15 Innocent but Jailed and/or Executed

1. Cameron Todd Willingham
2. Ellis Wayne Felker
3. Colin Campbell Ross
4. Mahmood Hussein Mattan
5. George Kelly
6. James Bain
7. Raymond Towler
8. Alton Logan
9. Michael Anthony Green
10. Gregory Taylor
11. Rolando Cruz
12. Shawn Massey
13. Ronald Cotton
14. Steve Kurtz
15. Rubin “The Hurricane” Carter

Click here to read their stories.

Unequal Justice For Some

A new prison system in Southern California is called "pay-to-stay". A wealthy family was able to upgrade their son's 2-year prison stay at cost of $72,000. According to Peter Eliasberg, legal director for the ACLU of Southern California, “What a terrible idea. What a slap in the face for the concept of equal justice for all. If it’s a public service — that should be offered to everyone regardless of their ability to pay.”

Click here to read the story inAlterNet

The Crime Of Being Poor

The Department of Justice has opened an investigation into the small Louisiana town of Ville Platte. The DOJ is looking into whether poor residents are being improperly jailed without cause as a way to financially benefit the city.

Click here to read the story in Frontline.

US Criminal System Destroying Lives

When we read of exonerations, usually people have been convicted for years and we wonder why it took so long to get things right. Here is a story that shows when someone is incarcerated for half of a year, their life is also destroyed.

Click here to read the rest in RawStory.

Judges Dialing For Donations

Here is an interesting and personal accounting by Judge Sue Cobb on why judges should not be publicly elected. Here is a quote from this very telling narrative, "I was mortified. And while I was proud of the work I did for the next 4 1/2 years, I never quite got over the feeling of being trapped inside a system whose very structure left me feeling disgusted. I assure you: I’ve never made a decision in a case in which I sided with a party because of a campaign donation. But those of us seeking judicial office sometimes find ourselves doing things that feel awfully unsavory."

Click here to read the interesting account in Politico.

Crime Labs Are Not Like TV Crime Shows

Crime labs are not run like television crime dramas. Unfortunately, "forensic science" is shown to be a lot less science than what prosecutors and TV shows lead us to believe. According to a Mother Jones report "Issues with lab technician Mignon Dunbar's work came to light during a child molestation trial in December, when defense attorneys discovered she had "filled in the gaps" in an incomplete genetic sample and submitted it for comparison with a database of California offenders' DNA profiles. (State rules specify that only complete genetic samples are supposed to be checked against the database.) The doctored sample matched with DNA from a man named Marco Hernandez, whom prosecutors charged."

Click here to read the Mother Jones article.

Intimidation in Orange County DA Office

The Orange County District Attorney's Office was issued a strong condemnation from The County Bar Association for trying to intimidate a Superior Court judge. The District Attorney's Office made excessive attempts to disqualify Judge Thomas Goethals from trials. The denunciation of Tony Ruckauckas's office comes at a time when several murder cases have begun to unravel following the discovery of violations in a jailhouse informant program and the emergence of shocking allegations that county prosecutors have been obstructing justice in multiple cases for some time.

Click here to read the article.

SF Officers Sent Racist Texts

San Francisco Police Chief, Greg Suhr said he is considering firing a captain, a sergeant and six officers for sending or receiving racist and homophobic text messages. According to Chief Suhr, “There were eight standing officers who engaged in such repulsive conversations via text messages. I have suspended them and they have been referred to the Police Commission with a recommendation of only termination — as it should be. Their conduct is incompatible with that of a police officer.” 

Click here to read more.