Catalog Entries |
Fall 2021
Apr 26,2024 |
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| LAWS 356 - WRONGFUL CONVICTIONS |
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This course will introduce students to wrongful convictions—where innocent people are convicted of crimes they did not commit. In many ways, this course is about stories: stories of the people whose lives are upended by being wrongfully convicted, and stories of victims and their families who are denied justice as the real perpetrators are left unpunished. This course is also about the story of the law and its role in causing (and preventing) wrongful convictions. Throughout the course, we will explore the major causes of wrongful conviction; the legal procedures and protections that, in part, are designed to protect against wrongful convictions; the history of the innocence movement; and possible reforms to the justice system that might reduce the incidence of wrongful convictions. The primary format for this exploration will be case studies of people who have been wrongfully convicted. We will use various materials—books, newspaper and journal articles, videos, etc.—to understand these stories. One overarching case will recur throughout the course. We will use it to solidify the various concepts involved in wrongful convictions.
0.000 TO 4.000 Credit hours 0.000 TO 4.000 Lecture hours Levels: Undergraduate Schedule Types: Hybrid, Lecture, Online Course Law and Society Department |
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