The Innocence Center (TIC) is officially bringing its wrongful conviction work to Idaho, picking up where the Idaho Innocence Project left off after more than two decades of freeing the wrongly convicted through DNA science. The expansion formalizes TIC’s commitment to Idaho casework and marks the beginning of a new chapter for innocence advocacy in the state.
For over 20 years, Greg Hampikian and the Idaho Innocence Project used DNA evidence to secure the freedom of wrongly convicted Idahoans, including cases that reshaped how the state’s courts and law enforcement think about forensic evidence. As Hampikian steps back from that work, he is passing the torch directly to TIC.
“For all of us who fight for justice in Idaho, this is a dream come true, and for me an answered prayer,” said Greg Hampikian, founder of the Idaho Innocence Project. “Now the work begins anew with an experienced team I trust at The Innocence Center. We welcome all who seek long-delayed justice, and those who will join us in the fight for truth.”
TIC brings a proven record to this work: 43 exonerations representing more than 600 combined years of wrongful imprisonment. The organization’s move into Idaho follows Executive Director Mike Semanchik’s admission to the Idaho State Bar and the transfer of case files from the former Idaho Innocence Project, laying the groundwork for TIC to begin evaluating and litigating Idaho cases immediately.
Save the Date: A Legacy of Freedom, Passing the Torch in Idaho
The public launch begins with a fundraiser and celebration the night before Semanchik’s formal swearing-in ceremony before the Idaho Supreme Court. The event honors Hampikian’s DNA work and welcomes TIC’s next chapter in the state.
- What: A Legacy of Freedom: Passing the Torch in Idaho
- When: Thursday, September 17 at 7:00 PM MDT
- Where: 217 S 11th St, Boise, ID 83702 (in person)
The evening will feature TIC board member Amanda Knox, whose own wrongful conviction was overturned in part through DNA evidence and work by Hampikian and the Idaho Innocence Project, speaking on the importance of continuing innocence work in Idaho. Amanda Knox will be in Boise for the event and will be available for a book signing following her remarks.
Tickets and donations for the Boise event are available now through Givebutter.
Why Idaho
Idaho has nine documented exonerations in the National Registry of Exonerations, cases built on the same causes of wrongful conviction TIC fights nationwide: mistaken eyewitness identification, false confessions, and flawed forensic science. TIC’s Idaho expansion will build institutional partnerships with local law firms and legal educators to establish sustainable case intake and litigation capacity across the state, ensuring Hampikian’s legacy of DNA-driven justice continues for the next generation of wrongly convicted Idahoans.
More details on TIC’s formal swearing-in ceremony and Idaho case intake process will be announced in the coming weeks.
The Innocence Center is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit law firm dedicated to freeing the wrongfully convicted, reforming the systems that cause wrongful convictions, and supporting exonerated people as they rebuild their lives.
