Surviving prison as an innocent person is a surreal nightmare no one wants to think about. But it can happen to you. Justin Brooks has spent his career freeing innocent people from prison. With... Read More
Surviving prison as an innocent person is a surreal nightmare no one wants to think about. But it can happen to you. Justin Brooks has spent his career freeing innocent people from prison. With... Read More
Surviving prison as an innocent person is a surreal nightmare no one wants to think about. But it can happen to you.
Justin Brooks has spent his career freeing innocent people from prison. With You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent, he offers up-close accounts of the cases he has fought, embedding them within a larger landscape of innocence claims and robust research on what we know about the causes of wrongful convictions.
Putting readers at the defense table, this book forces us to consider how any of us might be swept up in the system, whether we hired a bad lawyer, bear a slight resemblance to someone else in the world, or are not good with awkward silence. The stories of Brooks's cases and clients paint the picture of a broken justice system, one where innocence is no protection from incarceration or even the death penalty. Simultaneously relatable and disturbing, You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent is essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand how injustice is served by our system.
Details
Price: $22.95
Pages: 232
Publisher: University of California Press
Imprint: University of California Press
Publication Date: 20th August 2024
Trim Size: 6 x 9 in
Illustration Note: 10 b-w illustrations
ISBN: 9780520409606
Format: Paperback
BISACs: TRUE CRIME / General LAW / Criminal Law / General SOCIAL SCIENCE / Criminology LAW / Criminal Law / Sentencing
Reviews
“The truest true crime you’ll ever read, and when it’s not scaring you, it will make your blood boil.”
- BookTrib
"An essential read for anyone interested in criminal justice reform and for those who want to understand the human cost of wrongful conviction."
- Splash Magazines
"Well-researched and accessible."
- Arts Fuse
"This important book spotlights the work of various Innocence Projects to seek justice for those wrongly convicted and highlights urgently needed reforms. . . . Highly recommended."
- CHOICE
Author Bio
Justin Brooks is a criminal defense lawyer, law professor, and the Founding Director of the California Innocence Project, where he has spent decades freeing innocent people from prison. He is the author of the only legal casebook devoted to the topic of wrongful convictions and was portrayed by Academy Award–nominated actor Greg Kinnear in the feature film Brian Banks.
Table of Contents
Foreword by Barry Scheck
Introduction 1. You Hired the Wrong Lawyer (Pleas with No Bargain) 2. You Live in the Country or the City 3. You Are in a Relationship and Live with Someone Who Is Murdered 4. You (Kind of) Look like Other People in the World 5. You Get Confused When You Are Tired and Hungry, and People Yell at You 6. You Have or Care for a Sick Child 7. You Got a Jury That Was Blinded by "Science" 8. You Work with Children or Let Them in Your House 9. Someone Lies about You 10. You Are Poor and/or a Person of Color Conclusion
Surviving prison as an innocent person is a surreal nightmare no one wants to think about. But it can happen to you.
Justin Brooks has spent his career freeing innocent people from prison. With You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent, he offers up-close accounts of the cases he has fought, embedding them within a larger landscape of innocence claims and robust research on what we know about the causes of wrongful convictions.
Putting readers at the defense table, this book forces us to consider how any of us might be swept up in the system, whether we hired a bad lawyer, bear a slight resemblance to someone else in the world, or are not good with awkward silence. The stories of Brooks's cases and clients paint the picture of a broken justice system, one where innocence is no protection from incarceration or even the death penalty. Simultaneously relatable and disturbing, You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent is essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand how injustice is served by our system.
Price: $22.95
Pages: 232
Publisher: University of California Press
Imprint: University of California Press
Publication Date: 20th August 2024
Trim Size: 6 x 9 in
Illustrations Note: 10 b-w illustrations
ISBN: 9780520409606
Format: Paperback
BISACs: TRUE CRIME / General LAW / Criminal Law / General SOCIAL SCIENCE / Criminology LAW / Criminal Law / Sentencing
“The truest true crime you’ll ever read, and when it’s not scaring you, it will make your blood boil.”
– BookTrib
"An essential read for anyone interested in criminal justice reform and for those who want to understand the human cost of wrongful conviction."
– Splash Magazines
"Well-researched and accessible."
– Arts Fuse
"This important book spotlights the work of various Innocence Projects to seek justice for those wrongly convicted and highlights urgently needed reforms. . . . Highly recommended."
– CHOICE
Justin Brooks is a criminal defense lawyer, law professor, and the Founding Director of the California Innocence Project, where he has spent decades freeing innocent people from prison. He is the author of the only legal casebook devoted to the topic of wrongful convictions and was portrayed by Academy Award–nominated actor Greg Kinnear in the feature film Brian Banks.
Foreword by Barry Scheck
Introduction 1. You Hired the Wrong Lawyer (Pleas with No Bargain) 2. You Live in the Country or the City 3. You Are in a Relationship and Live with Someone Who Is Murdered 4. You (Kind of) Look like Other People in the World 5. You Get Confused When You Are Tired and Hungry, and People Yell at You 6. You Have or Care for a Sick Child 7. You Got a Jury That Was Blinded by "Science" 8. You Work with Children or Let Them in Your House 9. Someone Lies about You 10. You Are Poor and/or a Person of Color Conclusion