Today, the Great North Innocence Project (GNIP) announced that it will participate in Phase 3 of the independent review of Ramsey County cases involving the medical opinions of Dr. Michael McGee. Dr. McGee is the retired Chief Medical Examiner for Ramsey County and served in the role from 1985 to 2020.
Jim Mayer, GNIP’s legal director who will be leading GNIP’s participation in the review said, “Minnesotans deserve a criminal legal system that is fair, accurate, and accountable. Any system worthy of our confidence must have mechanisms to identify, acknowledge, and remedy past mistakes, particularly where there are warning signs of injustice. We applaud Ramsey County Attorney John Choi and his staff for taking to heart their roles as ministers of justice, and in having the courage to subject their own convictions to outside scrutiny. We are honored to play a small role in this important process.”
Phase 3 of the independent review will commence in October 2024. The PCE launched Phase 1 of the review in fall 2021 and reviewed 241 cases where Dr. McGee was involved as a witness at trial. PCE reviewed cases that included referrals from both the Minnesota Attorney General’s Office and the Great North Innocence Project. PCE identified 71 cases that warranted deeper review, and advanced those cases to Phase 2 of the review process in November 2022. Of these 71 cases, PCE has concluded that seven cases require further review by medical experts.
In Phase 3, three independent medical experts will review Dr. McGee’s work in these seven cases. The Great North Innocence Project will review the findings from the medical experts and provide a defense perspective on the findings. The PCE will also review the findings and make recommendations. All findings and recommendations will then be shared with the RCAO and the public.
For more information about the review process, visit the Ramsey County Attorney’s Office website.
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