Conviction Integrity Unit

About the Conviction Integrity Unit

The overarching goal of the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office is to seek justice in every case. In pursuit of that goal, the Boulder County District Attorney’s Office established the Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) in 2018 to investigate wrongful conviction claims. The purpose of the CIU is to create a transparent, effective, and thorough review of legitimate claims of actual innocence, and to advance and uphold integrity and trust in our justice system. Upon request, the CIU will review legitimate claims of actual innocence, investigate further where warranted, and take action to rectify any cases where someone was wrongfully convicted.

The DA’s Office must receive a completed, written application and the claim must meet the following requirements:

1. 1. The conviction must have been in Boulder County.
   2. The petitioner must be a living person.
   3. There must be a claim of actual innocence.
   4. New credible evidence of innocence must exist.
   5. The claim must have merit and not be frivolous.

CIU and Board Membership

The Conviction Integrity Unit and Board will thoroughly and judiciously review all claims submitted through a multi-agency, volunteer, and collaborative effort led by District Attorney Michael Dougherty. The CIU is composed of District Attorney Michael Dougherty, CIU Coordinators assigned to oversee the unit, and volunteer attorneys, investigators, and victim advocates from the District Attorney’s Office. The CIU works in partnership with volunteers from outside the office who make up the Conviction Integrity Board (CIB). Members of the CIB include the University of Colorado Law School, private defense attorneys, Alternative Defense Council attorneys, and the Public Defender’s Office. This collaborative approach seeks to ensure a fair review of all claims by a group of attorneys and investigators with differing perspectives from within the criminal justice system.

Conviction Integrity Unit Review Process

Once the Conviction Integrity Unit receives a completed application, the claim will be reviewed for eligibility to ensure it is asserting a claim of actual innocence and involves a Boulder County case. If it appears to meet the application requirements, the application is given a unique claim number and assigned to a review team consisting of one attorney from the DA’s Office who has not worked on the case before and one defense attorney from outside of the DA’s Office. Both attorneys will review the application, case files, and any other relevant materials and prepare a recommendation finding that:

(1) a valid claim of actual innocence is present and must be corrected,

(2) a valid claim of actual innocence is not present, or

(3) more information or investigation is needed.

It is in the District Attorney’s sole discretion in consultation with the CIB to determine whether relief, if any, is warranted, up to and including filing a motion with the court to vacate the conviction where wrongful conviction is found.

Application and Other Resources

For more information on the Conviction Integrity Unit, contact us at (303)441-3700.

• • Application Form
  • CIU Policy Memorandum
  • CIU Flyer

Recent Press Releases

• Boulder County attorneys set criteria for DA’s new conviction integrity unit

• Boulder County DA starting conviction integrity unit to look at possible wrongful conviction cases

• Boulder DA’s Conviction Integrity Unit Officially Online

CIU Mailing Address

Office of the District Attorney, Twentieth Judicial District
Conviction Integrity Unit
1777 6th Street
Boulder, CO 80302

CIU Email (CIU@BoulderCounty.org)