Do please remember that 'not guilty' and 'innocent' are two entirely different issues. In the UK we have seen many people have convictions quashed and then, 'the usual suspects' make disingenuous claims of 'innocence'. In such cases, I would guess that many fewer than 1% of these would qualify as innocent.
Courts already acquit countless people who are obviously guilty. I have done it myself. The system bends over backwards to ensure that 'all the ducks are lined up in a row' before a guilty verdict can be reached.
'Innocence' of a defendant in a court of law is an extreme rarity. It is almost impossible to believe that more than the tiniest handful could possibly be convicted.
After that comes the appeal when many more will have their verdicts overturned - and in some cases further appeals still.
From a mathematical point of view alone, 'innocents' in British prisons can probably be counted on the fingers of one hand - possibly with some digits to spare.
I once asked a court reporter how many innocents that he'd seen in courts. He pondered the question a short while and then responded with "None. But I've seen quite a few cases that should never have been brought."
The question was asked prior to my becoming a JP and I can honestly say that his words stayed with me for a decade and oh, how right he was!
