Oct. 12 – Chicago Daily Law Bulletin
In his legendary treatise on evidence, John Henry Wigmore dismissed the concept of “false confessions.” He described the idea as scarcely conceivable.” He wrote this in 1923 and for years many criminal law experts regarded the expression “false confessions” as an oxymoron.
What a difference dozens of DNA exonerations makes! For the details, you must make it a priority to read Brandon L. Garrett’s important new book “Convicting the Innocent: Where Criminal Prosecutions Go Wrong” (Harvard, 2011). In it, Garrett studies the cases of the first 250 prisoners who have been exonerated through post-conviction DNA testing. Garrett found that an astonishing 40 of these 250 cases involved a false confession.
Read more: Prof. Timothy O’Neill Discusses Idea for Reform from False Confession Study
