Chapter 17 Death Penalty Wrongful Conviction lecture

Wrongful Conviction Rate

Estimated 2-10% of US prisoners wrongfully convicted.

DNA Exonerations

Over 600 DNA exonerations recorded to date.

National Registry of Exonerations

Over 3,600 exonerations listed online.

No-Crime Cases

Approximately 35% of exonerations involve no crime.

Eyewitness Error

Leading cause of wrongful convictions in the US.

Improper Forensic Evidence

Second major factor contributing to wrongful convictions.

False Confessions

Confessions obtained under duress or coercion.

Police Misconduct

Improper actions by law enforcement affecting cases.

Prosecutorial Misconduct

Unethical behavior by prosecutors during trials.

Brady Violations

Withholding evidence favorable to the defendant.

Prosecutor Immunity

Legal protection for prosecutors against civil lawsuits.

Perjury

Lying under oath, contributing to wrongful convictions.

Inadequate Defense

Insufficient legal representation leading to wrongful convictions.

India Spellman Case

Wrongfully convicted in 2013 for robbery and murder.

Witness Identification Issues

Witnesses failed to accurately identify India Spellman.

Interrogation Tactics

Detective Pitts used coercive methods during questioning.

Post-Trial Evidence

New evidence emerged after conviction leading to exoneration.

Death Penalty Abolition

Over 70% of countries have abolished capital punishment.

States Authorizing Death Penalty

27 states and federal government allow capital punishment.

Texas Executions

Accounts for over 1/3 of US executions since 1976.

Capital Offenses

41 federal offenses punishable by death, including treason.

Death Row Statistics

2,331 people on death row in January 2023.

Execution Methods

Includes lethal injection, electrocution, and firing squad.

Death Sentence Overturn Rate

38% of death sentences are overturned on appeal.

Supreme Court Rulings

Key cases shaping death penalty laws in the US.

Racial Disparities

Race influences sentencing and execution rates.

Deterrence Theory

Hypothesis that death penalty deters murder rates.

Rodney Reed Case

Convicted in 1998; innocence concerns raised.