Focusing on the recent execution death of Marcellus Williams in Missouri, despite strong evidence suggesting his innocence, Ayana delves into the systemic issues that lead to wrongful convictions, including mistaken eyewitness identification, false confessions, prosecutorial misconduct, and ineffective defense. She emphasizes the severe consequences of such errors, not only for the wrongfully convicted individuals but also for society as a whole. The episode also explores the role of innocence organizations and conviction integrity units in helping exonerate the wrongfully convicted, urging listeners to support these initiatives and stressing the importance of voting for officials who will work towards a fair and just legal system.
Sources used in the making of this episode:
- https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Pages/about.aspx
- https://innocenceproject.org/
- Innocence Project. (2023). Causes of Wrongful Convictions. Retrieved from innocenceproject.org
- Garrett, B. (2011). Convicting the Innocent: Where Criminal Prosecutions Go Wrong. Cambridge, MA: Harvard University Press. National Academy of Sciences. (2009).
- Strengthening Forensic Science in the United States: A Path Forward. Washington, D.C.: National Academies Press.
- https://www.law.umich.edu/special/exoneration/Documents/2023%20Annual%20Report.pdf
- https://open.mitchellhamline.edu/cgi/viewcontent.cgi?article=1071&context=policypractice#:~:text=Alford%20pleas%20are%20accepted%20by,in%20wrongfully%20convicting%20innocent%20people.
- https://www.albanylawreview.org/article/69791-a-nearly-perfect-system-for-convicting-the-innocent
- https://deathpenaltyinfo.org/missouri-supreme-court-blocks-marcellus-williams-from-entering-plea-to-avoid-execution-after-state-reveals-mishandled-evidence
