12 | MARCH 9 • 2023 

M

aybe it’s because the Torah com-
mands us to pursue justice. Or 
maybe it’s because Jews have 
historically been the victims of injustice. 
For whatever reason, Jews have long been 
active in the fight to help individuals who 
have been wrongfully convicted of crimes 
they did not commit and incarcerated, 
sometimes for decades.
This article will introduce you to four 
such crusaders in southeast Michigan, 
including a chronicler of cases, an assis-
tant district attorney who searches for 
cases, an academician who teaches and 
writes scholarly papers on the topic, and a 
trauma specialist who helps the wrongful-
ly convicted tell their stories.

THE CHRONICLER: SAM GROSS
In 1989, convicted felons began to be 
exonerated by DNA evidence. Sam Gross, 
a University of Michigan Law School 
professor, took note. He started keeping 
track of cases where a prisoner convicted 
of a crime was later exonerated and freed. 
His first report on the topic, published in 
2005, listed 340 such cases. 

Gross’ files grew into the National 
Registry of Exonerations, launched in 
2012, which records all known exonera-
tions in the United States since 1989.
The organization does not represent 
clients or work with courts but identifies 
exonerations across the country, compil-
ing data about people who were con-
victed of crimes in the United 
States and then found to 
be innocent. The regis-
try does not include 
cases that were 
dismissed in court, 
cases where individ-
uals were acquitted 
upon retrial or par-
dons. 
The registry how 
has close to 3,300 
entries. 
“These are serious and 
very troubling mistakes,” said 
Gross of Ann Arbor. He says he created 
the archive to help people learn why false 
convictions occurred and, ideally, to help 
prevent future miscarriages of justice. 

The archive followed the 1992 estab-
lishment of the Innocence Project at the 
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law at 
Yeshiva University, which aims to free the 
innocent, prevent wrongful convictions, 
and create fair, compassionate and equita-
ble systems of justice.
Dozens of similar clinics have start-
ed at law schools around the 
country since then, resulting 
in hundreds of exoner-
ations every year. The 
Michigan Innocence 
Clinic, started at 
the University of 
Michigan Law School 
in 1990, was the first 
to specialize in cases 
where there is no DNA 
evidence. Another clin-
ic, at Western Michigan 
University’s Cooley Law School, 
considers mostly DNA cases.
Until around 1990, most judges and 
prosecutors believed few suspects would 
confess to crimes they didn’t commit, 
Gross said. Now there is evidence, from 

OUR COMMUNITY

Meet these four crusaders 
helping those who have been 
wrongfully convicted of a crime.

The
Justice
Seekers

BARBARA LEWIS CONTRIBUTING WRITER

ON THE COVER

Sam 
Gross

