Tricia Rojo Bushnell
@tcita.bsky.social
410 followers 360 following 18 posts
Executive Director, Quattrone Center for the Fair Administration of Justice. ‪@quattronecenter.org‬ Formerly the Midwest Innocence Project. Opinions are my own.
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tcita.bsky.social
In other criminal legal system news, a federal court rejected a motion to dismiss a Nashville ADA's employment lawsuit, which alleges she was demoted and essentially forced to resign by the elected DA she served on a local jury and voted to acquit. www.drslawfirm.com/court-denies...
Court Denies Glenn Funk's Motion to Dismiss in First Amendment Lawsuit
A federal court has denied Nashville DA Glenn Funk’s motion to dismiss a First Amendment lawsuit alleging he retaliated against a prosecutor for her jury service. Learn more about the ruling.
www.drslawfirm.com
tcita.bsky.social
Justice should be informed by data, and in this case, the data shows Missourians want fairness for Mr. Shockley, not finality above all else.
tcita.bsky.social
Their reasons? Doubts about the evidence used to convict Mr. Shockley, concern about judicial overreach in the imposition of the death sentence by a judge when a jury could not agree, and the strong evidence of Mr. Shockley's rehabilitation in prison.
tcita.bsky.social
This support holds true across all political parties: 53% of Republicans, 67% of Independents, and 79% of Democrats all support clemency for Mr. Shockley.
tcita.bsky.social
Mr. Shockley's death sentenced was imposed by a judge after the jury couldn't agree on punishment.
tcita.bsky.social
When public officials claim to act on behalf of the people, they should start by listening to them.

65% of MO voters believe Gov. Kehoe should grant clemency to Lance Shockley, who is scheduled to be executed on Oct. 14th.
ucisocialecology.bsky.social
Missouri voters show strong bipartisan support for clemency in a high-profile death penalty case, finds a study conducted by Nicholas Scurich, professor and chair of psychology at @ucirvine.bsky.social. ow.ly/FitN50X6vaG
Reposted by Tricia Rojo Bushnell
quattronecenter.org
With crime data at the center of a great deal of political debate, it's essential that we get it right and separate the signal from the noise. We're excited to listen to this new podcast from nationally renowned data (and friend of QC) @jeffasher.bsky.social:
The Jeff-alytics Podcast Is Coming!
Episode 0 is here! Episode 1 drops next Wednesday!
jasher.substack.com
Reposted by Tricia Rojo Bushnell
quattronecenter.org
Can pets transfer human DNA? Could these transfers lead to false implications, or help to identify suspects? A new paper in Science & Justice suggests the answer is YES. Our dog-loving Executive Director @tcita.bsky.social takes a look.

#NationalForensicScienceWeek
Reposted by Tricia Rojo Bushnell
quattronecenter.org
Do you have a question or comment for Tricia? You can ask it here: mailchi.mp/law.upenn.ed...
Reposted by Tricia Rojo Bushnell
cifsjustice.org
In an open letter released today at a virtual press conference sponsored by the CIFS, a group of 20 exonerees call on TX authorities to do everything in their power to prevent the wrongful execution of Robert Roberson, an innocent man who faces execution in TX on Oct 16.
1/2
Robert Roberson, a white man, sitting down in prison looking through plexiglass.
tcita.bsky.social
Mr. House's case opened the door one more small crack wider for those who came behind him. But as this article explains, that door is slowly being pushed closed.
tcita.bsky.social
This piece from @radleybalko.bsky.social puts it in stark relief. It also highlights the importance of why we must keep doing the work to push forward.
tcita.bsky.social
As a practitioner, I have cited to Mr. Bell's case - House v. Bell - often. But like with so many other defendants, Mr. House's humanity and the full tragedy of what he was forced to endure -- both during and after incarceration -- is never a part of the caselaw.
Paul House has died -- a wrongly convicted man whom John Roberts gave the okay to execute
House was finally freed in 2008. But under today's court, he'd likely still be on death row -- or worse.
radleybalko.substack.com
tcita.bsky.social
Indeed, while defendants missed their court dates in only 19% of cases, police officers failed to appear in 31% of cases for which they were subpoenaed.
tcita.bsky.social
The study, which analyzed data from the Philadelphia Courts between 2010 and 2020, showed that over that time frame, an essential police officer, civilian witness, or lawyer failed to appear for at least one hearing in 53% of all cases.
tcita.bsky.social
Also, it bears noting that the purpose of cash bail is to ensure that a defendant shows up for trial, and the debate about cash bail underscores how much attention we place on a *defendant's* presence.
tcita.bsky.social
Quattrone Center Academic Director Paul Heaton spoke with @wtopnews.bsky.social about the issue — listen starting at 14:57: wtop.com/wp-content/u...
tcita.bsky.social
And studies have shown that removing cash bail for non-violent offenses leads to safer cities and towns that spend less on jails. Our own @quattronecenter.org study of Harris County, TX (Houston) showed it led to reduced crime rates and reduced incarceration: www.law.upenn.edu/institutes/q...
The Effects of Misdemeanor Bail Reform
www.law.upenn.edu
tcita.bsky.social
Several states and cities have eliminated cash bail for minor offenses on the theory that avoiding incarceration supports communities (e.g., while awaiting a court date, someone charged with a non-violent crime can keep their job, care for their family, and participate in their community).
tcita.bsky.social
A new executive order aims to end cashless bail in Washington, D.C. and other jurisdictions. The truth is that eliminating bail for nonviolent crimes has been a major success for safety & justice. Here are the facts:
Reposted by Tricia Rojo Bushnell
quattronecenter.org
We are beyond proud to announce Tricia Rojo Bushnell (@tcita.bsky.social ) will be joining us as our new Executive Director! She comes to the Quattrone Center after 12 years as Executive Director and lead attorney of The Midwest Innocence Project. www.law.upenn.edu/live/news/17...