ABOUT US
The North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission (Commission) is the first of its kind in the nation. The Commission was created by the North Carolina General Assembly in 2006 and began operating in 2007. Since then, the Commission has reviewed hundreds of innocence claims and conducted multiple hearings. On February 17, 2010, Gregory Taylor was the first person to be exonerated by this unique process. Mr. Taylor was declared innocent by a panel of three judges after serving 17 years for a murder that he did not commit.
The Commission is charged with providing an independent and balanced truth-seeking forum for credible post-conviction claims of innocence in North Carolina. The Commission is separate from the appeals process. A person exonerated by the Commission process is declared innocent and cannot be retried for the same crime.
This website is designed to provide access to information about the Commission. The Reference Materials link contains the Commission’s enabling statute, Rules and Procedures, a case progression flowchart, case statistics, and the annual reports. Profiles of the Commissioners and staff can be located under the About Us link. Frequently asked questions are also answered under the About Us link.
