Conviction Integrity Unit
Norfolk District Attorney’s Office
45 Shawmut Road
Canton, MA 02021
(781) 830-4909
ndao.convictionintegrity@state.ma.us
The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office (NDAO) maintains a Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) and Conviction Integrity Committee (CIC) to promote transparency and accountability to the end of avoidance of wrongful convictions
and of promotion of public confidence in the criminal justice system. The CIU and CIC examine colorable
claims of innocence and wrongful convictions and issues concerning the integrity of current and prior cases.
A request for review of a conviction by the Conviction Integrity Unit may be made by completing the attached
CIU INTAKE FORM. The Norfolk District Attorney’s Office’s full policy on requests for post-conviction review
may be found here CIU POLICY.
Frequently Asked Questions:
Who may request review?
The intake form may be completed by the person convicted of the offense, that person’s counsel, or another interested person. If the request is made by someone other than the person convicted or the person’s counsel,
the person convicted must consent to the request for review. If there are extenuating circumstances where the convicted person’s consent is not practical, please list them. Please complete the form as fully as possible.
If the person convicted is currently represented by an attorney, the CIU will communicate only with that attorney.
What type of cases are eligible for review?
The CIU may accept and review colorable claims of actual innocence or claims of wrongful conviction. A colorable claim is one which offers some reasonable possibility of a favorable decision. The claims may relate to either a
jury or jury-waived trial or to a guilty plea. The claims must relate to a conviction from a court in the Norfolk District.
There should be new information concerning issues that may undermine the integrity of a conviction, including, but not limited to: issues arising from newly discovered evidence; cases wherein scientific testimony has since been discredited or disproven; and cases wherein a key witness has since been discredited. The CIU will not review a request for resentencing, nor will it review issues that were previously considered, litigated, and decided by a judge or jury in the original prosecution or appeal of the case.
What is the process once a request is made?
The Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) will conduct a case screening and, where applicable, case review. A case may
be screened out where it does not relate to a Norfolk conviction or admission or there is not a plausible and credible claim suggesting a reasonable possibility of a favorable decision. Once the CIU has reviewed a request that is not screened out, the case will be presented to the Conviction Integrity Committee (CIC) for consideration and final determination. The CIC consists of the Norfolk District Attorney, First Assistant District Attorney for Legal, Chief Trial Counsel, Chief of District Courts, and Chief of the Appellate Unit.
How should review be requested?
Please complete the attached CIU INTAKE FORM as fully as possible and send copies of any documents that support the claims. Do not send original documents or your only copy of any document, as the documents will
not be returned. The completed intake from may be sent by e-mail to: ndao.convictionintegrity@state.ma.us,
or by mail to:
Conviction Integrity Unit
Norfolk District Attorney’s Office
45 Shawmut Road
Canton, MA 02021
(781) 830-4909
ndao.convictionintegrity@state.ma.us
