Estimated Innocence
“We know without doubt that the vast majority of innocent defendants who are convicted of crimes are never identified and cleared.”
- Samuel Gross, editor of the National Registry of Exonerations, as reported in 2015 in the Washington Post.
Have you been wrongly convicted?
You can stay submitted to power and wait for some lawyers to eventually find the time to discover you’ve been wrongly convicted.
OR…
You can speak truth to power by filling out the Estimated Innocence Form and discover your level of likely innocence with an instant score.
Let the facts of your case calculate your likely innocence.
The Estimated Innocence Form is a spreadsheet tool you can download for free. As you use it, the document goes through three stages.
Stage one: default settings. Before filling out the form, the very first page gives you General Instructions. All white fields are blank. The certificate and messaging items are generally blank. Calculated innocence and verification progress start at zero.
Stage two: completed form. After filling out the form, this first page at the top turns into a Notification of Verifiable Innocence. The certificate fills in with the claimant's name, and its text gives the estimated percentage level of innocence. Messaging items fill in once you select a sender, recipient and message title. The calculated innocence number will likely be higher than the verification progress number.
Stage three: independently verified. Once your claim is independently verified, it changes again into a Notification of Verified Innocence with more authoritative language. The certificate wording changes, going from "Verifiable" to "Verified" Innocence. The more the claimed elements can be independently verified, the more likely the verification progress number will go higher than the estimated innocence number.
This webpage highlights the opening "display pages" you can use without cost. The messaging features are geared toward our advocacy support service, which requires a subscription.
Stage One of page one:
General Instructions
The most important parts of these opening instructions repeat later in the form. Or you can come back to this webpage to check the original instructions.
First, to use this form, click on ENABLE EDITING. Then save a copy of this form on your computer, using the Save As option in the File menu of Excel.
Next, fill out the form below. After filling in every field, these instructions turn into a notification of verifiable innocence. Once verified, it changes again to a notification of verified innocence.
Basic instructions:
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Fill in each white field with your best answer. Most fields use dropdown menus.
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After filling in item #70, the last item to answer, save this document.
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Scroll back to the top and review this Notification of Verifiable Innocence.
Basic instructions:
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Select the cells A1 through F47 for the first two pages; to F155 for the first five pages.
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While cells are selected, go to Page Layout tab, Page Setup, Print Area, set print area.
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Then select the File menu. Click on Save As. Choose a location on your device.
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Below File name, click Save as type dropdown list and select “PDF (*.pdf)”.
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Click the Save button at the lower right of the dialog box.
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Review your saved version in your Acrobat PDF Reader.
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To preserve the original print view settings, close this copy without saving changes.
The default setting lets you print the whole spreadsheet through the last page.
Potential uses for your Notification and Certificate of Innocence.
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If still incarcerated, send to an innocence project when asking for their help.
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If still incarcerated, send to the CIU or DA to demonstrate grounds for review.
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If post-incarcerated, send to prospect employer when they conduct a background check.
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If post-incarcerated, accompany a lease application for housing.
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Any other way you can think to notify those who would wrongly discriminate against you.
Receive support how to best use this tool. Explore our support and advocacy options.
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Join the Facebook group “The Unexonerated” to engage others interested in this tool.
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Join a live discussion on The Unexonerated to talk directly with the creator of this tool.
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Book one at https://www.valuerelating.com/bookings-checkout/unpack-your-innocence.
This is a pioneering tool. You could be among the first to utilize this radical approach. You could help make history. But it comes without any promises. By using this tool, you agree to our terms of use and privacy policy. As a new approach to address the problem of wrongful convictions, you agree we cannot guarantee it will result in exoneration. But it may improve your chances.
This will appear on a light green background with a yellow frame, as pictured below.
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Stage Two:
Notification of Verifiable Innocence (NOVI)
Most of the text automatically converts to this Notification, based on your answers to the form. Under the section for correlating factors, you will see white dropdown menus at first. Once you select an item from the dropdown list, the background turns back to its light green shade.
PLEASE BE INFORMED that Steph Turner faithfully asserts that he was wrongly convicted in 1993. Since then, he consistently maintains his innocence.
PLEASE BE INFORMED that Steph asserts three of six known factors common in wrongful convictions. He identifies 26 other important factors known to wrongly convict the innocent.
PLEASE BE INFORMED that felons or prisoners rarely claim full or actual innocence.
― Most admit to the charged criminal activity while denying it caused harm.
― Most complain about the harsh punishment for their admitted offenses.
― Only about 15% claim actual innocence, asserting they played no role in any crime.
PLEASE BE INFORMED of the factors correlating Steph's likely innocence.
― Steph has always maintained his innocence.
― Steph faced a lengthy "trial penalty" sentence.
― Steph served the full sentence because of maintaining his innocence.
― Steph has no other criminal history.
― Transphobic investigation and prosecution
― Exculpatory evidence overlooked with untested DNA
― Climate of sex abuse hysteria
Do you suppose Steph accomplished all this to "game" the system?
PLEASE BE INFORMED of the scope of the problem of wrongful convictions in the U.S.
― The volume of criminal cases police and prosecutors process often tempt costly shortcuts.
― Our judicial system seeks a fair process more than measurably just outcomes or impacts.
― The appellate process routinely misses innocence later discovered by DNA or other means.
― Research finds up to 15% are wrongly convicted, while only about 15% claim full innocence.
― Innocence projects and conviction review units receive more requests than they can serve.
PLEASE BE AWARE of the wrongful conviction's impact on Steph's capacity to contest it.
― Steph's economic capacity has been damaged, so he cannot afford most costs.
― This claim is not yet verified, due largely to economic and familial damage.
― Steph is now vulnerable to widespread discrimination, under color of law.
PLEASE BE AWARE you are in a position that could risk harm to the innocent. From this point forward, your actions toward Steph are to be documented. Harmful actions may be used against you in the court of public opinion. Supportive actions shall be appreciated. Any injustice in the name of justice can no longer be tolerated. Thank you for your sympathetic understanding.
This will appear similar to the image below. Yours will reflect your specific situation and use your name, or the name of the claimant you represent.
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Stage Three:
Notification of Verified Innocence (NOVI)
This version is still under development. The more we learn from you how this tool can be shaped to meet your needs, the sooner we can present an example here.
Stage One of page two:
Certificate of Verifiable Innocence (COVI)
Below the opening page is a certificate of verifiable innocence. You will find it inserted sideways so it can be printed with the other pages. Some versions of this form offer a tab dedicated to both the above Notification and this Certificate for easier use.
Until you complete the form, this certificate will appear as below.
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Stage Two:
Certificate of Verifiable Innocence (COVI)
After completing the form up to section F, this changes to something similar to the image below. Yours, of course, will list your name (or the claimant you represent) and your specific estimated innocence score.
The current version gives you "Vouched by VALUE RELATING". Later versions will require a paid subscription for such backing. The bottom right will then state: "Vouched by many of Claimant's supporters".
The lower left date is whenever you save it to a PDF, as explained in the general instructions.
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Stage Three:
Certificate of Verified Innocence (COVI)
Again, this stage is still in development. Please come back later to check if we have a sample ready to show this final version of the Certificate.
Uses for Estimated Innocence
Uses for the NOVI and COVI
Uses for both incarcerated and released claimants:
- post on the claimant’s call-for-justice website
- media kit on such a website
- use on social media to attract support
- accompany a letter to media outlets
- accompany a letter to appellate counsel
- accompany a letter to pro bono attorney
- accompany a letter to elected officials
- accompany Innocence Project questionnaire
- accompany Conviction Integrity Unit form
- accompany a letter to the local prosecutor
Uses specific to incarcerated claimants:
- peer support with other incarcerated claimants
- present to prison counselor
- present to unit manager
- present to the parole board
- send to parole placement officials
Uses specific to released claimants:
- counselor/transition support
- employment application process
- housing application process
- debt collectors
- police encounters
Can you think of more uses? Tell us. Join our Facebook group The Unexonerated to share your ideas. And learn how others are using this tool.
Following the NOVI and COVI are more items you can use to publicize your compelling innocence claim.
Display pages
Besides the Notification (NOVI) and Certificate (COVI), this tool also provides what we call "display pages" that spotlights your innocence claim for easy viewing. You will find them immediately following the NOVI (or General Instructions at the start) and the sideways COVI.
Below is an example, using my own case to illustrate the display pages. Scroll through the images to see all four pages.
Uses for these “display pages”
Uses for both incarcerated and released claimants:
- show family and friends
- attract supporters
- convey impact of wrongful conviction
- attract independent verifiers
- demonstrate your deeper commitment to justice
- provide an accessible encapsulation of your case
If you can think of more uses, tell us at our Facebook group The Unexonerated. Learn how others are using these display pages. Add any questions about them or your ideas for improving them.
Further down, past the questionnaire portion, we provide more items you can use to help draw support for your innocence claim.
Further down, past these information pages, we provide more items you can use to help draw support for your innocence claim.
Conviction Quality Report
Scroll down to find what we call a Conviction Quality Report. This summarizes in one page the scoring from all the items used to calculate your likely innocence.
Stage one: only the column listing the items can be seen.
Stage two: all the columns fill in. The third column notes each claim element as NOT YET VERIFIED.
Stage three: once independently verified, the third column notes how much that claim element is verified, if at all. Independent verifiers may lower or increase how much of a factor they find a claim element.
Uses for this CQR page:
- quickly see how your score adds up
- summarize all the elements of your claim in one place
- spark discussion on the many contributors to wrongful conviction
- identify where the claim requires independent verification
- accompany a letter to supporters, pro bono lawyers, and others
This section of the tool introduces you to our advocacy campaign option. You should be able to start using these tools on your own. Or ask us how in our Facebook group The Unexonerated.
You can possibly use your Estimated Innocence to convince the prosecutor to review your case. You potentially could be exonerated without any advocacy campaign. For the less lucky among us, Value Relating offers some support.
1. Guidance. Get free peer support at The Unexonerated Facebook group. We also provide group video chat within this group. Click here to schedule your own free group chat time, which we call UNPACKING your innocence.
2. Support. Get personalized help filling out this form and how you can use it toward hopeful exoneration. It only costs $25 for a 25-minute online session. Click here to schedule a one-on-one online meeting with the creator of the Estimated Innocence Form. This one is called RELATING your innocence.
3. Advocacy. Work with us to launch a campaign for your innocence, or for the claimant you represent. We provide this service with a mix of subscription and online personalized sessions, called ADVOCATING your innocence.
Until you are officially exonerated...
If you count yourself (or someone you represent) among the countless unexonerated, this tool could be your next step to seek and find some measure of justice.
Until now, you probably felt powerless to ongoing illicit discrimination. You may even endure ongoing anxiety, suffer depression and undergo other challenges. You no longer have to suffer in quiet.
With your Estimated Innocence, you can now make your case known. You can put a halt to being walked upon. You can establish some legitimacy to what you have been saying all along, that you are innocent of the charges.
Likely changes
Do keep in mind this is a new tool undergoing rapid development. Your feedback can help improve it for yourself, and for others. By using this tool, you agree to our terms and privacy policy.
For now, pardon our dust. You are part of something so new that we are practically making history together.
Click the button below for a current brochure of this page you can send to incarcerated claimants. If you haven't already downloaded, click on the Estimated Innocence Form button below to download your own copy of this pioneering tool.
Join us on our Facebook group The Unexonerated to help make history. Let us help each other draw closer to exoneration with justice and love.