This list of wrongful convictions in the United States includes people who have been legally exonerated, including people whose convictions have been overturned or vacated, and who have not been retried because the charges were dismissed by the states. It also includes some historic cases of people who have not been formally exonerated (by a formal process such as has existed in the United States since the mid-20th century) but who historians believe are factually innocent. Generally, this means that research by historians has revealed original conditions of bias or extrajudicial actions that related to their convictions and/or executions.
Crime descriptions marked with an asterisk (*) indicate that the events were later determined not to be criminal acts. People who were wrongfully accused are sometimes never released.
By June 2025, a total of 3,696 exonerations were mentioned in the National Registry of Exonerations. The total time these exonerated people spent in prison adds up to 34,072 years. Detailed data from 1989 regarding every known exoneration in the United States is listed. Data prior to 1989, however, is limited.
Before 1900 Date of crimeDefendantsCrimeLocationSentenceTime servedLegallyexonerated1736AndrewRape*Caroline County, VirginiaDeath by hangingExecutedNo In 1736, Andrew, a slave belonging to Richard Bradford, and a married white indentured servant named Elizabeth Williams were convicted of adultery for having consensual sex in Caroline County. Unsatisfied with the verdict, some successfully lobbied for Andrew to be prosecuted for rape. Andrew was convicted of rape, sentenced to death, and executed on June 4, 1736. The incident was later seen as a miscarriage of justice since it was undisputed that the two had engaged in consensual sex. After this, the county stopped punishing black men when white women gave birth to mixed race children. However, four white women would later be flogged in such cases.Dominic Daley and James HalliganMurderWilbraham, MassachusettsDeath by hangingExecutedNoIn November 1805, the body of a young farmer, Marcus Lyon, was found on the open road near the town of Wilbraham, Massachusetts. Irish immigrants Dominic Daley and James Halligan were traveling in the area, heading for New Haven, Connecticut, when they were arrested for the murder on November 12, 1805. Their captor received a reward of $500. They had a lengthy confinement, and were not granted defense attorneys until 48 hours before their trial. They were convicted within an hour. One of the defense attorneys said that the evidence was so flimsy it was obvious their conviction was based on outright bigotry. They were executed the next day. On St. Patrick's Day 1984, Governor Michael Dukakis of Massachusetts issued a proclamation exonerating Daley and Halligan.