Statement From Emily Maw, Director

on Michael Anderson's Recent Case Developments

March 4, 2010

"Unfortunately the recent developments in the Michael Anderson case are exactly the same problems that have beleaguered the Orleans Parish criminal justice system for decades and have caused innocent defendants to be sent to prison while guilty perpetrators walk the streets. IPNO takes no position on Anderson's guilt or innocence, but we know from first-hand experience that withholding of evidence by the DAs office serves no purpose but to delay justice for everyone: victims, perpetrators of crime, and, all too-often innocent defendants. Withholding evidence means innocent people go to prison. Our DAs must stop keeping juries in the dark about the strength or the weakness of their case.

We are disappointed to see District Attorney Cannizzaro arguing so forcefully that evidence like this wouldn't have mattered-clearly, no matter what evidence is withheld in a case they will argue it didn't matter. In 2008, we issued a report on exactly this problem - withholding of evidence by the Orleans Parish DA's office. It shows that evidence was withheld from defendants in the trials of nine of 36 (25%) of the men sentenced to death in Orleans parish between 1973 and 2002. Then-candidate Cannizarro promised a new approach. In the first death sentence he achieved, he forgot that promise."

The report can be found here

Emily Maw and IPNO's Policy Director Tom Lowenstein are both available for comment. Please call 504-943-1902 or e-mail jeneot@ip-no.org to arrange a time.