LAW 717: Actual Innocence
This course explores the legal landscape of wrongful conviction of the factually innocent. Students review empirical evidence of its prevalence; examine its most common causes, including false confessions and faulty eyewitness testimony; dissect the legal procedures by which it may be discovered and corrected, including state post-conviction relief and standards for accessing DNA testing; and evaluate compensation schemes and reintegration programs for those determined to have been wrongly convicted. Pre-or-co-requisite: one of the following: (1) Criminal Procedure: Investigation; (2) Criminal Procedure: Adjudication; or (3) Criminal Procedure: Social Science Perspectives. The pre-or-co-requisite may be waived on the basis of adequate exposure, through work experience, to advanced criminal law and procedure. [3]
