Illusion of Justice

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Illusion

An idea or belief that is not true:

He had no illusions about his talents as a singer.
I’m under no illusions (= I understand the truth) about the man I married.
My boss is labouring under the illusion that (= wrongly believes that) the project will be completed on time.

Something that is not really what it seems to be:

A large mirror in a room can create the illusion of space.
The impression of calm in the office is just an illusion.

Cambridge Dictionary

Wrongful Convictions – A National Disgrace

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1 sep. 2017

Judge Michael Heavey (Ret.) of Judges for Justice, Presented August 29, 2017, before the King County Metropolitan Council’s Law and Justice Committee

1 The defence of the wrongly convicted | James Lockyer | TEDxIB@York

TEDx Talks

 Gepubliceerd op 21 dec. 2011
James Lockyer obtained his LLB at the University of Nottingham in 1971 and is a member of the Bar in England. From 1972 until 1977, he was an Assistant Professor at the Law Faculties of McGill University and the University of Windsor. In 1977 he was called to the Ontario Bar and began to practice criminal law. He has been a criminal lawyer for 33 years and is the founding director of the Association In Defence Of The Wrongly Convicted. TEDxIB@York is an event for International Baccalaureate Diploma students from all over the world to come together to experience TED talks and share ideas with peers and professionals. This event is held annually at The York School, a coeducational, non-denominational, IB, independent day school in Toronto, Canada. This event gives students a chance to see amazing speakers, musicians, artwork, poetry, videos and to connect with people from all walks of life in the spirit of “ideas worth spreading”.
 
IMPORTANT CONTENT

2 William Mullins-Johnson wrongful conviction : A Death in the Family (2009) – The Fifth Estate

Gepubliceerd op 4 okt. 2017

 
A Death in the Family is the story of William Mullins-Johnson, his wrongful first-degree murder conviction, and how that guilty verdict shattered his family. In Sault Ste. Marie, Ontario, on June 27, 1993, four-year-old Valin Johnson was found dead in her bed. She had been sick overnight and her family thought she had died after choking on her vomit. Within 12 hours, however, her favorite uncle, Bill Mullins-Johnson, would be arrested for the rape and murder of the little girl. Mullins-Johnson was charged and tried for first-degree murder. A jury found Bill guilty and he was sentenced to life in prison with no possibility of parole for 25 years. With little hope after two failed court appeals, Mullins-Johnson sent his case to the Association in Defence of the Wrongly Convicted. They agreed to look into it and 11 years to the day after his conviction, Bill was released on bail awaiting a new hearing. Two years later, on October 15, 2007, Bill was acquitted. Crucial pathology evidence given at his original trial was flawed. In A Death in the Family, Bill, his brother and their family share what it’s like to be torn apart by suspicion and hatred for more than a decade, and to discover one day that it was all a mistake. For the first time, the family makes public the story of their suffering as victims of the judicial system.
 
 
About the fifth estate : For four decades The Fifth Estate has been Canada’s premier investigative documentary program. Hosts Bob McKeown, Gillian Findlay and Mark Kelley continue a tradition of provocative and fearless journalism. the fifth estate brings in-depth investigations that matter to Canadians – delivering a dazzling parade of political leaders, controversial characters and ordinary people whose lives were touched by triumph or tragedy.

3 It Could Happen to Anyone: The Wrongful Conviction of Alan Beaman

 

16 nov. 2009

On January 29, 2009, Alan Beaman, a client of the Center on Wrongful Convictions, was exonerated after spending almost 14 years in prison for a crime he did not commit. Music by Kelly Beaman Video by John Maki

4 “Wrongful Convictions in the U.S.: Lessons from the National Registry of Exonerations”

Gepubliceerd op 17 nov. 2014

 
Professor Samuel Gross illustrates the issue of wrongful convictions by discussing the exoneration of Edward Carter, wrongfully convicted of rape, and drawing upon a database of exonerations. Presented at the University of Toledo College of Law September 16th, 2004.

5 Wrongly Convicted Man Exonerated, Released in Time to Reunite With Dying Dad – Crime Watch Daily

Gepubliceerd op 10 nov. 2016

 
How many times have we heard an inmate say they’re innocent, that they’ve got the wrong guy? In the case of Norman McIntosh, he said that for nearly 15 years, until finally finding himself in an agonizing race against time to prove his innocence before his ailing father died.

6 Blindsided: The exoneration of Brian Banks

 

Gepubliceerd op 24 mrt. 2013

 
Has Brian Banks’ dream of an NFL career been delayed or even destroyed by a false charge of rape and 5 years in prison? James Brown reports. Get more at http://www.cbsnews.com/

7 Wrongful Convictions – A National Disgrace

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Gepubliceerd op 1 sep. 2017

 
Judge Michael Heavey (Ret.) of Judges for Justice, Presented August 29, 2017, before the King County Metropolitan Council’s Law and Justice Committee
 
IMPORTANT VIDEO
 

8 Just Wrong: The aftermath of wrongful convictions

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Gepubliceerd op 2 okt. 2017
Six individuals affected by wrongful convictions in the U.S. criminal justice system share their stories and the challenges they have faced since the wrongful conviction came to light.

NIJ is dedicated to using science to learn about the causes and consequences of wrongful convictions. Only with this understanding will we minimize these miscarriages of justice, support victims and restore their confidence in the justice system.

In February 2016, NIJ and its partners hosted listening sessions for victims or survivors of crimes that resulted in wrongful convictions and individuals who have been exonerated to share their experiences. These powerful listening sessions revealed that there currently is no systematic response to the needs of victims and exonerees of wrongful convictions and the services offered are often inadequate.

Read the summary notes from this meeting: https://www.ncjrs.gov/pdffiles1/nij/2…

(Opinions or points of view expressed represent the speaker and do not necessarily represent the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Any product or manufacturer discussed is presented for informational purposes only and do not constitute product approval or endorsement by the U.S. Department of Justice.)

9 Prosecutorial Misconduct: Attorney Brendan Sullivan Extended Interview

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Gepubliceerd op 27 mrt. 2013

 
http://to.pbs.org/14p1OXa Famed criminal defense attorney Brendan Sullivan rarely gives interviews, but he did sit down with contributing correspondent Tim O’Brien recently to discuss the ill-fated prosecution of the late Alaska Senator Ted Stevens (R-AK). The charges were ultimately thrown out because of ethical violations of the prosecutors who withheld critical evidence from the defense and stood silently as some of their key witnesses testified falsely. Sullivan talks about what went wrong in the case and offers some suggestions for improvements at the U.S. Department of Justice. Watch Tim O’Brien’s full report on prosecutorial misconduct: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandet…

10 Prosecutorial Ethics and the Right to a Fair Trial: The Role of the Brady Rule (Session 1)

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January 26, 2007 Presented by: Case Western Reserve Law Review Speakers: Professor Lewis R. Katz, John C. Hutchins Professor; Director of the Master of Laws in U.S. and Global Legal Studies Program Professor Kevin C. McMunigal, Judge Ben C. Green Professor, Case School of Law Professor John G. Douglass, Professor of Law, University of Richmond School of Law Scott Roger Hurley, Public Defender, Cuyahoga County Public Defender Office
 
Summary: Law Review Symposium: Brady v. Maryland and Panel One: Brady and Plea Negotiations
 
In Brady v. Maryland (1963), the United States Supreme Court held that a defendant’s due process rights preclude a prosecutor from suppressing material evidence favorable to the defendant. Since the Court’s ruling, the Brady rule has shaped the boundaries of a defendant’s right to a fair trial and defined the standards of justice in the criminal system. The Case Western Reserve Law Review Symposium will explore the role of the Brady rule in various elements of a criminal case, including plea negotiations, scientific evidence and capital sentencing. Participants will also discuss the Brady rule’s impact on prosecutorial ethics in the current justice system. Please join us as many of the country’s leading experts examine the issues that are critical for maintaining each citizen’s right to a fair and just trial.
Reesicup 0815
the justice system is entirely reliant upon NOT convicting the innocent. It happens EVERY day with the use of plea bargain bullying because prosecutors and law enforcement never have to verify/prove their allegations nor answer to their actions.
Kevin Thacker
The lady at the beginning was very nervous lol. Was it obvious to anyone else?
 
 
ISSK
I wish some of these personalities in the law industry would be willing to take a look into  a case taking place at the Montgomery county jail Ohio, (Genesis Rivera vs State of Ohio)

11 Wrongful Conviction: Retired Sentencing Judge now says, “Case should be re-opened!”

Gepubliceerd op 29 mrt. 2012

 
PLEASE SIGN THE PETITION FOR A NEW TRIAL: http://www.change.org/petitions/new-t… 
 
WGN Chicago’s Muriel Clair reports….”In 1990 Lathierial Boyd was convicted and sentenced to 82 yrs. in prison for a double murder he maintains he did not commit.” Twenty-two years later justice still eludes him…..

12 When Prosecutors Withhold Information, Innocent People Go To Prison – or Worse.

Gepubliceerd op 28 jun. 2016

 
When it comes to deciding what evidence a jury should hear when deciding innocence or guilt, the American criminal justice system entrusts prosecutors with extraordinary power.

13 Wrongful convictions: Rob Warden at TEDxMidwest

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Gepubliceerd op 26 jun. 2012

Rob Warden examines the phenomena of false confessions and how they can be attributed to half of all murder cases. His plan to eradicate them from the legal system has the potential to revolutionize the justice system as we know it. In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)
 
IMPORTANT CONTENT
 
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14 Wrongfully Convicted & Behind Bars

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Gepubliceerd op 30 mei 2013

Share your comments with me on twitter: @susanmodaress A new study suggests that about 10,000 people may be wrongfully convicted of serious crimes each year across the country. Since 1989, there have been tens of thousands of cases where prime suspects were identified and pursued—until DNA testing (prior to conviction) proved that they were wrongly accused. After the first DNA exoneration took place in 1989, exonerations have been won in 36 states.
According to the Innocence Project the average DNA exoneree served 13 years in prison before he or she was freed. Seventeen had been sentenced to death. 67 percent of the exonerated were convicted after 2000, the year that marked the onset of modern DNA testing. Each new exoneration adds more urgency to the question that has hovered over these cases since the first convict was cleared by DNA in 1989: How many more innocent people are waiting to be freed?

15 Chicago Inmate Freed From Jail After 23 Years

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Gepubliceerd op 14 apr. 2017

 
CBS 2’s Mai Martinez reports on the emotional reunion with his family.

16 The System – Prosecutorial Misconduct

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Gepubliceerd op 20 feb. 2015

 
The System examines two cases where prosecutorial misconduct may have led to wrongful imprisonment.

17 Justice is a decision | Ronald Sullivan | TEDxMidAtlantic

Gepubliceerd op 10 jan. 2017

Harvard Law School Professor Ronald Sullivan has fought to get more incarcerated people out of prison – over 6,000 – than arguably anyone in American history. He is a global leader in combatting wrongful convictions and in advocating for criminal justice reform, having testified before Congress multiple times in this capacity and appearing regularly as a legal analyst on various major news networks. He was also tapped to represent the Family of Michael Brown in their wrongful death suit against the City of Ferguson and Darren Wilson – a case stemming from facts which have spawned a global movement and defined a generation. Professor Sullivan is a leading theorist in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, trial practice and techniques, legal ethics, and race theory. He is the faculty director of the Harvard Criminal Justice Institute and the Harvard Trial Advocacy Workshop. Professor Sullivan also serves as Master of Winthrop House at Harvard College. He is the first African American ever appointed Master in Harvard’s history. He is a founding member and Senior Fellow of the Jamestown Project.
 
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18 Can a Good Lawyer be a Good Person? | Ronald Sullivan | TEDxBeaconStreet

Gepubliceerd op 25 jan. 2017

 
Mr. Sullivan discusses his time as a public defender in DC and what he learned from a particularly memorable case.
 
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. is a law professor at the Harvard Law School. Sullivan graduated Phi Beta Kappa from Morehouse College in 1989 and received his J.D. from Harvard Law School in 1994.

19 The System – Flawed Forensics

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Gepubliceerd op 7 jan. 2015

 
The uncovering of faulty forensic analysis by the FBI 20 years ago means that two men have a second chance at proving their innocence.

20 The System – Eyewitness Identification

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Gepubliceerd op 23 jan. 2015

 
Why are many criminal convictions still made based solely on the discredited practice of eyewitness identification?

21 The System – Mandatory Sentencing


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Gepubliceerd op 16 jan. 2015

How did a man in Florida end up with a 20-year prison sentence after shooting a warning shot in his house?

22 True Conviction: The Dallas detective agency run by wrongly convicted men | Guardian Docs

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Gepubliceerd op 16 nov. 2015

 
A detective agency in Dallas, Texas, is being run by men who were wrongly convicted of crimes of which they were later cleared. 
Subscribe to The Guardian ► http://is.gd/subscribeguardian 
One of them, Christopher Scott, confronts Alonso Hardy, who confessed to having committed the crime for which Scott was imprisoned. In Texas, most victims of miscarriages of justice are black men. If the authorities won’t help them, Christopher and his team vow they will instead. 
Guardian website ► http://is.gd/guardianhome 
 
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Guardian playlists: Comment is Free ► http://is.gd/cifplaylist 
Guardian Docs ► http://is.gd/guardiandocs 
Guardian Features ► https://goo.gl/JThOzd 
Guardian Animations & Explanations ►http://is.gd/explainers 
Guardian Investigations ► http://is.gd/guardianinvestigations 
The Global Migration Crisis ► http://is.gd/RefugeeCrisis 
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Casetteboy remix the news ► http://ow.ly/TUqey 
 
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Bangladeshi Sex Workers take steroids ► http://is.gd/sexworkers
23 Wrongful Conviction Day Special: Kathleen Zellner Shares Some Thoughts
 
24 The true injustice of wrongful conviction | Jeffrey Deskovic | TEDxMarthasVineyard
 

Gepubliceerd op 24 nov. 2015

 
In this harrowing but moving talk, Jeffrey Deskovic describes his own wrongful conviction as a teenager and the horrible impact miscarriages of justice like this have on our society. Ultimately, Jeffrey urges us to join him in fighting for justice system reform and for the wrongfully convicted. Jeffrey Deskovic, M.A., served 16 years in prison prior to being exonerated by DNA nine years ago. Jeff has a masters degree from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice, which included a thesis on the causes of wrongful conviction and the reforms needed to address these cracks in the system. He has delivered more than 100 presentations across the country; authored more than 200 articles; lobbied elected officials as well as testified in several legislative hearings where wrongful conviction prevention measures were considered; given hundreds of print, radio, and television interviews. Jeff committed $1.5 million dollars from the compensation he received to launch The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation for Justice, a 501 C which fights wrongful convictions by raising awareness, seeking changes in the law, freeing wrongfully convicted, and helping exonerees reintegrate.
 
IMPORTANT CONTENT

25 Jeffrey Deskovic Wrongfully Convicted & Exonerated Part 1

Gepubliceerd op 23 jul. 2016

 
At 16 Jeffrey was wrongfully convicted of rape and murder. He spent 16 years in jail and was one of the “fortunate” ones who was exonerated. He tells his compelling, riveting, and informative story. There are lessons for all of us in his story.

26 Jeffrey Deskovic wrongfully Convicted & exonerated Part 2

Gepubliceerd op 23 jul. 2016

 
At 16 Jeffrey was wrongfully convicted of rape and murder. He spent 16 years in jail and was one of the “fortunate” ones who was exonerated. He tells his compelling, riveting, and informative story. There are lessons for all of us in his story.

27 Jeffrey Deskovic, Wrongfully Convicted of rape and murder PART 1

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Wrongfully convicted, Jeffrey Deskovic spend an astonishing 16 years in prison for crimes he DID NOT COMMIT!! Mr. Deskovic has now committed his life to freeing people in prison for crimes they didn’t commit, as well as bringing attention to this horrific situation and advocating for reform of the criminal justice system.
Mr. Deskovic has started a foundation, the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation. The Foundation seeks to exonerate the actually innocent, i.e., prisoners who have no connection to the crime for which they were convicted. Their team of investigators and lawyers comprehensively review court files, transcripts of prior testimony, and evidence introduced at trial to uncover uninvestigated leads, possible alternative suspects, exculpatory evidence, and similar crimes in the area.

In addition, they examine whether flaws in the trial process caused a wrongful conviction, such as the use of junk science or expert witnesses without proper credentials, prosecutorial misconduct such as withholding exculpatory evidence, laboratory errors, false confessions, misleading identification procedures, and the like.
Finally, they re-interview witnesses who previously testified and witnesses not yet heard from, and where appropriate, identify evidence for forensic testing or re-testing. If this story touched you, and you would like to make a donation, here’s how. go to the facebook page or web site, www.deskovic.org

28 Jeffrey Deskovic, wrongfully convicted of rape and murder PART 2

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Wrongfully convicted, Jeffrey Deskovic spend an astonishing 16 years in prison for crimes he DID NOT COMMIT!! Mr. Deskovic has now committed his life to freeing people in prison for crimes they didn’t commit, as well as bringing attention to this horrific situation and advocating for reform of the criminal justice system.
Mr. Deskovic has started a foundation, the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation. The Foundation seeks to exonerate the actually innocent, i.e., prisoners who have no connection to the crime for which they were convicted. Their team of investigators and lawyers comprehensively review court files, transcripts of prior testimony, and evidence introduced at trial to uncover uninvestigated leads, possible alternative suspects, exculpatory evidence, and similar crimes in the area.

In addition, they examine whether flaws in the trial process caused a wrongful conviction, such as the use of junk science or expert witnesses without proper credentials, prosecutorial misconduct such as withholding exculpatory evidence, laboratory errors, false confessions, misleading identification procedures, and the like.
Finally, they re-interview witnesses who previously testified and witnesses not yet heard from, and where appropriate, identify evidence for forensic testing or re-testing. If this story touched you, and you would like to make a donation, here’s how. go to the facebook page or web site, www.deskovic.org

Nopens Liam Allan

 
 

The Police and the Crown Prosecution Service have been accused of failing to disclose important information in several recent high profile sexual assault cases.

But Allan Urry asks if the current disquiet about disclosure should also extend to the Magistrates’ Courts where almost all criminal cases start off. Some defence lawyers say evidence that could be helpful to their clients’ cases is being with-held and are they’re concerned that justice isn’t always being served.

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29 Wrongfully Convicted: The Juan Rivera Story

 

Gepubliceerd op 11 jun. 2014

30 Who would confess to a murder they didn’t commit? Maybe you. | Nancy Franklin | TEDxSBU

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Gepubliceerd op 21 nov. 2016

 
A thorough examination of how innocent people may end up in jail through false confessions and what can be done systematically to fix this issue. Nancy Franklin is a faculty member in the Stony Brook University Psychology Department. Her training is in cognitive psychology, and her specific research interests include memory and eyewitness error. In 2008, shortly after a major New York State Court of Appeals decision calling for eyewitness identification experts in court, she accepted an invitation to testify as an expert in a robbery case in Manhattan. She has been invited since that time onto several hundred cases in various jurisdictions of New York and in other states. She regularly donates her time to assist in reexamining cases, some of them decades old, that are suspected to have produced wrongful convictions through witness error or coerced confessions. She has also given dozens of public and academic presentations discussing how well-understood psychological principles can lead to errors in the criminal justice system and the measures we can take to reduce these errors.

31 Brendan Dassey: A True Story of A False Confession

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Gepubliceerd op 9 mei 2016

 
Featured in the smash hit Netflix documentary series Making a Murderer, Brendan Dassey’s post-conviction attorneys, Northwestern Law Professors Steven Drizin and Laura Nirider, discuss powerful psychological techniques used in police interrogations that can lead juveniles to falsely confess. Learn more about Brendan’s case, complete with additional footage from his interrogation that wasn’t seen on Making a Murderer.

32 Last Chance (The Damon Thibodeaux case)

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Gepubliceerd op 21 jul. 2015

The 1996 murder of 14 year-old Crystal Champagne was closed when her cousin Damon Thibodeaux confessed to the crime. He was sentenced to death in 1997. The only trouble was his confession was false. Contrary to belief, this is something that happens all the time. Many people don’t believe someone would confess to a crime they didn’t commit. But it doesn’t take much to get an innocent person to confess. Usually they just want the questioning to end and they figure they can straighten it out later. That rarely is the case.

I DO NOT OWN THIS.
NON-PROFIT AND EDUCATIONAL PURPOSES ONLY.

33 Tired cops, justice and injustice | Bryan Vila | TEDxSpokane

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Gepubliceerd op 10 dec. 2014

 
This talk was given at a local TEDx event, produced independently of the TED Conferences. Police around the country are coming under closer scrutiny in the way they uphold the law. This talk examines factors that impact the policeman, including fatigue, and options to improve the situation.
 
Bryan Vila, PhD, is a professor of criminal justice and criminology at Washington State University. He pioneered the study of police fatigue, and currently directs the Simulated Hazardous Operational Tasks laboratory at WSU Spokane’s Sleep and Performance Research Center. His research focuses on the impact of sleep-related fatigue, shift work and long work hours on the safety, health and performance of police officers.
 
Since receiving his Ph.D. in 1990 from the University of California, Davis, Dr. Vila has held tenured faculty positions at WSU, the University of California, Irvine, and the University of Wyoming. Prior to joining WSU in 2005, he directed crime control and prevention research for the U.S. Department of Justice. Before he became an academic, Bryan served as a law enforcement officer for 17 years—including nine years as a street cop and supervisor with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department, six years as a police chief helping the emerging nations of Micronesia develop stable and culturally-appropriate law enforcement agencies, and two years as a federal law enforcement officer in Washington, D.C. He has published more than 60 peer-reviewed articles based on his research, as well as 20 articles for lay audiences and four books, including Tired Cops: The Importance of Managing Police Fatigue (2000). 
 

About TEDx, x = independently organized event In the spirit of ideas worth spreading, TEDx is a program of local, self-organized events that bring people together to share a TED-like experience. At a TEDx event, TEDTalks video and live speakers combine to spark deep discussion and connection in a small group. These local, self-organized events are branded TEDx, where x = independently organized TED event. The TED Conference provides general guidance for the TEDx program, but individual TEDx events are self-organized.* (*Subject to certain rules and regulations)

34 Young law students help proove inmates’ innocence (Full Documentary, 2010)

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Gepubliceerd op 16 jun. 2018

 
The film tells the story of a prisoner and his sideline heroes for a semester – students at the Northwestern University in Chicago – in documentary form, partly recorded by the students themselves. Original title: Heroes for a Semester A film by Axel Breuer Subscribe to wocomoDOCS: https://goo.gl/sBmGkp Follow us on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/wocomo © 2010, Licensed by First Hand Films Young law students are trying to find evidence for the innocence of prisoners whose cases even top American lawyers don’t dare tackle. They have one semester, and if they don’t succeed, no one will be laughing. Chicago. A man has been innocently imprisoned – for more than twenty years. All appeals for parole have been rejected. He is condemned to life imprisonment. His only chance: a handful of law undergraduates. At the Northwestern University of Chicago, several groups of students are working on cases that even top American lawyers don’t dare to tackle: cases of innocence without DNA proof. Legal exercises with real peoples’ lives: there is no evidence of the guilt of the people they look after – but no evidence of their innocence either – only the prisoners’ own statement. The students take the chance to be part of a group of prospective lawyers at the exciting search for clues in the gangland of Chicago. In search of proof of the innocence of the prisoners, the undergraduates encounter shady witnesses, corrupt and violent police officers and not so credible experts. The search is frustrating and dangerous. In spite of all of this, the young people manage to free the detainees that they have taken on in places – but not always. Directed by Axel Breuer Produced by Florian Gebhardt Austria 2010, 52’/82’, English Original title: Heroes for a Semester

35 Jerry Buting: “Illusion of Justice” | Talks at Google

 

Gepubliceerd op 18 apr. 2017

Over his career, Jerome F. Buting has spent hundreds of hours in courtrooms representing defendants in criminal trials. When he agreed to join Dean Strang as co-counsel for the defense in Steven A. Avery vs. State of Wisconsin, he knew a hard fight lay ahead. But, as he reveals in ILLUSION OF JUSTICE: Inside Making a Murderer and America’s Broken System, no-one could have predicted just how tough and twisted that fight would be—or that it would become the center of the Netflix documentary sensation Making a Murderer, which made Steven Avery and his nephew, Brendan Dassey, household names and thrust America’s criminal justice system into the spotlight. Combining narrative reportage with critical commentary and personal reflection, he explores his professional and personal motivations, including a battle with a rare cancer that almost cost him his life; career-defining cases, including his shocking fifteen-year-long fight to clear the name of another man wrongly accused and convicted of murder; and what must happen if our broken system is to be saved. Taking a place beside Just Mercy and The New Jim Crow, ILLUSION OF JUSTICE is a tour-de-force from a relentless and eloquent advocate for justice who is determined to fulfill his professional responsibility and, in the face of overwhelming odds, make America’s judicial system work as it is designed to do. Moderated by Matthew Hendershot.

36 Jerome F. Buting, “Illusion of Justice: Inside ‘Making A Murderer’ and America’s Broken System”

Gepubliceerd op 10 mrt. 2017

http://www.politics-prose.com/book/97… Interweaving his account of the Steven Avery trial at the heart of Making a Murderer with other high profile cases from his criminal defense career, attorney Jerome F. Buting explains the flaws in America’s criminal justice system and lays out a provocative, persuasive blue-print for reform. Founded by Carla Cohen and Barbara Meade in 1984, Politics and Prose Bookstore is Washington, D.C.’s premier independent bookstore and cultural hub, a gathering place for people interested in reading and discussing books. Politics and Prose offers superior service, unusual book choices, and a haven for book lovers in the store and online. Visit them on the web at http://www.politics-prose.com/

37 Man who served decade in jail released from prison

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Gepubliceerd op 28 mrt. 2016

 
A man who served a decade in jail has been released on appeal.
 
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38 Life After Being Wrongfully Imprisoned

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Gepubliceerd op 25 mei 2016

Season 7, Episode 18: “SoCal Connected” tells the moving stories of two innocent men who spent years behind bars for murders they did not commit, and their attempt to receive compensation for their time in prison. http://bit.ly/1Xvn33R

39 – 30-Year Death Row Inmate Celebrates First Days of Freedom

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Gepubliceerd op 24 apr. 2015

Anthony Ray Hinton learns to re-adjust to a new life in a world with computers and social media.

 

Massiga Diacko
the worst thing about it all is his mom died without seeing her son was innocent all along

40 How Golf Digest Helped Free An Innocent Imprisoned Artist | TODAY

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Gepubliceerd op 21 sep. 2018

 
Valentino Dixon spent 27 years in prison after being wrongfully convicted of murder. He was finally exonerated and released earlier this week thanks in large part to remarkable drawings of beautiful golf courses, a Golf Digest article and Georgetown University students who took up his cause. Dixon joins TODAY to talk about his story. “I had my moments when I was bitter and angry and frustrated, but I’m not upset with anybody,” he said.

41 State Vs Rodney Reed documentary – Innocent man on Texas death-row

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Gepubliceerd op 30 okt. 2013

 
State vs. Reed” is a 60 minute documentary that explores an explosive capital murder trial in Texas that has resulted in a questionable death penalty conviction of Bastrop, Texas’ Rodney Reed. Reed, a then-28 year-old black male with a minor criminal record, was convicted in 1998 of the murder of Stacey Stites, a 19 year-old finacee’ of a local police officer named Jimmy Fennell. Though Fennell was the primary suspect for over a year who failed two polygraph examinations, Reed was eventually arrested after DNA found on the victim was connected to him. Reed claims that he and the victim, who was Caucasian, shared a consensual sexual affair for over 6 months and that an encounter the night before would account for the finding of his DNA as well as a possible motive for the real killer. “State vs. Reed” dives into this complex and potentially benchmark case that still rattles the citizens of this small Central Texas town. By talking to those who knew best — friends of the victim and family of the defendent, investigators, lawyers, journalists and Reed himself, on Texas’ notorious Death Row — the award winning documentary reveals a case fraught with open questions and unusual coincidences. Ultimately, the documentary reveals the mistake-prone system that sentences men and woman to death in the state of Texas at a rate incomparable around the world. Filmmakers Bustoz and Polomski are first-time feature filmmakers, though have worked in the medium in central Texas for years. Previously, they have worked on the internationally screened short documentary, “Hecho a Mano: Tres Historias de Guatemala”. “State vs. Reed” premiered at the 2006 South By Southwest Film Festival where it won the Lone Star States Audience Award. It has since been screened multiple times in the central Texas area, including PBS.
 
A Hand Made / OSO Negro Production
Filmmaker: Ryan Polomski
Filmmaker: Bustoz

42 Innocent man released from jail after serving nine years


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Gepubliceerd op 4 sep. 2015

 
A New Haven man was released from prison today after serving nine years for a crime he did not commit.

 

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43 At 14, he was convicted of a murder he didn’t commit

 

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CNN

 

Gepubliceerd op 11 sep. 2018

 
John Bunn was exonerated after 27 years of fighting for his freedom. He says the power of reading saved him. Now, he’s building libraries in prisons.

44 Wrongfully convicted Missouri man released from prison after nearly 18 years

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Gepubliceerd op 15 mei 2018

 
A Missouri man imprisoned for nearly two decades for a murder he didn’t commit is now free. An emotional David Robinson walked out of prison Monday night after Missouri’s attorney general and local prosecutors dismissed charges against him. “48 Hours” correspondent Erin Moriarty shows the difficult path to Robinson’s freedom.

45 Wrongfully convicted man cleared after 28 years in prison

 

Gepubliceerd op 17 okt. 2014

David McCallum called his release this week a “bittersweet moment” after 28 years lost in prison. In October of 1986, McCallum and his friend Willie Stuckey were sentenced to 25 years to life for the kidnapping and murder of a 20-year-old man. Jericka Duncan reports.

46 Men Wrongfully Convicted Of Murder Open Up About Exoneration | TODAY

28 feb. 2019

Three Ohio men spent decades in prison for a murder they didn’t commit, but they never gave up the fight to clear their names. Two of the three, Kwame Ajamu and Rickey Jackson, join TODAY to share the lessons they learned about freedom and forgiveness.

47 Wrongly convicted man free after 39 years in jail

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MarKsMaN’s News
Gepubliceerd op 21 nov. 2014
Ricky Jackson – who at one stage faced the death penalty – calmly stands before looking skywards and hugging his legal team

This is the humbling moment a man who spent 39 years in jail after being wrongly convicted of murder is set free.

Ricky Jackson, 57, appears to mouth ‘thank you’ after being cleared, looks to the heavens, and then gratefully embraces his legal team before being led from the court room.

He was convicted along with two others for the 1975 murder of Harold Franks, a Cleveland-area money order salesman, after 12-year-old Eddie Vernon testified he saw the attack,
according to court documents.

However, when Vernon – now 53 – recanted his evidence and told authorities he had never actually witnessed the crime.
With no other evidence linking Jackson to the killing, in March lawyers for the Ohio Innocence Project filed a motion for a new trial after.

Vernon had told a pastor he was on a school bus at the time of the murder, which other witnesses confirmed.

Jackson is the longest-held U.S. prisoner to be exonerated, an lawyer for the Ohio Innocence Project said.

The two other men convicted alongside him, brothers Ronnie and Wiley Bridgeman, have also filed for a new trial.

Ronnie Bridgeman was released in 2003, but his brother remains in prison.

Jackson was originally sentenced to death but that sentence was vacated due to a paperwork error.

The Bridgemans remained on death row until Ohio declared the death penalty unconstitutional in
1978.

Man free after 39 years

48 Man wrongly jailed for murder as teen in 1991 is exonerated

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Gepubliceerd op 15 mei 2018

 
He was just 14 when he was wrongly arrested for the murder of an off-duty corrections officer and now, 27 years later, the Brooklyn man cried as he wasexonerated in court Tuesday morning. John Bunn always maintained his innocence in the Crown 1991 Crown Heights shooting death ofRolando Neischer and the attempted murder of Robert Crosson.He served 17 years in prison and was paroled in 2009, but he kept up the fight to clear his name.

49 SOURCE EXCLUSIVE – JOHN BUNN WRONGFULLY CONVICTED PART 1

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50 Men set free after 30 years in prison

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CNN

 

Gepubliceerd op 3 sep. 2014

 
Two men, one on death row for 30 years, are free from prison after being cleared by DNA evidence.

51 Wrongfully convicted Pennsylvania man exonerated after 11 years in jail

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Gepubliceerd op 17 mei 2018

 
Dontia Patterson, a Philadelphia man sentenced to life in prison in 2009 for killing his friend, was exonerated and released Wednesday following an extraordinary court motion from Philadelphia’s district attorney. CBS News correspondent Michelle Miller spoke with Patterson who always insisted on his innocence.

52 Exonerated death row inmate tells his story at Legacy Museum

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Gepubliceerd op 9 apr. 2018

A new memorial in Montgomery, Alabama, features a tribute honoring thousands of victims of lynching. The memorial is accompanied by the Legacy Museum, which chronicles the eras of racial injustice. Michelle Miller speaks to attorney Bryan Stevenson and Anthony Ray Hinton, a man who was exonerated from death row.
 
BOOKMARK

53 John Bunn Talks About His Exoneration After A 17-Year Sentence For A Crime He Didn’t Commit

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54 Teen Thrown In Violent New York Prison For Years Without Ever Having Been Convicted

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The Daily Spectator
Gepubliceerd op 20 nov. 2013
WATCH THE LATEST INTERVIEW HERE
http://youtu.be/yIlSqk_pfbA

Bronx resident Kalief Browder was walking home from a party when he was abruptly arrested by New York City police officers on May 14, 2010. A complete stranger said Browder had robbed him a few weeks earlier and, consequently, changed the 16-year-old’s life forever.

Browder was imprisoned for three years before the charges were dropped in June 2013, according to a WABC-TV Eyewitness News investigation.

At the time of the teen’s arrest, Browder’s family was unable to pay the $10,000 bail. He was placed in the infamously violent Rikers Island correctional facility, where he remained until earlier this year.

Now that he’s free, the young man is speaking up about his experience.

“I spent three New Year’s in there, three birthdays…,” Browder, now 20, said in a recent interview with WABC, adding that he was released with “no apology.”

In October, Browder filed a civil lawsuit against the Bronx District Attorney, City of New York, the New York City Police Department, the New York City Department of Corrections and a number of state-employed individuals.

The official complaint states Browder was “physically assaulted and beaten” by officers and other inmates during his time at Rikers Island. The document also maintains the accused was “placed in solitary confinement for more than 400 days” and was “deprived meals.” In addition, officers allegedly prevented him from pursuing his education. Browder attempted suicide at least six times.

In an interview with The Huffington Post, Browder’s current lawyer Paul Prestia summarized his client’s experience as “inexplicable” and “unheard of.” Based off one man’s identification, Browder was charged with robbery in the second degree, he notes. It took three years to dismiss these charges, even though it was, in Prestia’s words, a “straightforward case to try.”

“The city needs to be held accountable for what happened,” Prestia said. “[Browder] had a right to a fair and speedy trail, and he wasn’t afforded any of that. He maintained his innocence the entire time, and essentially got a three year sentence for that.”

Still, when Browder was offered a plea deal in January, he refused to take it, because he did not want to plead guilty to the crime, WABC-TV notes. (Had Browder been tried in a timely fashion and pled guilty to the crime, Prestia told HuffPost, he might have spent less time in prison.)

Prestia adds that his client has suffered lingering mental health problems, and though he’s currently going to school for his GED, he’s “clearly way behind from where he would have been.”

“We need someone to be held accountable,” Prestia said. “This can’t just go unnoticed. To the extent that [Browder] can be financially compensated — although it’s not going to get those years back for him — it may give him a chance to succeed.”

The District Attorney’s office said it was unable to comment, as Browder’s allegations are currently the subject of ongoing litigation.

Incidentally, Browder’s claims about his experience at Rikers Island are consistent with findings from a recent report commissioned by the New York City Board of Correction. The report, obtained by The Associated Press, notes that the use of force by prison staff has more than tripled from 2004 to 2013, from seven incidents of force per 100 inmates, to almost 25. Additionally, the number of self-mutilation and suicide attempts by Rikers inmates have increased by 75 percent from 2007 to 2012. According to the report, 40 percent of the city jail’s 12,200 inmates are mentally ill, and many of these inmates are placed in solitary confinement “holes” as punishment.

Credit – Amanda Scherker

55 Traumatized by 3 Years at Rikers Prison Without Charge as a Teen, Kalief Browder Commits Suicide

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Gepubliceerd op 8 jun. 2015

 
http://democracynow.org – A young man imprisoned for three years at Rikers Island jail in New York without charge has committed suicide. Kalief Browder was a 16-year-old high school sophomore when he was detained on suspicion of stealing a backpack. Browder never pleaded guilty and was never convicted. He maintained his innocence and requested a trial, but was only offered plea deals while the trial was repeatedly delayed. After enduring nearly 800 days in solitary confinement and abuses from guards, Browder was only released when the case was dismissed. Browder died Saturday at his home in the Bronx. He was 22 years old. We are joined by Jennifer Gonnerman, a staff reporter for The New Yorker who was the first to report Kalief’s suicide. She originally recounted Kalief Browder’s story last year in her article, “Before the Law: A boy was accused of taking a backpack. The courts took the next three years of his life,” and later published exclusive surveillance footage of him being beaten by guards and fellow prisoners.

56 Kalief Browder’s Life Behind Bars and Who He Might Have Been


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Gepubliceerd op 18 jun. 2015

 
Browder spent almost three years at Rikers without being convicted of a crime, now his mother is speaking out.

57 Kalief Browder’s siblings on new docu-series, calling for justice reform

 

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Gepubliceerd op 8 mrt. 2017

‘Time: The Kalief Browder Story,’ produced by the Weinstein Company and Jay-Z, attempts to further humanize the young man who spent years at Rikers without a conviction.

58 Two Years After Kalief Browder’s Suicide, His Brother Recounts Horrifying Ordeal at Rikers

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 Democracy Now!

Gepubliceerd op 6 jun. 2017
https://democracynow.org – Today marks two years since Kalief Browder took his own life in 2015 at the age of 22, after being held in jail for nearly three years without trial for a crime he did not commit.

In November, we spoke with Akeem Browder, Kalief’s older brother. He is the founder of the Campaign to Shut Down Rikers. Today we share a second part of his interview that has never been broadcast before. We spoke with him shortly after his family held a memorial service for Venida Browder, who died “of a broken heart” 16 months after her son hanged himself in his Bronx home.

Kalief was just 16 years old in 2010 when he was sent to Rikers Island jail in New York City on suspicion of stealing a backpack. He always maintained his innocence and demanded a trial. Instead, he spent the next nearly three years at Rikers—nearly 800 days of that time in solitary confinement. Near the end of his time in jail, the judge offered to sentence him to time served if he entered a guilty plea, and told him he could face 15 years in prison if he went to trial and was convicted. Kalief still refused to accept the plea deal. He was only released when the case was dismissed. While in Rikers, Kalief was repeatedly assaulted by guards and other prisoners. His brother explains in this interview that he was repeatedly denied food by guards while he was in solitary confinement.

Democracy Now! is an independent global news hour that airs weekdays on nearly 1,400 TV and radio stations Monday through Friday. Watch our livestream 8-9AM ET: https://democracynow.org

59 Lawrence McKinney : Wrongly imprisoned for 31 years gets $75 in compensation

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Gepubliceerd op 17 dec. 2016

 
Wrongly imprisoned for 31 years gets $75 in compensation Man spends 31 years in prison on false rape conviction, fights to be exonerated Lawrence McKinney, 60, is now fighting for $1 million compensation. His lawyer said compensation cannot, however, give him him life back

60 KZN man released after 14 years wrongfully convicted of rape


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Gepubliceerd op 20 aug. 2018

 
A young man from Umlazi in KwaZulu-Natal has been released from prison after being acquitted of rape. Courtesy #DSTV403.

61 Wrongfully accused prisoner released – 14 years later

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Gepubliceerd op 20 aug. 2018

 
A 35-year-old KwaZulu-Natal man who was wrongfully convicted of rape and spent almost 14 years in prison is considering suing the state. Njabulo Ndlovu of Umlazi was acquitted last week, after being sentenced to life imprisonment in 2004. Ndlovu was 19 at the time, and was doing the second year of a law degree at the University of KwaZulu-Natal. eNCA’s Thuba Vilane has more.

62 Why I Took a Plea Deal Even Though DNA Proved my Innocence

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Gepubliceerd op 29 okt. 2018

The Alford plea offers freedom at a costly price. While it allows one the right to maintain innocence, a criminal conviction remains visible on their record and therefore, they are not eligible for compensation from the government. Leroy Harris took an Alford plea after serving 29 years in prison for a crime he has always maintained he didn’t commit.

63 More convicts exonerated from Texas prisons

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Gepubliceerd op 30 apr. 2012

 
More and more men are being exonerated of wrongful convictions in Texas due to DNA evidence. Mark Strassmann reports on why this is happening and how the exonerated men are getting together.

64 Damon Thibodeaux – False Confession

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Gepubliceerd op 26 apr. 2013

 
Damon Thibodeaux spent 15 years on death row for a crime he did not commit. He was questioned in 1996 after the disappearance of his cousin, and after 36 hours with no sleep and a 9-hour interrogation, Damon falsely confessed to the crime. After 15 years on Louisiana’s death row, Damon was proved innocent by DNA evidence.
 
 
19 jun. 2014
 
Yet another coerced false confession landed #DamonThibodeaux on death row until DNA absolved him. Sadly, DNA is only available in 15% of death row cases, and not all get looked into. Coerced confessions rank second to only erroneous eyewitness testimony in landing people in the death chamber.

65 Man on death for 15 years exonerated due to DNA

Gepubliceerd op 28 sep. 2012

 
A man convicted of murdering and raping his 14-year-old step cousin was ordered to be released by a Jefferson Parish court.

66 Va. Inmate Imprisoned 21 Years Released a Day After DNA Tests

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Gordon Zedd
Gepubliceerd op 2 jan. 2014


A Hampton Roads man was freed from prison yesterday, two decades after he was convicted of raping a nursing student and just one day after DNA tests conclusively proved another man committed the crime.

“I’d like to thank God for this day,” Julius Earl Ruffin, 49, of Suffolk told WAVY-TV as he walked out of the Southampton Correctional Center where his sister, brother and son were waiting. “The first thing I want to do is visit my mother’s grave. It’s been 21 long years.”

Ruffin was released on parole because the Norfolk commonwealth’s attorney and Virginia Parole Board decided it was faster than waiting for a governor’s pardon or a court to exonerate him.

The DNA tests conducted by the state Division of Forensic Science that cleared Ruffin also got a “cold hit,” matching the evidence from the Norfolk rape with DNA on file in a state data bank of people convicted of serious felonies since 1990.

“We’ve already taken steps to follow up on that,” said John R. Doyle III, the Norfolk commonwealth’s attorney, who declined to identify the new suspect.

Gordon A. Zedd, Ruffin’s attorney, said he started shaking when a seven-page fax outlining the results arrived at his office after the close of business Tuesday. He said he contacted Doyle, who in turn called the Parole Board to secure Ruffin’s release the next day.

67 DNA Clears Man after 35 Years

Gepubliceerd op 17 dec. 2009

 

After spending over three decades in prison, 54-year-old James Bain was set free after DNA evidence proved that he could not have raped a boy in 1974. Jim Axelrod reports

68 Brooklyn man freed after 20 years in jail

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Gepubliceerd op 14 dec. 2011

 

A Brooklyn man who spent 20 years in prison for a murder a dozen witnesses say he didn’t commit was finally released after The Daily News recounted his questionable conviction.

69 Man freed after 28 years behind bars

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Gepubliceerd op 18 okt. 2014
 

David McCallum spent 28 years in a New York prison for a murder he didn’t commit. McCallum called his release a “bittersweet moment. Jericka Duncan reports.

70 A Wrongful Murder Conviction and 18-Year Fight for Justice: The Fairbanks Four

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Gepubliceerd op 1 feb. 2018
In 1997, a teenager was found beaten to death in downtown Fairbanks, Alaska. Police quickly pinned the murder on four native teens from a local high school and convicted them on false confessions, an unreliable witness, and forged evidence. Still, the “Fairbanks Four” continued to maintain their innocence.

Over time, the fight for their freedom grew into a statewide movement against Alaska’s judicial system. After 18 years, the Fairbanks Four were set free—but the state still refuses to acknowledge any wrongdoing. Meanwhile, the wrongfully convicted men, who were thrown in prison as teenagers, are struggling to get used to life outside after nearly two decades behind bars.

VICE trekked to Alaska to meet two members of the Fairbanks Four, the community members who rallied behind them, and the investigators who helped secure their freedom—exploring the enduring impact of their wrongful incarceration and the native community’s effort to move forward.

71 Race and policing in Chicago

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Gepubliceerd op 27 okt. 2016

 
A shooting in Chicago unleashed protests by blacks there and a shift in how policing is done in that city. Click here for the full story: http://cbc.ca/1.3821204

72 Dad Throws His Baby Through the Window

14 sep. 2018


Only the most responsible of parents would throw their baby through a window. It’s clearly the most efficient way to move it around.