Comedy Crimes with Andy Daly

Conan O’Brien Needs A Friend

Conan O'Brien welcomes Peter, a lawyer from the CPCS Innocence Program in Framingham, MA, along with special guest Andy Daly, for a humorous

Key takeaways

• DNA technology has revolutionized the ability to exonerate wrongfully convicted individuals, especially in cases from decades past.

Main topics

• DNA Innocence Project and wrongful convictions
• Sources of DNA in forensic investigations

Notable quotes

"If you've been in jail for like 40 years for committing a murder and then it turns out you didn't do it. I, in my opinion, they should let you out of jail."

"You don't lock somebody like that up. You just pat him on the back and say congratulations."

Conclusion

The episode ends on a light-hearted note, celebrating both the serious work of legal

Transcript preview

Speaker 1 (0:03) Conan O'Brien needs a fan. Want to talk to Conan? Visit teamcoco.com slash call Conan. Okay, let's get started. Speaker 5 (0:13) Hey, Peter, welcome to Conan O'Brien Needs a Fan. How Speaker 3 (0:17) are you? We're great, Peter. I want to get right into this because you are from Framingham, Massachusetts, which is not far from where I grew up in old Brookline, Massachusetts. And where are you right at Speaker 2 (0:32) this moment? At this moment, I'm in Framingham. Oh, Speaker 3 (0:35) you're in Speaker 2 (0:35) Framingham. Yeah. Okay. Speaker 3 (0:37) In my Speaker 2 (0:37) office slash playroom. Speaker 5 (0:39) Okay, Speaker 3 (0:39) cool. And real Speaker 5 (0:40) quick, we have someone special here with us today. Speaker 3 (0:42) Yeah, very special. Is it me? Yes, it is you. Speaker 3 (0:48) Please introduce our friend. Well, Andy Speaker 5 (0:49) Daly, who was on the podcast, is joining us as well for this fan episode. So, Peter, meet Andy. Speaker 2 (0:54) Hello, Peter. Hello, Andy. Pretty incredible to meet all three of you. This is great. I'm a big fan of all three, including a review I watched when that came out. I loved that. Oh, Conan loves this. Conan loves a compliment from me. Speaker 4 (1:11) Keep going, Peter. Keep going. Speaker 3 (1:14) Keep Speaker 4 (1:14) going. What else? Did you happen to see Yogi Bear, the motion picture? That was in 3D. I'm enraged by anyone Speaker 3 (1:24) getting a compliment, even my children, but not Andy Daly, who is a true genius. But I am fascinated. Yes, I'm very happy that Andy's joining us. But you, sir, work for the DNA Innocence Project, and this... It fascinates me because I want to get away with the perfect murder one day, one day very soon. And this involves you, Andy. Is Speaker 4 (1:51) that what you think of when you hear the DNA Innocence Project? Yes. How can you get away with the perfect murder? Speaker 3 (1:56) Yes. This is noble Speaker 5 (1:57) work, Speaker 3 (1:58) Conan. Well, I know they're helping people and blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah, blah. I've got to get away with the perfect murder. Speaker 5 (2:05) Doesn't you just saying you want to get away with the perfect murder mean you're never going to get away with the perfect murder? Speaker 3 (2:10) I'm. Trusting that no one's listening right now. Well, that's fair. Okay. Well, Peter, let's get serious for a second. This is incredible work that you do. Tell us a little bit about it. It's obviously, this is science-based, but there's also the law. Are you a practicing lawyer as well? Speaker 2 (2:29) Yes. Yep. So that's what I, it's the, it's actually the Public Defender's Office Innocence Program for the statewide. instance program. So I'm a DNA litigator, essentially. I'm kind of focused on DNA, but there are a few other attorneys, including the director of the program, who focus on everything having to do with a wrongful conviction, including police misconduct, eyewitness, bad eyewitness testimony, stuff like that. But my focus is DNA and trying to get DNA testing to prove innocence. Speaker 3 (3:05) I mean, DNA is and the science of DNA detection is really a godsend because we're able to now solve these crimes and prove people innocent when that wasn't possible 25 years ago. Is that true? Speaker 2 (3:22) Yeah. Yeah, absolutely. It's really incredible how far it's come. Just even in the last 10 years, they've made a lot. But yeah, there's. There's a lot of there are a lot of cases that are from the 80s, 90s that, you know, people have been incarcerated for 30 years, 40 years. And thanks to DNA, the discriminating power of like figuring out that one person that it is or isn't. It's pretty incredible that we're able to test those things now and get somebody out. Speaker 4 (3:55) I think if you if you did not commit a murder, you. should not go to jail for it, right? And you should be let out of jail for the murder that you didn't commit it. But I'm not so sure. Wait Speaker 5 (4:04) a Speaker 4 (4:04) minute. Wait a minute. Speaker 5 (4:08) Bold Speaker 4 (4:08) take. That's insane. In my opinion, if you've been in jail. Someone's got to be in prison. Speaker 3 (4:13) But this is what I'm saying. I mean, that's space that we have built for people to be in prison. You got to put someone in there. I Speaker 4 (4:18) absolutely agree. Whether they did Speaker 3 (4:20) or they didn't do it. No, but I'm saying the opposite. Speaker 4 (4:22) I disagree. If you've been in jail for like 40 years for committing a murder and then it turns out you didn't do it. I, in my opinion, they should let you out of jail. However. Another bold take. I don't think necessarily the person who did do it. I mean, if you get away with something for like 40 years, they should be able to. Just pat him on the back and Speaker 3 (4:42) say congratulations. You think statute of limitations on murder. It's Speaker 5 (4:45) more than that. You're actually saying like you deserve something for your wiliness or something? I think Speaker 3 (4:50) so. Oh, so not just. It's Speaker 5 (4:52) like a Speaker 3 (4:52) reward. Not just you don't go to prison, but you also get a new car. Speaker 4 (4:57) A new car would be great. I mean, anybody could use it. But I think some kind of acknowledgement that you are the top, you're in the top echelon of smart people in our world that you got away with a murder for 40 years. Yeah. You don't lock somebody like that up. Speaker 3 (5:11) No, I think you bring up a very bad point. But this is, I mean, it really is incredible. Wait Speaker 5 (5:23) a Speaker 3 (5:23) minute. What? Speaker 5 (5:24) spoken like someone who's gotten away with murder for a long time. Speaker 4 (5:27) That's true. I'm just saying, if you like killed somebody in college, whatever, just because a bunch of guys were out and it seemed like a fun thing to do. Speaker 4 (5:38) All these years later, you're 55 years old, you have a family, you're successful in show