#wrongful convictions

[allthecanadianpolitics]

"Students and staff at the University of Toronto law school are launching a new database this week documenting dozens of cases of wrongful convictions in Canada hoping to draw more attention to the problem.

Lawyer and database project co-founder Amanda Carling said in particular the hope is that Canadians will realize that getting your case even looked at as a possible wrongful conviction is difficult, particularly if you are Indigenous or racialized.

“We’re trying to tell the story of the people who have that access to justice,” she said. “And then we really want to shine a light on the people who don’t have that access to justice.”

As the database launches, there are 83 cases in it where a conviction was overturned. Only 16 of them involved Indigenous people, despite the fact Indigenous people are far overrepresented in Canadian prisons."

Full article

Tagging: @politicsofcanada

[action]

Black people are overrepresented in wrongful convictions at a rate nearly four times their proportion of the population

Structural discrimination and unjust policing, prosecution, and incarceration practices unfairly impact Black communities. Building a just system urgently demands reform. (source)

Donate or volunteer with the NAACP to help be the change.

[loneranger0369]

American Justice System is amaaaaaaazing!

Beyond Amazing!!!!!!

American Cops love to brutalize Civilians.

American Courts don't need Evidence to imprison people for decades and in some cases for upto half the lifetime of any person.

Then Americans lecture others about Freedom and Freedom of Speech and other things of Freedom....

Such Bullshit!!!!

I wish a Movement starts soon, that separates America from everything!

Independence from USA Movement

[walrusmagazine]

Wrongful Convictions Aren’t Going Anywhere

The Canadian legal system is confusing and expensive, especially if you’re falsely accused of murder

People languish in prison because of eyewitness errors, false confessions, jailhouse informants, or faulty forensics. But a flawed justice system putting innocent people in jail is only one part of the problem. The other is that overturning those mistaken convictions is near impossible. Those incarcerated who believe their cases haven’t been judged fairly often lack resources and support while facing massive bureaucratic hurdles. The last reprieve for the wrongfully convicted is submitting a petition to the Department of Justice, asking it to intervene—a petition that can often lie on a desk for years.

Read more at thewalrus.ca.

Illustration by Kumé Pather (kumepather.com)

[tiggymalvern]

The district attorney, George Gascón, said in a statement: “What has happened to Mr Hastings is a terrible injustice. The justice system is not perfect, and when we learn of new evidence which causes us to lose confidence in a conviction, it is our obligation to act swiftly.” That's a good sentiment, right? So just how swiftly did action happen in this case? DNA testing wasn't a thing at the time of this murder in 1983. By 2000, DNA testing was routine, reasonably fast and inexpensive. So that's when Maurice Hastings asked the DA's office to DNA test the semen that was found in the victim's mouth and prove his innocence. The DA's office refused. This man spent another 22 years in prison because the DA's office didn't want to be proven wrong. How is that swift correction of injustice?

[darealprisonart]

Death Row Welcomes You: A Broken System, Wrongful Convictions, and the Murder of Marcellus Williams

by Justyna Madenska Dying on some court schedule or some prison schedule ain’t right. People are supposed to die on God’s schedule. Bryan Stevenson, Just Mercy: A Story of Justice and Redemption It was 6:10 PM on Tuesday, September 24th, 2024. You’re probably wondering why that time stands out. It was the exact moment Marcellus Williams was pronounced dead. Nine minutes. That’s all it took. But…

[bobmueller]

Science Under Scrutiny – A Closer Look At Junk Science

Explore the flaws in forensic science, such as discredited bite-mark evidence, through the wrongful conviction of Charles McCrory, emphasizing the need for rigorous scientific validation in justice.

I had a good week with Youngest Daughter. When I made up the menu for the month, I asked her what meals she wanted for her week home. “Anything but chicken nuggets, please.” Apparently camp serves those a lot. She got chicken pot pie, spaghetti pie, and grilled cilantro lime chicken. She was very happy about the pot pie; it’s one of her favorites. Sif (the cat) seemed to have forgiven her by…

[frombehindthepen]

Beyond Innocence by Phoebe Zerwick is Raw and Emotional

Beyond Innocence by Phoebe Zerwick is Raw and Emotional #BookClub #Reading #CriminalJustice

I finished reading the first book for the 2024 North Carolina Reads statewide book club, Beyond Innocence: The Life Sentence of Darryl Hunt, by Phoebe Zerwick. I had the opportunity to listen to an informative virtual book event with guest speakers, the book’s author, and topic experts last night. The discussion was truly engaging and the audience was locked in on the content included in the book…

[erainbowd]

I May Have Listened to My Last Wrongful Conviction Podcast

True Crime #podcasts may have exhausted my interest in Wrongful Convictions. They pretty much all boil down to #DontTalkToThePolice

As you might have surmised, I listen to a lot of podcasts. I used to do a podcast recommendation of every episode of my own podcast. While True Crime isn’t my top genre, sometimes it can satisfy the itch for an involving, multi-layered mystery. There’s not always a solution or resolution (which I do not find satisfying) but the journey there is usually very compelling. There are a lot of great…

[headlinehorizon]

Triumph of Justice in Queens: Wrongfully Convicted Men Taste Freedom After Decades

In the latest news, three men in Queens who were wrongfully convicted in the 1990s have finally been released from prison. Read about their journey towards redemption and the triumph of justice.

[runawayjusticeteam]

Money Talks: The Impact of Funding Disparities in the Justice System

The American justice system is built on the principles of impartiality and fairness, but it's clear that money talks in the United States, and those who can't afford quality legal help often face disadvantages

The American justice system is built on the principles of impartiality and fairness, but it’s clear that money talks in the United States, and those who can’t afford quality legal help often face disadvantages. People who lack the funds for a lawyer are represented by the public defender’s office, which is usually underfunded and understaffed. As a result, there’s a stark contrast between their…