Wrongful Convictions

Catalog description

This course offers students an insider's look into the operation of the criminal legal system and will be of particular interest to students interested in prosecution, public defense, or criminal defense practice. The course is designed to help students gain insight into features of the criminal legal system that have a tendency to produce wrongful convictions. In addition to examining the causes of wrongful convictions, the course will consider systemic reforms that might minimize convicting the innocent. Students may also work with regional innocence organizations on cases of possible actual innocence. Finally, the course will focus on recurring ethical issues that confront prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers. Credit Hour : 1-4