Carmen Beauchamp Ciparick, who recently retired from the Court of Appeals, has been named co-chair of the New York State Justice Task Force. She replaces the late Judge Theodore Jones on the panel, which was created to examine the causes of wrongful convictions. Chief Judge Jonathan Lippman said in announcing the appointment that Ciparick is "widely regarded for her scholarly knowledge of the law, keen insight and exceptional leadership." Ciparick is now of counsel at Greenberg Traurig.
Lippman created the task force in 2009 to determine why wrongful convictions occur and how they can be prevented. It includes prosecutors, defense attorneys, judges, police chiefs, victim advocates, legal scholars and forensic experts. The task force has recommended expanding the state DNA databank, which occurred last year after Governor Andrew Cuomo signed legislation requiring a genetic sample from everyone convicted of a felony and a Penal Law misdemeanor, and reform of eyewitness identification procedures. Jones, who died suddenly last year, co-chaired the task force with Westchester County District Attorney Janet DiFiore. Task force members are not paid.
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