1. Alissa Leanne Bjerkhoel is an American litigation coordinator at the California Innocence Project, a law school clinic that investigates cases of factual innocence while training law students.
20 Facts About Alissa Bjerkhoel
1. 2.
Alissa Bjerkhoel has served as counsel for CIP on numerous criminal cases, and achieved the legal exoneration of a number of convicted prisoners.
3.
Alissa Bjerkhoel serves as CIP's in-house DNA expert and serves as a panel attorney with the nonprofit law firms Appellate Defenders, Inc and Sixth District Appellate Program.
4.
Alissa Bjerkhoel is a member of the American Academy of Forensic Sciences.
5.
In 2013, Alissa Bjerkhoel walked from San Diego to Sacramento to protest the incarceration of twelve inmates she considered innocent, and presented twelve petitions for the convicted to the governor.
6.
Alissa Bjerkhoel taught how to conduct direct examination, cross-examination, the opening statement and the closing argument.
7.
Alissa Bjerkhoel drafted a comprehensive treatise, in both English and Spanish, for the Defensoria detailing the history, rules, examples and cases of Criminal Procedure and the Federal Rules of Evidence.
8.
Alissa Bjerkhoel organized and presented a seminar to the Defensoria, Ministereo Publico, judges and the media.
9.
Alissa Bjerkhoel observed the inner workings of the federal judicial system by attending criminal calendar, observed initial negotiation and settlement conferences, and attended trials on civil rights violations.
10.
Alissa Bjerkhoel currently holds the position of Litigation Coordinator at the California Innocence Project, investigating claims of wrongful conviction for felony convictions in Southern California.
11.
Alissa Bjerkhoel serves as the in-house DNA expert, authors petitions filed on behalf of the Project's clients, directs and supervises clinical student casework, and coordinates case litigation.
12.
Alissa Bjerkhoel conducts field investigations, including visits to crime scenes, courts, correctional facilities and police stations.
13.
Alissa Bjerkhoel participates as co-counsel in evidentiary hearing and trial proceedings.
14.
Alissa Bjerkhoel was present in the courtroom with Banks on May 24,2012, the day that his conviction was finally dismissed.
15.
Alissa Bjerkhoel often wears a shirt with the lettering "XONR8".
16.
Alissa Bjerkhoel helped defend Guy Miles, who was wrongly convicted of robbery.
17.
Alissa Bjerkhoel explained in a television interview why Miles was being kept in prison despite strong evidence of his innocence.
18.
Alissa Bjerkhoel has referred to this case in presentations she has given regarding non-traditional DNA cases and the inherent flaws involved in witness identifications.
19.
Alissa Bjerkhoel has engaged in many interviews in print and broadcast media concerning her clients and her areas of legal expertise.
20.
Alissa Bjerkhoel has been married to Steven Foley since 2015 and has a daughter.