In this episode of Stuck, host Andrew Wildes sits down with Professor Jessica Henry—attorney, former public defender, Montclair State University scholar, and author of Smoke but No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes That Never Happened. They unpack the startling reality that up to 40 percent of U.S. exonerations involve “no-crime” convictions—cases where police, prosecutors, or flawed forensics pinned an offense on someone even though no illegal act occurred. From Andrew’s eye-opening Linstead case in Jamaica to Texas death-row prisoner Robert Robertson’s pending execution, the conversation exposes systemic failures and maps out practical reforms. Key Themes ➤ “Smoke but No Fire”—crimes that never happened ➤ Startling data: 40 % of U.S. exonerations are no-crime cases ➤ Police field-test errors and mass drug-charge dismissals ➤ Forensic fraud: arson myths, shaken-baby triad, lab scandals ➤ Prosecutorial overreach, plea-deal coercion, and cognitive bias ➤ Role of race and poverty in wrongful arrests ➤ Independent experts vs. junk science in court ➤ Death-row and life sentences for nonexistent offenses ➤ Plea bargains trapping the innocent to “go home” ➤ Structural fixes: training, funding defense, lab oversight, police reform Timestamps & Chapters 00:00 – Intro: “Where There’s Smoke…” — Andrew’s Linstead Lock-Up Story 03:02 – Meet Professor Jessica Henry; Her Wrongful-Conviction Research 05:46 – One-Third? No—Now 40 %: The Data That Shocked Henry 09:07 – Harris County Field-Test Fiasco: Thousands Pled to Lint & Tylenol 11:55 – Forensic Fraud Gallery: Annie Dookhan, Fred Zain, Dr. West 14:50 – Arson Mythology & Cameron Todd Willingham’s Execution 18:05 – Shaken-Baby Syndrome, Cognitive Bias, and False Murder Charges 21:11 – Robert Robertson: Death Row for a Tragic Accident—Call to Act Brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Wave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Frequency Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Connect with Professor Jessica Henry Website: https://www.jessicahenryjustice.com Podcast: Just Justice (available on all major platforms) LinkedIn: Jessica Henry X (Twitter): @jhenryjustice More About Andrew Wildes Explore the work of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrew Wildes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠—Jamaican lawyer, journalist, and host of Stuck: Wrongful Convictions in Jamaica. His mission is to expose systemic injustice, amplify the voices of the wrongfully imprisoned, and drive meaningful legal reform through storytelling and advocacy. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For updates, insights, and behind-the-scenes content, follow Andrew across platforms and join the conversation on justice in Jamaica. Production, Distribution, and Marketing Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Massif Studio & Production⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Tallawah Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Massif Studio Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Massif on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tallawah Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices