New York lawmakers have granted final approval to a bill designed to strengthen protections for individuals wrongfully convicted in the state.
The legislation, approved by the state Assembly on Tuesday and expected to be sent to Gov. Kathy Hochul’s desk, had previously passed in the state Senate.
The bill aims to simplify post-conviction review of cases for the innocent, although detractors argue that it could overload the courts with redundant reviews.
The proposed law will allow for post-conviction reviews in cases that were either resolved in a trial or by plea agreement.
It intends to eliminate procedural limitations that prevent challenges to convictions based on faulty or false evidence, providing courts with a legal mechanism to review and vacate convictions as necessary.
The District Attorneys Association of New York, however, has objected to the bill, which it considers superfluous in the face of recent changes to criminal justice law.
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