Palmetto Innocence Project

Palmetto Innocence Project is a South Carolina-based organization that provides free legal services for incarcerated people in South Carolina who have been wrongfully convicted and whose innocence can be proven. The organization focuses on those cases where there is new evidence to prove innocence. Specifically, they will review cases where the person requesting assistance was convicted of a crime that took place in South Carolina and is in a prison in South Carolina. Given the length of time involved in pursuing these cases, the person has at least 36 months remaining to be served on his or her sentence. The person asserts actual innocence and no involvement in the crime for which the person is incarcerated. The appeals and post-conviction relief processes have been completed. Innocence is feasibly provable based on forensic or biological evidence advances (such as DNA), key trial witness recantation (e.g. change in testimony), or other credible evidence substantially affecting the case result. They do not accept cases where the individual has not been convicted. They also do not accept cases that are currently in appeal, post-conviction relief, or federal habeas. As their focus is on factual innocence, they also do not take cases in which an incarcerated person is solely claiming that his or her rights have been violated. Palmetto Innocence Project cannot help incarcerated people to file civil suits, do legal research, find names of other attorneys, or assist with other issues unrelated to the pursuit of exoneration by reason of actual innocence.