On Monday, I had the pleasure of participating in a press conference to announce the creation of Davis County’s Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU). This group is tasked to review and investigate post-conviction claims of innocence and make recommendations to the county attorney about the disposition of those claims. The CIU is made up of a conviction unit chief and a conviction review panel.

I was selected to be a member of the review panel.

For some, my selection might be confusing; why Adrienne Andrews? She is not a judge or attorney. What can she bring to the table? According to 2nd District Court Judge Glen Dawson, “Each member will bring a different perspective and viewpoint to the analysis of each application we receive.” County Attorney Troy Rawlings indicated that he wanted people to serve who are passionate about the criminal justice system being fair, treating people right and getting it right. Additionally, I may help build trust with community members concerned that they have experienced bias and that unconscious bias was not considered in their process. To this end, I may also provide a visual representation of someone that reflects those bringing their cases to us.

By establishing a panel that conducts extrajudicial, fact-based reviews of secured convictions to investigate plausible allegations of actual innocence, Davis County is putting its words into action. On the Davis County website, they indicate that their fundamental duty is to serve the community. They are actively engaged in improving the quality of life for everyone in Davis County.

What these words mean in action are that even the folks committed to justice can sometimes get it wrong — and Davis County is willing to right those wrongs when and if they occur. While the county attorney could take our recommendation under review and decline to overturn a conviction, County Attorney Rawlings has indicated that if this panel makes a recommendation to overturn a conviction, he is inclined to follow through. While Rawlings believes that there will be few, or no, overturned convictions, he is willing to put his words into action through the establishment and function of this panel.

This tells me something essential as we move into the Thanksgiving season. First, there is commitment at the state, county and local levels to practice equity and review the possible ways things can go awry. We can see this with the Utah Compact on Racial Equity, Diversity and Inclusion, signed by myself and many other state leaders, including Sen. Stuart Adams, Rep. Jon Hawkins, Utah Department of Corrections Executive Director Mike Haddon, Carla Coons Trentelman, Ph.D., and Gov. Spencer J. Cox.

In Davis County, Rawlings indicated that the Conviction Integrity Unit investigates claims of factual innocence presented by defendants who were convicted in Davis County. This investigation is a collaborative, extrajudicial, fact-based review to ensure the integrity of convictions in Davis County. A defendant or attorney seeking to have a sentence reviewed should review the requirements for an application review at www.daviscountyutah.gov/attorney/conviction-integrity-unit. Application forms are available in Spanish and English.

Thank you, Judge Dawson, Teneille Brown, Bud Cox, Chris Shaw, Marina Lowe, Judge Roth, Ed Brass and Molly Davis, for being willing to give your time, energy and talents to walk the talk of Davis County. I am honored to live in a community that takes the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr’s. words to heart, “Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.”

Adrienne G. Andrews is the assistant vice president and chief diversity officer for Weber State University. Twitter: AdieAndrewsCDO

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