Wrongful Convictions

Catalog description

This course examines policies, practices, and systemic failures within the American criminal justice system that can lead to the conviction of innocent individuals. Throughout the semester, students will explore research on key contributors to wrongful convictions, including flawed police investigations, mistaken eyewitness identifications, false confessions, prosecutorial misconduct, ineffective assistance of counsel, and unreliable forensic evidence. Emphasis will also be placed on the individual and societal consequences of these miscarriages of justice. Through the examination of scholarly literature and in-depth case studies, students will critically analyze empirical evidence, consider the legal and ethical complexities surrounding wrongful convictions, and explore issues of accountability, policy reform, and the ongoing pursuit of justice.