KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Wyandotte County commissioners approved funding for a Conviction Integrity Unit Thursday night.
The specialized unit's purpose is to identify wrongful convictions.
The proposal was spearheaded by Wyandotte County District Attorney Mark Dupree. He hit a roadblock last month when the Board of Commissioners said there was no money in the budget for such a unit.
For full-time staffing, the DA's office would need $302,000 annually. For part-timers, they'd need $162,733 with $7,500 of that going to a one-time "unit prep."
When 41 Action News spoke to Dupree in July he said he identified at least 20 cases that have serious grounds for exoneration.
