Every day there is something to read about how the criminal courts work. There is frankly far too much to read. The vast majority of the time, the system gets it right because prosecutors, defense counsel, and judges care and are committed to insuring justice and fairness. But, occasionally the system fails.
We can learn from mistakes–indeed we need to learn from mistakes. So, here are a few examples of the justice system for you to think about:
THE ADVOCATE A Louisiana judge orders the release of a man wrongfully convicted of rape and held in prison for 38 years. He barely received a defense at trial, the record reveals.
FLORIDA TIMES-UNION A state attorney in Florida, Jacksonville’s Melissa Nelson, hires a defense attorney to lead the state’s first-ever conviction integrity unit.
THE COURIER-JOURNAL In a rare rebuke, a Kentucky judge criticized prosecutors for vindictively pursuing a case against two defendants who won a wrongful conviction lawsuit.
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