CJUS 399 - Wrongful Convictions

Credit Hours: 3
Lecture Hours: 3
Laboratory Hours: 0

Prerequisite(s): ENGL 100 or the equivalent, and CJUS 130 or the equivalent.

Restriction(s): This course is restricted to students who are in a Bachelors program.

Corequisite(s): None

With the media attention given to high profile criminal cases, errors in the Criminal Justice system, and advancements in Forensic Science, criminal cases are scrutinized more closely than ever before. This course will review causes of wrongful convictions, how individuals can work to remedy the injustices that occur, and ways to prevent future wrongful convictions. Specific cases involving wrongful convictions, as well as reasons the Criminal Justice system does not always result in justice for the innocent, will be examined. Topics include DNA, Forensic Science errors, false confessions, false eyewitness identifications, incompetent lawyers, malicious prosecutions, police misconduct, legal hurdles for defendants, and remedies available for individuals falsely convicted of crimes.

Student Learning Outcomes of the Course:

Identify the reasons defendants are wrongfully convicted of crimes in the U.S.
Critically analyze research data of wrongful convictions in the U.S. to determine why justice was not served.
Develop and present legal arguments to help exonerate the wrongfully convicted in specific case studies.
Analyze the role different individuals played in creating injustice, and create a plan that will assist in preventing such legal and factual errors in future cases.
Analyze criminal situations and research data to assist in comprehending the scope of the wrongful convictions in the U.S. and incorporate it into their written work.