Wrongful Convictions Credits: 2-3

Catalog description

An examination of the causes of wrongful convictions, a consideration of systemic reforms that might minimize convicting the innocent and a focus on recurring ethical issues that confront prosecutors and criminal defense lawyers. Students also will work with The Midwestern Innocence Project on cases of possible actual innocence.This course provides an insider's look into the operation of the criminal justice system and is designed to help students gain insight into features of the criminal justice system that have a tendency to produce wrongful convictions. It should be of particular interest to any student interested in working in a prosecutor's office, public defender's office or for a firm doing defense work. It is a prerequisite for any student wishing to enroll in the Innocence Project clinic. Limited enrollment (normally, up to 16 students)