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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A national search is underway to find Phoenix’s next police chief. The city expects to have three finalists who will take questions from the community during a public forum in March. -
Ridenour was convicted of six arson and hate crimes counts for burning two Douglas churches in May 2023 because they included women and LGBTQ parishioners in church leadership roles. -
Arizona Attorney General Kris Mayes created a new unit to help local police departments investigate unsolved cases. -
Axon says the decision to abandon the project is due to a ballot referendum initiative. Last month, a pro-union political organization called Worker Power said it helped to gather enough signatures to allow voters to decide if they want to veto the development. -
Aaron Gunches is not going to get his wish to be executed on Valentine's Day. Instead, the justices said they want to hear arguments from all sides – including Attorney General Kris Mayes, who wants Gunches executed, but not on his schedule.
