False Justice: Eight Myths that Convict the Innocent

The former attorney general of Ohio may be an unusual advocate for overturning wrongful convictions, but he makes a well-reasoned and articulate argument for rethinking the American justice system, where innocent people can be convicted, then exonerated years later by post-conviction DNA testing. First approached to advocate on behalf of Clarence Elkins%E2%80%94convicted of rape and murder on questionable eyewitness testimony and no physical evidence%E2%80%94Petro decided to further his interest in emerging DNA technology and explore other wrongful convictions. The husband-and-wife authors dismantle eight myths regarding the justice system: everyone in prison claims innocence; our system almost never convicts an innocent person; only guilty people confess; wrongful convictions are the result of innocent human error; and so on. Interspersing case law with research about topics like DNA testing and the conflict between the law enforcement and psychiatric communities over the reliability of eyewitness testimony, Petro uncovers widespread problems and suggests viable solutions without a lot of scientific jargon. (Oct.)