Ronald Cotton was wrongfully convicted of two rapes and burglaries in 1985 and 1987. Although innocent, Ronald Cotton served over 10 years in prison, primarily due to erroneous eyewitness identification. DNA testing in 1995 revealed that evidence from one victim did not match Cotton, but instead matched with another man who had confessed to the crime. Mr. Cotton was pardoned by the governor of North Carolina in 1995.
To learn more visit: Innocence Project: Know the Cases and see Rethinking Reliance on Eyewitness Confidence by Neil Vidmar, James E. Coleman, Jr., and Theresa A. Newman of Duke University Law School.