LEI 268 - Wrongful Convictions

3 Credit(s)

Elective course for the bachelor’s and associate’s degrees.
This course examines the principal problems that lead to the conviction of the innocent and the leading proposals for reform. Students read and examine actual cases of the exonerated to further explore the causes and consequences of wrongful conviction. Faulty eyewitness identification, questionable testimony, police and prosecutorial misconduct, ineffective assistance of counsel, false confessions, reliability in the use of DNA evidence, and the improper use of science in the courtroom are examined. Students review court documents that are typically turned over in the criminal discovery process. Documents utilized in the actual review of cases for exoneration are examined. This is a non-legal specialty course.
Prerequisite(s): Introduction to Law.