Macomb County prosecutor announces launch of Conviction Integrity Unit

Macomb County Prosecutor Peter J. Lucido, announces the launch of the Macomb County Conviction Integrity Unit.

Since elected, Lucido has been committed to improving criminal justice in Macomb County for all of its citizens. He understands that justice in criminal cases involves ensuring the process protects the innocent, convicts the guilty, and provides victims peace of mind that the actual perpetrators of the crime are punished.

By establishing Macomb County’s first-ever Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU), Lucido recognizes that at times the criminal justice system breaks down and the innocent are convicted of crimes they did not commit. Convicting the innocent is devastating. It ruins lives, decimates families, and can add to the trauma victims may experience. The CIU’s purpose is to review and investigate claims to determine if a person is factually innocent of the underlying conviction and if so, bring it before a court for an appropriate remedy.

Assistant Prosecuting Attorney Gail M. Pamukov has been appointed chief of the Macomb County CIU. She brings 30 years of practice as a lawyer, much of it in the area of criminal defense. In conjunction with the Western Michigan University Cooley Law School Innocence Project, she represented Kenneth Wyniemko, who was exonerated in 2003 after serving almost 10 years on a 40-60 year sentence. Over the years, Pamukov has been committed to educating the public about innocence issues and wrongful convictions. Her appointment as chief of the CIU is a continuation of that service.

To find out more about the Macomb County CIU or to obtain an application for a conviction review, see: https://prosecutor.macombgov.org/Prosecutor-Units-ConvictionIntegrity.