Center for Integrity in Forensic Sciences

08/21/2026

CBI’s failure to stop scientist Missy Woods’ crimes was outrageous government conduct, judge finds

“The fact of the matter is that Ms. Woods chose to become a cancer within the Colorado Bureau of Investigation, and that agency chose first to ignore, then place a bandage on the tumor until it could no longer be hidden from public view,”

Judge Vicente Vigil dismissed a felony s*x assault on a child case after finding that the CBI’s inaction was “conduct that violates fundamental fairness and is shocking to the universal sense of justice.”

08/20/2026

The summer heat can be particularly intense for the incarcerated population. Texas houses the largest prison population in the US and as The Guardian reports, a high temperature of 149°f degrees has been recorded in a Texas prison. This has caused exhaustion and mental and physical distress for inmates. Court actions are currently ongoing. Learn more:

State hit by new wrongful death lawsuit by family of Jason Wilson, who died in ‘brutally hot, un-airconditioned’ cell

08/19/2026

Nathaniel Onsrud was wrongfully convicted in 2008 after his infant son experienced a nosebleed and trouble breathing, passing at the hospital later that night. Doctors believed Onsrud caused blunt head trauma. Onsrud took a plea deal but months later, tried unsuccessfully, to withdraw the plea. Illinois Innocence Project took on his case in 2020 and discovered that some documents were never disclosed to the defense and the infant likely died from lung disease, infection, and premature (10 weeks premature) birth. Onsrud was exonerated in June 2026 after over 11 years in prison.

08/18/2026

Fifth Circuit reaffirms death row inmate Brittany Holberg’s conviction

“A three-judge panel of the court had reversed Holberg’s sentence in 2025, but Friday’s split decision will keep the district court’s decision to affirm her conviction.”

A three-judge panel had reversed Holberg’s sentence in 2025, but Friday’s decision will keep the district court’s decision to affirm her conviction.

08/14/2026

Robert Roberson’s Lawyers Point to a Vacated ‘Shaken Baby’ Conviction in Georgia

“[Sween’s] latest court filing points to a Georgia conviction that was vacated last month that bears a striking similarity to Roberson’s, right down to the conviction year.”

The case involves another man convicted in 2003 under a “shaken baby syndrome” theory. We look at what it could mean for Roberson and where other North Texas death row cases stand.

08/13/2026

Today we take a look at Hawaii in our State Profile Series. Hawaii has nearly half the incarceration rate of the US average, but still more than many countries at 367 per 100,000 people.

08/12/2026

Did you know that based on the 3,847 exonerations in the national registry, we know that 29% of wrongful convictions involve faulty or misleading forensic science?

08/11/2026

DeWine issues three Ohio death penalty reprieves

“In a statement, DeWine said he issued reprieves for Keith LaMar, Scott Group, and Davel Chinn, all of whom were set to be executed early next year.”

COLUMBUS, Ohio (WCMH) – Ohio Gov. Mike DeWine issued ex*****on reprieves for three death row inmates on Friday. In a statement, DeWine said he issued reprieves for Keith LaMar, Scott Group, and Dav…

08/07/2026

New Book Examines Women and Q***r People Convicted for Crimes That Never Occurred

“In Pink Crime: Fighting Against the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Q***r Identity, Valena Beety examines how women and q***r people face punishment for their bodily autonomy and gender.”

In Pink Crime: Fighting Against the Criminalization of Motherhood, Pregnancy, and Q***r Identity, Valena Beety examines how women and q***r people face punishment for their bodily autonomy and gender.

08/06/2026

Quinton Jones-Whitaker was wrongfully convicted in a Detroit, MI robbery in 2014 and sentenced to 12.5-22 years in prison. The victim thought he was receiving text messages from his ex-girlfriend, but when he arrived to meet her, he was robbed at gunpoint. A police officer suggested the victim look on social media to try to spot the robbers which led to him identifying Jones-Whitaker, who was the current boyfriend of the victim’s ex-girlfriend. The only evidence at trial was this identification. Jones-Whitaker was released on parole in May 2026 and fully exonerated in June 2026, after 12.5 years in prison, with the help of the Michigan Innocence Clinic.