Wrongful or Unlawful Convictions in Capital Cases

• In Event: Roundtable: Courts and Convictions

Abstract

Wrongfull or Unlawfull Convictions in Capital Cases?
By
Richard Moran
Mount Holyoke College

Death Row exonerations have become a regular feature of our criminal justice system. Since 1973, appellate courts have overturned the convictions of 156 death row inmates due to violations of their Sixth Amendment right to a fair trial. According to appelate court rulings, 115 were the result of deliberate violations by criminal justice officials. Although these so-called “wrongful” convictions are often described as “good-faith” mistakes or errors, my ongoing research indicates that approximately 75% of them are based on official malfeasance by criminal justice authorities. This roundtable will discuss my research findings, the cultural environment in which prosecutors must operate, and the need to reframe the exenoration arguement.

Author

• Richard Dean Moran, Mount Holyoke College