A program at University of Arizona focused on investigating wrongful convictions is getting federal funding to ramp up its work.
The University of Arizona Innocence Project leaders say their work is needed because in Arizoa, many criminal defendants are not entitled to a public defender after initial post-conviction proceedings – often before evidence around someone’s innocence comes to light.
The Department of Justice is awarding a $1.5 million grant to the program to expand the use of DNA testing. Program heads say this cutting-edge but costly technology will allow them to look more deeply into cases and address a growing backlog of cases more quickly.
They say advancements in DNA testing have resulted in a rise in exonerations nationwide, but only three of those cases have been in Arizona.
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Democratic Gov. Katie Hobbs signed a new law Monday that increases penalties for group assaults. The legislation was borne out of the fatal beating of a Queen Creek teenager in 2023. -
Law enforcement in Arizona now have a legal right to shoot down drones operated by Mexican cartels along the border. -
President Donald Trump recently signed an executive order directing the U.S. attorney general to review any ongoing federal oversight of law enforcement agencies. Maricopa County Sheriff’s Office has been under a federal monitor for over a decade. -
Gov. Katie Hobbs vetoed a bill that would have given the state Legislature the power to authorize county sheriffs to haul in people who refuse to testify before lawmakers. -
The Phoenix City Council this week approved a $400,000 settlement in a case that claimed it took 12 minutes for firefighters to get there. The payout comes as city officials earmark money from a pending sales tax increase to reduce emergency response times.
