JUST 405 - Wrongful Convictions

This course is a study of the main causes and systemic failures in our legal system that lead to innocent persons being convicted of crime, including: mistaken eyewitness identification, government misconduct, coerced confessions, junk forensic science, ineffective assistance of counsel, and more. Legal avenues (often dead ends) for exonerating the innocent will be discussed. Students will analyze how systemic racism and discrimination are an ever-present factor in most cases. Reforms aimed at preventing wrongful convictions, streamlining exonerations, and compensating innocent exonerees will be examined.

Credit(s): 3
Disciplinary Perspective(s):
None
Interconnecting Perspective(s):
None
University Graduation Requirement(s):
None