Wilson Center for Science and Justice
Duke Law logo

Archive: October 2021

Event Recap: Henry McCollum, Leon Brown Attorneys Talk Wrongful Convictions

October 25, 2021

By Annie Han

In 1983, Red Springs, North Carolina, 19-year-old Henry McCollum and 15-year-old Leon Brown were wrongfully arrested for the rape and murder of a young Sabrina Buie. With the teens’ intellectual disabilities (McCollum’s IQ being 51 and Brown’s … Continue Reading →

Everything You Need to Know About Clemency in North Carolina

September 17, 2021

By Ben Finholt and Jamie Lau

On April 8, 2021, North Carolina Governor Roy Cooper signed Executive Order 208, establishing the Juvenile Sentence Review Board. This board is a new mechanism for executive clemency, which has been described as “provid[ing] … Continue Reading →

Op-ed: NC is Failing the Wrongfully Convicted; HB 877 Could Help

May 11, 2021

Duke Law Professors James E. Coleman Jr. and Jamie T. Lau brought much-needed attention in an op-ed published Monday to the fact that even after serving 25 years in prison, North Carolina can get away with compensating the wrongfully convicted … Continue Reading →

Curtis Flowers, Attorney Talk Justice, Death Row, Innocence and Hope for a Better Legal System

March 1, 2021

By Annie Han

Curtis Flowers recently joined The Wilson Center to discuss his experience of being tried six times for the same four murders he didn’t commit and serving 23 years on death row. He was joined by his North … Continue Reading →

Attorney for Man Granted Clemency: At Minimum, Legal System Should Clear Hurdles for Exonerated

February 9, 2021

By Ruthie Kesri

Gov. Roy Cooper announced in late December he would be issuing pardons of innocence to five men he believed were innocent, serving time for crimes they did not commit.

Cooper’s actions allow for those five men to … Continue Reading →