In a column in Law Technology News that reviews new law-related web resources, lawyer & blogger Robert Ambrogi reports on a new database at University of Texas that tracks wrongful convictions. If I were a criminal law scholar trying to find a good empirical project--or, more aptly, looking for a project that could improve the functioning of our criminal justice system--I would be giving this resource a very close look. Here is Ambrogi's description:
The Tarlton Law Library at the University of Texas School of law has created the Actual Innocence Awareness Database to track developments related to wrongful convictions. The database contains citations (and links, when the materials are online) to popular media, journal articles, books, reports, legislation and Web sites. Materials are classified by the primary causes of wrongful conviction: forensics/DNA, eyewitness identification, false confessions, jailhouse informants, police or prosecutorial misconduct and ineffective representation. There is also a general category, and the entire database can be searched.
Kudos to the Tarlton Law Library for assembling this database.
I just posted a story called Justice Denied - Wrongful Convictions. I think you may be interested in. Date June 22. My Blog is called Barbara's Journey Toward Justice"
Posted by: Barbara's Journey Toward Justice | 23 June 2007 at 07:21 PM