Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings announces the creation of a Conviction Integrity Unit during a press conference at the Davis County Administration Building in Farmington on Monday, Nov. 1, 2021. Photo: Scott G. Winterton, Deseret News
FARMINGTON, Utah — The top prosecutor in Davis County announced the formation of a new Conviction Integrity Unit on Monday, a volunteer group that would review the cases of people who believe they were wrongfully convicted.
Davis County Attorney Troy Rawlings said with the inclusion of prosecutors, defense attorneys, and a trial judge, the Conviction Integrity Unit features people committed to fairness and justice.
“With the group we’ve selected that’s going to be hearing these cases in Davis County, we got it right,” Rawlings said.
At first, the members of the Conviction Integrity Unit will not receive any compensation for their work. However, Rawlings said they might find ways to pay them in the future. In the meantime, they volunteer their time.
“When I told you we wanted people committed to fairness and justice — yeah, that’s accurate,” he said.
He promised to seriously consider their recommendations, trusting them to use their expertise and conduct thorough reviews.
“If they tell me a conviction needs to be overturned, then I’ll file the petition to overturn it,” he said. “I’m not going to question their judgment.”
People hoping to receive a review must have already gone through the appeals process, and the crime must be a felony offense. More details are available on the Davis County Attorney’s website.