s innocence, then you’ve let an innocent person out, you’ve given him his life back, and you show that the system works. If he is guilty, you prove it, and you show that the system works. So It’s win, win for the prosecutor, the only person who ever loses is the person trying to fight to prove their innocence," Boyce said.

How to apply for review:

To be eligible for review, individuals must:

• Have a felony conviction in Fairfax County.
• Sign an affidavit affirming their factual innocence.

Cases can be submitted through MAIP, which will conduct the initial screening before coordinating with the CIU.

What is a Conviction Integrity Unit?

Conviction Integrity Units, sometimes called Conviction Review Units, have been established in jurisdictions nationwide to identify wrongful convictions and prevent future injustices. By re-examining past cases, these units aim to improve public confidence in the justice system and promote fairness in criminal prosecutions.

Fairfax County joins a growing list of jurisdictions working to correct past mistakes and prevent future injustices through dedicated conviction review initiatives.