New Jersey AG creates groups to review convictions, cold cases

TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - TRENTON, N.J. (AP) - New Jersey Attorney General Gurbir Grewal is establishing a unit to review wrongful convictions as well as a network aimed at solving cold cases.

Grewal announced the new efforts Thursday at his Trenton office.

The news comes after he established a task force last year to review the possibility of creating a unit dedicated to reviewing convictions. The task force's report estimated between 1% and 5% of convictions nationwide are wrongful.

He says the wrongful convictions unit will get started immediately. It will be led by Essex County Superior Court Judge Carolyn Murray.

The unit will only accept innocence claims once the defendant has exhausted all appeals.

Grewal says the cold case network will be based on a northern New Jersey task force involving Bergen, Essex and Passaic counties.