Miscarriages of Justice: What Can We Learn
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The Civilian Impact of Drone Strikes
THE CIVILIAN IMPACT OF DRONES: UNEXAMINED COSTS, UNANSWERED QUESTIONS Acknowledgements This report is the product of a collaboration between the Human Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School and the Center for Civilians in Conflict. At the Columbia Human Rights Clinic, research and authorship includes: Naureen Shah, Acting Director of the Human Rights Clinic and Associate Director of the Counterterrorism and Human Rights Project, Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School, Rashmi Chopra, J.D. ‘13, Janine Morna, J.D. ‘12, Chantal Grut, L.L.M. ‘12, Emily Howie, L.L.M. ‘12, Daniel Mule, J.D. ‘13, Zoe Hutchinson, L.L.M. ‘12, Max Abbott, J.D. ‘12. Sarah Holewinski, Executive Director of Center for Civilians in Conflict, led staff from the Center in conceptualization of the report, and additional research and writing, including with Golzar Kheiltash, Erin Osterhaus and Lara Berlin. The report was designed by Marla Keenan of Center for Civilians in Conflict. Liz Lucas of Center for Civilians in Conflict led media outreach with Greta Moseson, pro- gram coordinator at the Human Rights Institute at Columbia Law School. The Columbia Human Rights Clinic and the Columbia Human Rights Institute are grateful to the Open Society Foundations and Bullitt Foundation for their financial support of the Institute’s Counterterrorism and Human Rights Project, and to Columbia Law School for its ongoing support. Copyright © 2012 Center for Civilians in Conflict (formerly CIVIC) and Human Rights Clinic at Columbia Law School All rights reserved Printed in the United States of America. Copies of this report are available for download at: www.civiliansinconflict.org Cover: Shakeel Khan lost his home and members of his family to a drone missile in 2010. -
Entrapment, Shocked Consciences, and the Staged Arrest Bennett L
University of Minnesota Law School Scholarship Repository Minnesota Law Review 1982 Entrapment, Shocked Consciences, and the Staged Arrest Bennett L. Gershman Follow this and additional works at: https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/mlr Part of the Law Commons Recommended Citation Gershman, Bennett L., "Entrapment, Shocked Consciences, and the Staged Arrest" (1982). Minnesota Law Review. 890. https://scholarship.law.umn.edu/mlr/890 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University of Minnesota Law School. It has been accepted for inclusion in Minnesota Law Review collection by an authorized administrator of the Scholarship Repository. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Entrapment, Shocked Consciences, and the Staged Arrest Bennett L. Gershman* I. INTRODUCTION On November 1, 1973, in the Criminal Court of the City of New York, Kings County, Stephen Vitale was arraigned on a charge of armed robbery. According to the complaining wit- ness, Morton Hirsch, Vitale placed a pistol against Hirsch's head, threatened him, and robbed him of over $8,000. The sup- porting affidavit of Police Officer Brian Cosgrove stated that as Vitale was fleeing from the robbery scene, Cosgove arrested him and seized a pistol from him.' On the surface, this proceeding appeared no different from thousands of similar proceedings taking place daily in criminal courts throughout the country. In fact, Vitale, Hirsch, and Cos- grove were undercover agents; New York's Special Anti-Cor- ruption Prosecutor had authorized their activities 2 as part of a program to detect corruption in the criminal justice system. 3 False court documents, false statements made to judges, and * Associate Professor of Law, Pace University School of Law. -
The Retributive Philosophies of Executive Clemency
IS THERE JUSTICE IN MERCY? THE RETRIBUTIVE PHILOSOPHIES OF EXECUTIVE CLEMENCY Gina N. Gibbs Thesis Prepared for the Degree of MASTER OF SCIENCE UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS May 2013 APPROVED: Peggy Tobolowsky, Co-Major Professor and Chair of the Department of Criminal Justice Chad. R. Trulson, Co-Major Professor Adam Trahan, Committee Member Thomas Evenson, Dean of the College of Public Affairs and Community Service Mark Wardell, Dean of the Toulouse Graduate School Gibbs, Gina N. Is There Justice in Mercy? The Retributive Philosophies of Executive Clemency. Master of Science (Criminal Justice), May 2013, 85 pp., 9 tables. Executive clemency is assumed to be a mechanism to correct miscarriages of justice brought about by the criminal justice system, yet little empirical research exists to confirm this assumption. This research study examined the types of rationales cited in 799 cases of executive clemency from six states from 2005 to 2012. Rationales based upon retributive philosophies, in which a miscarriage of justice was cited, were further analyzed. This analysis revealed that only seven percent of all clemency decisions from the examined states cited retributive rationales. Of the fifty-six grants of clemency that cited retributive rationales, most were granted in the forms of pardons. The analysis indicated that executive clemency is utilized as a mechanism to correct injustices, specifically in cases of innocence. This study concludes with a discussion of policy implications and the reliance on executive clemency as a fail-safe to the criminal justice system. Copyright 2013 by Gina N. Gibbs ii ACKNOWLEDGMENTS First and foremost, I would like to thank my mother and father. -
Boston University Law Review
Boston University Law Review VOLUME XXI APRIL, 1941 NUMBER 2 STATE INDEMNITY FOR ERRORS OF CRIMINAL JUSTICE EDWIN BORCIIARD*BORCHARD* All too frequently the public is shocked by the news that Federal or State authorities have convicted and imprisoned a person subse-subse quently proved to have been innocent of any crime. These acciacci- dents in the administration of the criminal law happen either through an unfortunate concurrence of circumstances or perjured testimony or are the result of mistaken identity, the conviction having been obob- tained by zealous prosecuting attorneys on circumstantial evidence. In an earnest effort to compensate in some measure the victims of these miscarriages of justice, Congress in May 1938 enacted a law "to grant relief to persons erroneously convicted in courts of the United States." Under this law, any person who can prove that he was wrongwrong- fully convicted and sentenced for a crime against the United States may bring suit in the Court of Claims against the Federal Government for damages of not more than $5,000. The Federal act of May 24, 1938, limits the right of recovery to innocent persons who have been both convicted and served all or a part of their sentence. The innocence must be proved either by appeal or new trial or rehearing in which innocence is established, or by a pardon on the ground of innocence. ItIt must also appear that the en~oneouslyerroneously convicted person either committed none of the acts with which he was charged or that those acts constituted no crime against the United States or against any State or Territory. -
Death-Penalty-Pakistan
Report Mission of Investigation Slow march to the gallows Death penalty in Pakistan Executive Summary. 5 Foreword: Why mobilise against the death penalty . 8 Introduction and Background . 16 I. The legal framework . 21 II. A deeply flawed and discriminatory process, from arrest to trial to execution. 44 Conclusion and recommendations . 60 Annex: List of persons met by the delegation . 62 n° 464/2 - January 2007 Slow march to the gallows. Death penalty in Pakistan Table of contents Executive Summary. 5 Foreword: Why mobilise against the death penalty . 8 1. The absence of deterrence . 8 2. Arguments founded on human dignity and liberty. 8 3. Arguments from international human rights law . 10 Introduction and Background . 16 1. Introduction . 16 2. Overview of death penalty in Pakistan: expanding its scope, reducing the safeguards. 16 3. A widespread public support of death penalty . 19 I. The legal framework . 21 1. The international legal framework. 21 2. Crimes carrying the death penalty in Pakistan . 21 3. Facts and figures on death penalty in Pakistan. 26 3.1. Figures on executions . 26 3.2. Figures on condemned prisoners . 27 3.2.1. Punjab . 27 3.2.2. NWFP. 27 3.2.3. Balochistan . 28 3.2.4. Sindh . 29 4. The Pakistani legal system and procedure. 30 4.1. The intermingling of common law and Islamic Law . 30 4.2. A defendant's itinerary through the courts . 31 4.2.1. The trial . 31 4.2.2. Appeals . 31 4.2.3. Mercy petition . 31 4.2.4. Stays of execution . 33 4.3. The case law: gradually expanding the scope of death penalty . -
IN the SUPREME COURT of the UNITED STATES No
IN THE SUPREME COURT OF THE UNITED STATES _______________ No. 19A-_____ DOUGLAS BROWNBACK AND TODD ALLEN, APPLICANTS v. JAMES KING _______________ APPLICATION FOR AN EXTENSION OF TIME WITHIN WHICH TO FILE A PETITION FOR A WRIT OF CERTIORARI TO THE UNITED STATES COURT OF APPEALS FOR THE SIXTH CIRCUIT _______________ Pursuant to Rules 13.5 and 30.3 of the Rules of this Court, the Solicitor General, on behalf of Special Agent Douglas Brownback of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Detective Todd Allen of the City of Grand Rapids Police Department, respectfully requests a 30-day extension of time, to and including September 25, 2019, within which to file a petition for a writ of certiorari to review the judgment of the United States Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit in this case. The court of appeals entered its judgment on February 25, 2019, and denied rehearing en banc on May 28, 2019. Therefore, unless extended, the time within which to file a petition for a writ of certiorari will expire on August 26, 2019. The jurisdiction of this Court would be invoked under 28 U.S.C. 2 1254(1). The opinion of the court of appeals (App., infra, 1a-29a) is reported at 917 F.3d 409. The court’s order denying rehearing (App., infra, 30a) is unreported. 1. This case arises from a violent altercation between respondent James King and Special Agent Brownback and Detective Allen, during which respondent alleged that the officers committed various intentional torts and violated his constitutional rights.* Respondent brought damages claims against the United States under the Federal Tort Claims Act (FTCA), 28 U.S.C. -
United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit ______
United States Court of Appeals For the Eighth Circuit ___________________________ No. 17-2274 ___________________________ Stuart Wright lllllllllllllllllllllPlaintiff - Appellant v. United States of America lllllllllllllllllllllDefendant - Appellee John Clark; Walter R. Bradley, in his official capacity as the United States Marshal for the District of Kansas; Sean Franklin, in his official capacity as a Deputy United States Marshal and in his individual capacity; Deputy United States Marshals 1 - 10, in their official and individual capacities (names unknown at this time); Stacia A. Hylton, in her official capacity; Christopher Wallace, in his official capacity as a Deputy United States Marshal and in his individual capacity lllllllllllllllllllllDefendants ____________ Appeal from United States District Court for the Western District of Missouri - Kansas City ____________ Submitted: March 16, 2018 Filed: June 13, 2018 ____________ Before WOLLMAN, SHEPHERD, and ERICKSON, Circuit Judges. ____________ Appellate Case: 17-2274 Page: 1 Date Filed: 06/13/2018 Entry ID: 4672148 SHEPHERD, Circuit Judge. In the third iteration of this unfortunate case of mistaken identity, Plaintiff Stuart Wright (“Wright”) appeals the district court’s1 grant of summary judgment to the United States and the Deputy U.S. Marshals in their individual and official capacities on Wright’s claims under the Federal Tort Claims Act (the “FTCA”). Wright argues that the district court erred when it found there was no genuine dispute of material fact and that, as a matter of law, the Marshals were not liable to him under the FTCA for false arrest, false imprisonment, abuse of process, and assault and battery. We disagree and affirm the district court’s grant of summary judgment. -
Cross Examining Police in False Confession Cases By: Attorney Deja Vishny*
The WISCONSIN Winter/Spring 2008 DEFENDER Volume 16, Issue 1 Cross Examining Police in False Confession Cases By: Attorney Deja Vishny* Many criminal defense lawyers are filled with dread at the idea of trying a confession case. We think the jury will never accept that people give false confessions. We worry that jurors and courts will always believe that because our clients gave a recorded confession, they must have committed the crime. Our experience in motion litigation has taught us that judges rarely, if ever, take the risk of suppressing the confession particularly when a crime is horrifying and highly publicized. Since the advent of mandatory recorded interrogation in juvenile and felony cases we have been lucky enough to be able to listen to the recording and pinpoint exactly how law enforcement agents are able to get our clients to confess. No longer is the process of getting a confession shrouded in mystery as the police enter into a closed off locked room with a suspect who is determined to maintain their innocence and emerge hours (sometimes days) later with a signed statement that proclaims “I did it”. However, defense lawyers listening to the tapes must be able to appreciate the significance of what is being said to cajole a confession. The lawyer handling a recorded interrogation case should always listen carefully to the recording of the entire interrogation as early as possible in the case. There have been many occasions of discrepancies between how a police officer will characterize the confession in testimony or a written report from how the statement was actually developed and what the tape shows the client’s actual words were. -
532 Administrative Law Iraq, 210–212, 399–417 Libya, 242–243 Morocco, 354–357 Oman, 298–299 Sudan, 252–253 Syri
532 Index Administrative law Armed force Iraq, 210–212, 399–417 defence see Self-defence Libya, 242–243 implied authorisation, 18–20 Morocco, 354–357 Iraq see Iraq War Oman, 298–299 UN Charter, 5, 11–21 Sudan, 252–253 Aviation Syria, 202 final status agreement, 443 Afghanistan Lockerbie trial, 507–508 administration, 481–482 Axis of evil, 5 constitutional law, 457–485 fundamental rights, 461–466 Bahrain government, 470–471 commercial agents, 288 judiciary, 478–481 constitutional law, 288–289 Loya Jirga, 477 elections, 289 National Assembly, 471–477 employment, 285–287 president, 467–470 freedom of expression, 287 state of emergency, 482–483 legislation, 290–294 statehood, 458–460 media law, 287 transitional provisions, 485 Banking Al-Qa’eda Egypt, 192–193 Iraq, 10 governing law, 511, 522–525 Pakistan, 372, 373, 378 guarantees, 516–517, 525–526 Arab League Lebanon, 239–240 Beirut Summit, 430 murâbaha/Morabaha contracts, judicial cooperation, 86 509–526 Palestinian refugees, 115, 154–155 Oman, 300–301 Arab Peace Initiative, 449 Saudi Arabia, 73 Arbitration Shamil Bank case, 509–526 see also Dispute resolution shari’a, 509–526 Egypt, 182–183 shari’a board, 510 foreign arbitration, 81–83 Yemen, 335 ICSID Convention, 84–86, 262 Belfast/Good Friday Agreement (1998), Lebanon, 235–236, 238 93 New York Convention, 81–83 Belgium, 95 OPIC Convention, 83–84 Bosnia Herzogovina, 91, 93–94, Saudi Arabia, 79–86 101–102, 106–107 shari’a, 79 Botanical products, 191 United Arab Emirates, 275 Index 533 Canada, 128, 160 Compensation Capital markets Dayton -
E-Bulletin on Counter-Terrorism and Human Rights
International Commission of Jurists E-BULLETIN ON COUNTER-TERRORISM & HUMAN RIGHTS No. 61, March 2012 AFRICA & MIDDLE EAST Sudan: Six Darfur rebels sentenced to death by hanging for “terrorism” Syria: UN Human Rights Council condemns human rights crimes against civilians Egypt: Arrest of purported Al-Qaeda leader turns out to be a case of mistaken identity Algeria: Death sentences delivered in terrorism trials in absentia Bahrain: Report shows fagrant denial of fair trial in civilian and military courts Israel/Palestine: Woman in hunger strike to protest at continuous administrative detention AMERICAS USA: Attorney General explains legal grounds of targeted killing policy USA: Attorney General extends time to hold data of non-terrorism suspects USA: UN Special Rapporteur fnds Bradley Manning’s solitary confnement violated his rights USA: Woman beaten and called “terrorist” dies in hospital USA: President’s order limits military indefnite imprisonment of terrorism suspects USA: Court asked to open up CIA drones programme fles ASIA - PACIFIC China: New legislation institutes secret “residential” confnement of security suspects China: Four Uighurs, mistaken for terrorist suspects, killed in raid Pakistan: Supreme Court asks ISI for whereabouts of “disappeared” and to account for detention deaths Pakistan: Parliamentary Committee demands stop to drones in Pakistan Afghanistan: Report reveals torture of prisoners transferred by US to Afghan prisons Sri Lanka: UN Human Rights Council demands accountability for human rights violations in LTTE -
Study of Victim Experiences of Wrongful Conviction
The author(s) shown below used Federal funds provided by the U.S. Department of Justice and prepared the following final report: Document Title: Study of Victim Experiences of Wrongful Conviction Author(s): Seri Irazola, Ph.D., Erin Williamson, Julie Stricker, Emily Niedzwiecki Document No.: 244084 Date Received: November 2013 Award Number: GS-23F-8182H This report has not been published by the U.S. Department of Justice. To provide better customer service, NCJRS has made this Federally- funded grant report available electronically. Opinions or points of view expressed are those of the author(s) and do not necessarily reflect the official position or policies of the U.S. Department of Justice. Final Report Study of Victim Experiences of Wrongful Conviction Contract No. GS-23F-8182H September, 2013 Submitted to: National Institute of Justice Office of Justice Programs U.S. Department of Justice Submitted by: ICF Incorporated 9300 Lee Highway Fairfax, VA 22031 Final Report Study of Victim Experiences of Wrongful Conviction Contract No. GS-23F-8182H September, 2013 Submitted to: National Institute of Justice Office of Justice Programs U.S. Department of Justice Submitted by: ICF Incorporated 9300 Lee Highway Fairfax, VA 22031 Study of Victim Experiences of Wrongful Conviction Study of Victim Experiences of Wrongful Conviction Seri Irazola, Ph.D. Erin Williamson Julie Stricker Emily Niedzwiecki ICF International 9300 Lee Highway Fairfax, VA 22031-1207 This project was supported by Contract No. GS-23F-8182H, awarded by the National Institute of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, U.S. Department of Justice. The opinions, findings, and conclusions or recommendations expressed in this publication are those of the authors and do not necessarily reflect those of the U.S. -
Evidence Destroyed, Innocence Lost: the Preservation of Biological Evidence Under Innocence Protection Statutes
American University Washington College of Law Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals Scholarship & Research 2005 Evidence Destroyed, Innocence Lost: The Preservation of Biological Evidence under Innocence Protection Statutes Cynthia Jones American University Washington College of Law, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/facsch_lawrev Part of the Criminal Law Commons, Evidence Commons, and the Fourteenth Amendment Commons Recommended Citation Jones, Cynthia, "Evidence Destroyed, Innocence Lost: The Preservation of Biological Evidence under Innocence Protection Statutes" (2005). Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals. 1636. https://digitalcommons.wcl.american.edu/facsch_lawrev/1636 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the Scholarship & Research at Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. It has been accepted for inclusion in Articles in Law Reviews & Other Academic Journals by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ American University Washington College of Law. For more information, please contact [email protected]. EVIDENCE DESTROYED, INNOCENCE LOST: THE PRESERVATION OF BIOLOGICAL EVIDENCE UNDER INNOCENCE PROTECTION STATUTES Cynthia E. Jones* In 1997, Texas governor George W. Bush issued a pardon to Kevin Byrd, a man convicted of sexually assaulting a pregnant woman while her two-year old daughter lay asleep beside her.' As part of the original criminal investigation, a medical examination was performed on the victim and bodily fluids from the rapist were collected for forensic analysis in a "rape kit." At the time of Mr. Byrd's trial in 1985, DNA technology was not yet available for forensic analysis of biological evidence.2 In 1997, however, a comparison of Mr.