As racial justice activists in Missouri celebrate the overturned conviction of Lamar Johnson, they're questioning why other inmates with credible innocence claims aren't getting the chance to make their cases in court.
A Missouri law enacted in 2021 allows prosecuting attorneys to request a hearing before a judge in cases of possible wrongful convictions. In the year-and-a-half since, just two hearings have occurred. A judge in Kansas City in November 2021 overturned the conviction of Kevin Strickland, who spent four decades in prison in a triple murder case.
