Misconduct Reversals and Exonerations by County and State

The maps below show the broad geographical scope of prosecutorial misconduct reversals and exonerations. However, the nature of prosecutorial misconduct cases makes it difficult to rank one county or state as worse than another. The number of misconduct reversals or exonerations in a state or county depends on a combination of factors, including how much misconduct occurs, how much misconduct is discovered, and how willing courts and other decisionmakers are to reverse or exonerate in cases involving prosecutorial misconduct.

For example, according to DPIC data, Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania leads the nation in prosecutorial misconduct reversals and exonerations, but this does not necessarily mean that Philadelphia prosecutors have engaged in the most misconduct. DPIC has gathered exhaustive information regarding Philadelphia capital cases, including unpublished trial court opinions. These resources are not available for every jurisdiction. Further, some Philadelphia cases that were reversed for misconduct by state and federal courts have similar facts to cases in other jurisdictions in which courts failed to grant relief.