Detroit Prosecutor Kym Worthy has announced plans to conduct a deeper review of past convictions after a report highlighted the systemic failures that led to an innocent man spending nearly nine years in prison for a crime he didn't commit.
The case of Eric Anderson, who was wrongly convicted of armed robbery and spent almost a decade behind bars before being exonerated in 2019, has raised questions about the reliability of eyewitness identifications and the need for improved investigative practices.
Wayne County's Conviction Integrity Unit has secured relief for 43 people since its launch in 2017. While Worthy praised the work of her unit, families of men convicted under former homicide detective Barbara Simon are still waiting for concrete action, despite the office's commitment to investigate all cases tied to Simon.
Simon has been accused of using coercive interrogations and fabricating evidence, leading to at least 18 federal lawsuits that have cost taxpayers $25 million in settlements. Exoneree Lamarr Monson warns that dozens of people remain imprisoned due to Simon's tactics, which he describes as symptomatic of a department that rewarded abusive practices while ignoring accountability.
Worthy has acknowledged the importance of learning from past mistakes and ensuring that similar errors do not occur in the future. She has pledged to strengthen eyewitness identification procedures, improve investigative documentation, and enhance training for attorneys, among other recommendations.
However, families of those wrongfully convicted by Simon say they are still waiting for transparency and urgency from Worthy's office. Mark Craighead, an exoneree who was wrongly accused of murder, notes that Worthy seems to have forgotten about Simon, but the families haven't.
Worthy did mention Simon by name during her announcement, saying that cases tied to patterns and trends will be reviewed. However, some family members are skeptical about this claim, as they believe more needs to be done to address the harm caused by Simon's actions.
The case of Eric Anderson, who was wrongly convicted of armed robbery and spent almost a decade behind bars before being exonerated in 2019, has raised questions about the reliability of eyewitness identifications and the need for improved investigative practices.
Wayne County's Conviction Integrity Unit has secured relief for 43 people since its launch in 2017. While Worthy praised the work of her unit, families of men convicted under former homicide detective Barbara Simon are still waiting for concrete action, despite the office's commitment to investigate all cases tied to Simon.
Simon has been accused of using coercive interrogations and fabricating evidence, leading to at least 18 federal lawsuits that have cost taxpayers $25 million in settlements. Exoneree Lamarr Monson warns that dozens of people remain imprisoned due to Simon's tactics, which he describes as symptomatic of a department that rewarded abusive practices while ignoring accountability.
Worthy has acknowledged the importance of learning from past mistakes and ensuring that similar errors do not occur in the future. She has pledged to strengthen eyewitness identification procedures, improve investigative documentation, and enhance training for attorneys, among other recommendations.
However, families of those wrongfully convicted by Simon say they are still waiting for transparency and urgency from Worthy's office. Mark Craighead, an exoneree who was wrongly accused of murder, notes that Worthy seems to have forgotten about Simon, but the families haven't.
Worthy did mention Simon by name during her announcement, saying that cases tied to patterns and trends will be reviewed. However, some family members are skeptical about this claim, as they believe more needs to be done to address the harm caused by Simon's actions.
I think it's great that Detroit Prosecutor Kym Worthy is taking steps to review past convictions after a report highlighted the systemic failures that led to Eric Anderson being wrongly convicted for nearly 9 years 
. This kind of accountability is super important, especially when it comes to cases where people have been imprisoned and then exonerated, but are still waiting for answers.
. The fact that dozens of people remain imprisoned due to her tactics is just heartbreaking.
. I get that she wants to learn from past mistakes and prevent similar errors in the future, but it seems like some families are still waiting for transparency and urgency.
. It's not just about reviewing past convictions; it's about making sure that everyone who has been wrongfully convicted is able to get justice and closure 
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i mean i know worthy's unit has made progress but like what about all those people who were wrongfully accused by barbara simon 
like mark craighead said, why is simon still being ignored? 
we need more than just lip service here.
. I'm glad Kym Worthy's doing some stuff to try and fix it, but like, where's the urgency? Those families are still waiting for answers and it feels like they're being ignored 
I hope they can get some justice done soon...
. Can't wait to see if they actually follow through on their promises 
and it was so mesmerizing those pilots were like total ninjas with their drones lol i've been thinking of getting into drone racing myself maybe one day when i have some free time from wandering around the internet 
anyway back to this case in detroit...i feel bad for the people who were wrongfully convicted under barbara simon's watch it's crazy that some people are still waiting for justice and transparency from the prosecutor's office 
If she wants families of men wrongfully convicted to trust her office again, they need to get real about Simon. Like, 43 people already got relief, but there are still dozens stuck behind bars 
A deeper dive into past convictions could lead to some major changes. And we should be all about that 
I'm like totally confused about this situation... Like how can a prosecutor forget about their own past mistakes? 
What if more people were wrongly convicted because of Simon's tactics? We need more transparency and action, not just promises of "learning from past mistakes". 
like strengthenin eyewitness ID procedures & trainin' attorneys. still not sure if it's enough though, feel like families of those wronged are still waitin for concrete action 
. Mark Craighead just said she seems like she forgot about Simon's victims... like, how can u just forget about people who were traumatized by ur office's mistakes?
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these convictions in detroit r soooo messed up!!! 
& its not just that 1 guy, there r ppl like lamarr monson who were victimized by former homicide detective barbara simon. he's been makin federal lawsuits & gettin $$$ from taxpayers, but the fams of those wronged are stil waitin fer concrete action 
! We need real change here, not just lip service. 
Families are still waiting for answers, for justice, for closure... it's been way too long. 
. how could someone do such thing to people? the fact that there are 18 federal lawsuits and $25 million in settlements is crazy 