Missouri attorney general works to ensure innocence isn’t always enough to get out of prison

Missouri attorney general works to ensure innocence isn’t always enough to get out of prison

The first thing Sandra “Sandy” Hemme did after walking out of prison in July 2024 — after spending 43 years behind bars — was visit her father. He was in the hospital battling kidney failure. Ten days later, he was…

Woman’s Case Spotlights Missouri’s Resistance to Innocence Claims

Even after a judge declared her innocent and ordered her freed, the Missouri attorney general tried to send her back.

Missouri Only Allows People on Death Row to Bring Innocence Claims - And Its Attorney General Doesn't Want to Change That

Even after a judge had ordered to free Sandra “Sandy” Hemme, officials from the Missouri Attorney General’s office — known for aggressively opposing exonerations — fought to keep her imprisoned. The office is also fighting changes in state law that would allow state prisoners to bring innocence claims in Missouri, which is unique in that it only allows direct innocence claims for those serving a death sentence, News From the States reports, in a…