Bibliograph

Exonerated, a history of the innocence movement, Robert J. Norris

Type

Label

Exonerated, a history of the innocence movement, Robert J. Norris

Language

eng

Bibliography note

Includes bibliographical references (pages 261-278) and index

Index

index present

Literary Form

non fiction

Main title

Exonerated

Nature of contents

bibliography

Oclc number

959984245

Responsibility statement

Robert J. Norris

Sub title

a history of the innocence movement

Summary

"Documentaries like Making a Murderer, the first season of Serial, and the cause célèbre that was the West Memphis Three captured the attention of millions and focused the national discussion on wrongful convictions. This interest is warranted: more than 1,800 people have been set free in recent decades after being convicted of crimes they did not commit. In response to these exonerations, federal and state governments have passed laws to prevent such injustices; lawyers and police have changed their practices; and advocacy organizations have multiplied across the country. Together, these activities are often referred to as the "innocence movement." Exonerated provides the first in-depth look at the history of this movement through interviews with key leaders such as Barry Scheck and Rob Warden as well as archival and field research into the major cases that brought awareness to wrongful convictions in the United States. Robert Norris also examines how and why the innocence movement took hold. He argues that while the innocence movement did not begin as an organized campaign, scientific, legal, and cultural developments led to a widespread understanding that new technology and renewed investigative diligence could both catch the guilty and free the innocent. Exonerated reveals the rich background story to this complex movement."--Publisher's description

Table Of Contents

Introduction: innocence and the American criminal justice system -- Part I. The history of the innocence movement -- "Voices in the wilderness": the beginning of innocence -- "A eureka moment" : DNA, the legal system, and the meaning of innocence -- "We're all together on this" : expanding the network, becoming a movement -- Part II. Innocence as a social movement -- "It did go against the grain" : the foundations of a movement -- "It's just justice ... real justice" : the emergence of a movement -- The "new civil rights"? reaching beyond innocence -- Conclusion : the challenges ahead and the future of innocence -- Appendix : Data, methods, and limitations

Classification