Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology and Politics of Wrongful Convictions

In the United States, there are an estimated 2.3 million people incarcerated. Of those, over 100,000 are innocent. This means that for every 100 people in prison, at least 4 are innocent.

Blind Injustice: A Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology and Politics of Wrongful Convictions

by Mark Godsey

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1387 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	420 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE

Wrongful convictions are a travesty of justice. They destroy lives, tear families apart, and undermine the public's trust in the criminal justice system.

There are many factors that can contribute to wrongful convictions, including:

• Eyewitness misidentification
• Faulty forensic science
• Prosecutorial misconduct
• Ineffective defense attorneys
• Structural racism

In 2016, the National Registry of Exonerations released a report that found that冤枉定罪最常见的五个原因是：

1. Eyewitness misidentification
2. False confessions
3. Official misconduct
4. Inadequate defense
5. Forensic error

These five factors account for over 90% of all wrongful convictions.

Eyewitness misidentification is the leading cause of wrongful convictions. This is because eyewitness testimony is notoriously unreliable. Studies have shown that eyewitnesses are often mistaken about what they see, and that their memories can be easily distorted by factors such as stress, fear, and suggestion.

False confessions are another major cause of wrongful convictions. False confessions can occur for a variety of reasons, including:

• Coercion
• Interrogation techniques that are designed to elicit false confessions
• Mental illness
• Intellectual disability

Official misconduct is another major cause of wrongful convictions. This can include:

• Prosecutorial misconduct
• Police misconduct
• Judicial misconduct

Inadequate defense is another major cause of wrongful convictions. This can include:

• Public defenders who are overworked and underfunded
• Private attorneys who are incompetent or unethical

Forensic error is another major cause of wrongful convictions. This can include:

• Faulty forensic science
• Misinterpretation of forensic evidence

Structural racism is also a major factor in wrongful convictions. This is because the criminal justice system is biased against people of color. People of color are more likely to be arrested, charged, convicted, and sentenced to prison than white people, even for the same crimes.

Wrongful convictions are a serious problem in the United States. They destroy lives, tear families apart, and undermine the public's trust in the criminal justice system. There are a number of things that can be done to address this problem, including:

• Reforming eyewitness identification procedures
• Banning the use of false confessions
• Holding prosecutors accountable for misconduct
• Providing adequate funding for public defenders
• Reforming forensic science
• Addressing structural racism in the criminal justice system

By taking these steps, we can help to reduce the number of wrongful convictions and ensure that everyone is treated fairly by the criminal justice system.

Blind Injustice: A Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology and Politics of Wrongful Convictions

by Mark Godsey

4.7 out of 5

Language	:	English
File size	:	1387 KB
Text-to-Speech	:	Enabled
Enhanced typesetting	:	Enabled
Word Wise	:	Enabled
Print length	:	420 pages
Lending	:	Enabled
Screen Reader	:	Supported

FREE