When a person is wrongfully convicted, the damage is deep, and the path to justice is long. At Rocky Mountain Innocence Center, exoneration is not a single act—it is a meticulous, multiyear process marked by rigorous investigation, collaboration, and legal advocacy. This behind-the-scenes look sheds light on what it truly takes to build a case from intake to exoneration.
Step 1: The Intake Letter
Each case begins with a letter—often handwritten, sometimes typed—sent by an individual proclaiming their innocence. RMIC receives between 15 and 25 of these letters each month from people incarcerated in Utah, Nevada, and Wyoming. Each letter is reviewed by our team to determine if the claim meets the basic criteria: a claim of actual innocence, a closed case, and a sentence that has not yet expired.
Step 2: Case Screening and Preliminary Review
Once a case passes initial screening, staff and legal interns begin gathering court records, transcripts, and evidence inventories. This stage can last months as we seek to answer critical questions: Was there evidence that was never presented? Could new forensic technology change the outcome? Was there misconduct or ineffective counsel?
This phase alone requires extensive labor. In a system that was not built for easy post-conviction review, the burden of reassembling a case—often years or decades old—is significant.
Step 3: Investigation and Expert Collaboration
If preliminary findings suggest a viable claim of innocence, the case is moved into full investigation. This stage involves:
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Interviewing witnesses—sometimes those who testified and sometimes those who were never called.
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Working with forensic experts to re-analyze evidence using current science.
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Scouring for any missed or newly available exculpatory information.
Investigations are complex, costly, and time-intensive. Each step is handled with extreme care; a single overlooked detail can mean years more behind bars for someone innocent.
Step 4: Legal Preparation and Litigation
If new evidence emerges that could prove factual innocence, RMIC prepares to re-enter the courtroom. This includes:
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Drafting petitions and motions
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Engaging co-counsel for local legal support
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Navigating procedural hurdles that often stand between innocence and freedom
Litigation is often a prolonged battle. Even with compelling evidence, courts may be reluctant to reopen cases. Success requires clarity, persistence, and legal precision.
Beyond the Courtroom: Reentry and Support
Release from prison is not the end. Once released, clients face a new set of challenges: housing, employment, healthcare, and rebuilding relationships. RMIC provides reentry support, though more resources are urgently needed to meet these deep and lasting needs.
Why It Matters
Wrongful convictions represent not only a failure of justice—but a call to action. Each RMIC case is a reminder that behind every exoneration lies years of work, human effort, and unshakable belief in the truth.
These efforts are not possible without support from our community.
Your support helps fund the research, expert consultations, and legal filings necessary to build a case for freedom.
Donate Today to be part of the work that restores lives and restores justice.