Wrongful Conviction: Causes, Consequences and Reform

Presidential Scholars’ Seminar

010:092:22

Dr. Kim MacLin

Dr. Otto MacLin

Fall 2005

 

Course Description:

To date, 162 people have been found innocent and released from prison based on DNA evidence. These wrongly convicted individuals rarely have the resources to pursue their innocence in the courts. Groups like the Innocence Project, among others, act as legal clinics where students, attorneys, activists and scientists work together to free the innocent and study the causes of their wrongful conviction. This seminar combines sociology, political science, chemistry, psychology, law, biology and criminology for a truly interdisciplinary learning experience covering the causes and consequences of wrongful conviction, as well as potential reforms to prevent its occurrence. The seminar style, moderate reading, and project-based approach is designed to help students develop analytical skills, stimulate discussion, and encourage critical thinking in a timely, and widely appealing topic. This highly interactive seminar will introduce students to the basic factors that cause wrongful conviction (mistaken identification, defective science, police misconduct, among others) that necessarily draw from the scholarly areas mentioned above. Students will read and review actual cases of the exonerated to further explore the causes and consequences of wrongful conviction. Students will also have the opportunity to review actual case materials for a case that is pending appeal. Much like law students working at legal clinics, students will have the opportunity to review materials, formulate and ask questions, draft responses and potential criticisms and evaluate the innocence claim itself. Not only will students learn the political, social, legal, and scientific bases for wrongful conviction and its remedies, but you will get to participate in the process of case review and analysis that is critical to the exoneration process.

 

Course Information:

Location: Honors Cottage, 2401 College St

Time: 3-4:50pm Mondays

 

Contact Information:

Kim MacLin, Ph.D. kim.maclin@uni.edu 273-2302, Baker 344

Office Hours: Mondays and Wednesdays 10-11, and by appointment

Otto MacLin, Ph.D. otto.maclin@uni.edu  273-2373, Baker 442

Office Hours: Mondays 1-3pm, and by appointment

 

Required Reading & Listening:

Scheck, B., Neufeld, P., & Dwyer, J. (2001). Actual innocence: When justice goes wrong and how to make it right. NY: Signet.

See Course Calendar for links to websites to read and audio links to listen to.

 

Format of student participation and evaluation:

This will be a discussion-based seminar. Make sure you read and listen to any required information prior to the class time and come prepared to discuss, question, and evaluate the information. Students will be evaluated based on their class participation and discussion of topics and cases as well as their individual project (see below).

 

Individual Project

 You will choose 1 person who has been wrongfully convicted and released and do a complete profile on him or her. This profile will include facts about the person, his/her life, facts about the crime, trial and appeals, information about why they were wrongfully convicted and what led to their release. This will be in the form of a well-put-together binder with sections on each topic. You will use the links available on the course website, Google, as well as academic and legal databases (available via the Library's webpage) as your sources. You will essentially become the expert on your particular case. You'll be expected to talk about your case during class when issues relevant to your case arise. Your project can be in the form of a paper, binder, presentation, collage, or other creative form (talk to us for approval).

 

Grading:

Participation 10 pts per class period =150pts

Project                                          =100pts