Criminal Justice Project
The New England Innocence Project
"In 1983, Mr. Kenneth Waters was convicted of first degree murder and armed robbery in Ayer, Massachusetts. On March 15, 2001, the New England Innocence Project (N.E.I.P.) and its New York affiliate secured Mr. Waters' release after serving 18 years when DNA testing established that blood of the assailant found at the crime scene did not match Mr. Waters' DNA.
Based on a review of the DNA test results, the Middlesex County District Attorney's Office did not oppose Mr. Waters' request for his release. N.E.I.P. is sponsored by the Massachusetts Association of Criminal Defense lawyers and is part of a national network of Innocence Projects.
Currently, N.E.I.P., which is housed at Goodwin|Procter LLP in Boston, is reviewing more than 50 cases to determine if DNA testing can exonerate persons who have been wrongfully convicted and imprisoned.
Recent Cases of the NEIP
Angel Hernandez (August 15, 2001)
Jeffrey Scott Hornoff (November 11, 2002)
As a volunteer at N.E.I.P., I strongly encourage all students interested in working with N.E.I.P. to contact Prof Siegel at dsiegel@faculty.nesl.edu. For an interesting article on the Waters' case, please see Farah Stockman and Mac Daniel, After 18 Years it's Great to be Free, Boston Globe (March 16, 2001). [Westlaw password required]." — Diana Cowley