FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Jan. 24, 2005

CONTACT: Lisa Lacher, (515) 271-3119, lisa.lacher@drake.edu

EXONERATED MAN WHO IS NOW A LAW STUDENT TO SPEAK WEDNESDAY AT DRAKE LAW SCHOOL PANEL ON ISSUES OF EXONERATION

Imagine spending 12 years behind bars for a crime you did not commit. That nightmare became a reality for Chris Ochoa in 1988 when he was wrongly convicted of rape and murder in Texas. His conviction came as a result of a false confession, which was obtained through police coercion and inappropriate interrogation methods.

Ochoa, who was exonerated through the efforts of the Wisconsin Innocence Project at the University of Wisconsin Law School, will speak at a panel discussion sponsored by Drake University Law School on "Issues of Eyewitness Identification and Exoneration" on Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Neal and Bea Smith Law Center, 2400 University Ave. The panel, which is free and open to the public, will run from 1 to 4 p.m. Ochoa, who is now a second-year law student at the University of Wisconsin Law School, is scheduled to speak at 1:20 p.m. His remarks will focus on what it is like to be wrongfully accused and convicted.

Other speakers include:

• Keith Findley, co-director of the Wisconsin Innocence Project and professor of law at the University of Wisconsin Law School. He will speak on his experience in dealing with eyewitness identification issues in post-conviction cases.
• Amy Klobuchar, county attorney of Hennepin County, Minn. She will discuss her efforts to reform eyewitness identification procedures.
  After a short break, a second group of panelists will discuss a case in which typical eyewitness identification procedures were employed. A discussion of issues that arise throughout the case will ensue and be analyzed from various viewpoints:
• The Police -- John Quinn, a special agent for the Iowa Division of Criminal Investigation.
• The Prosecution -- Steve Foritano, bureau chief, assistant county attorney and a special assistant United States attorney.
• The Defense -- Jane Rosien, defense attorney and a partner in the firm of Flander, Casper & Rosien in Winterset, Iowa.
• The Judge - District Court Judge Don C. Nickerson, Fifth Judicial District, Iowa.
• The Expert -- Gary L. Wells, professor of psychology at Iowa State University, who is nationally renowned for his research on eyewitness identification.

After the panels are adjourned, individuals in attendance are invited to attend a special presentation of “The Exonerated” at 7 p.m. Wednesday, Jan. 26, at the Des Moines Playhouse. Proceeds from the performance will benefit programs at the Drake Legal Clinic.

Tickets for the benefit performance are $25 for the general public and $15 for students. For ticket reservations, contact the Drake Legal Clinic at (515) 271-3851.

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