Richard Aborn (on left) and Jeffrey Deskovic
Richard Aborn, a candidate for Manhattan DA, rolled out an aggressive plan to limit wrongful convictions and reduce prosecutor error at the Manhattan DA office. Aborn, who opposes the death penalty, was endorsed by Jeffrey Deskovic. "I'm supporting Richard Aborn for Manhattan DA because we need a progressive district attorney who will apply judicious and effective policies toward reducing the horrifying reality of wrongful conviction," says Deskovic.
Deskovic was exonerated by DNA evidence after spending 16 years in prison for a rape and murder he did not commit. The New York State Bar Association Task Force on Wrongful Convictions found that witness misidentification is the leading factor responsible for wrongful convictions. Although Leslie Crocker Snyder often cites the Deskovic case in explaining her new found position on the death penalty, Deskovic says, "She has not taken any serious actions on the issue whereas Aborn's record speaks loud and clear."
As District Attorney, Richard Aborn pledges to reduce the likelihood of such errors by creating a new office of professional responsibility to collect and investigate allegations of prosecutor misconduct, work to reduce false confessions by requiring videotaping of interrogations and by improving the use of forensic technology. Aborn will also implement policies and programs to financially compensate the exonerated and expunge criminal records related to wrongful convictions.
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