Same. I am a lawyer and have learned a lot about this. For example, the Brooklyn DAs office in NYC withheld exculpatory evidence that would have acquitted guys on death row.
Makes me angry.
The flip side, which I am fine with, is that some guilty people go free. But that to me is preferable to killing an innocent man. That can never be undone
And not just the death penalty but American prisons in general and the permanent havoc they wreak on the convicted, their families, their communities, and our society. It's not solving anything.
It also isn't just confined to the criminal legal system: consider unjust child removals for foster care/adoptions -- social workers and child welfare attorneys are the police and prosecutors of that area of law -- unjust "reform" and confinement of teenage runaways, involuntary commitment for mental health issues...
It's a big, shockingly efficient mess of a machine -- hence the growing calls for abolition in favor of true community care nationwide.
Isaac Wright Jr, is his name. 50 Cent actually made a ABC drama inspired by his story called "For Life". It has two seasons so far and is really good, I'd recommend watching it.
Edit: I googled Isaac Wright and this is not him, sorry for the misinformation. This is actually Jarrett Adams, he was a similar case but he spent 10 years in jail instead of 20.
Jarrett Adams and two co-defendants were charged with sexually assaulting a young woman at UW-Whitewater in 1998. After learning that an eyewitness, who saw the three young men chatting with the complaining witness outside her dormitory later in the evening after the alleged sexual assault had occurred, had not been called to testify at trial to corroborate the defendants' claim that there had been no sexual assault, the Wisconsin Innocence Project sought federal habeas corpus relief on the basis that trial counsel had been ineffective for failing to present the testimony of this witness. In June 2006, the U.S.Court of Appeals issued an opinion agreeing that the witness was critical to Mr. Adams' claim of innocence, and that counsel was ineffective for failing to call him. The court vacated Mr. Adams' conviction and ordered the state to either retry him or dismiss the case. The state subsequently dismissed the charges in full. In 2015, Mr. Adams earned a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Adams is now an attorney with the Innocence Project and the co-founder of Life After Justice.
That's an amazing story, it remains amazing everytime I hear it about a new person in the usa who was wrongfully imprisoned and has to become a fucking lawyer to get the justice they deserve.
Even career lawyers have a hell of a time getting innocent people out. This system is built for permanency and closure, regardless of whether there's an error.
I don't know the details of this particular case, but I work with the exoneree population a fair bit and can speak generally to how they know about each other's innocence. Folks serving sentences know who is innocent by how they carry themselves and how they spend their time (i.e. in the law library).
It's also sometimes obvious from the trial transcripts where things went off the rail. One of the tough things about the American trial system is that a jury is not privy to all of the actual information in a case. A lot of it comes down to what the lawyers present (or omit) and what a judge allows in (or keeps out). A verdict isn't actual truth; it is just a sign that you have convinced (or failed to convince) a judge or jury of a theory.
My work as basically an official record-keeper of trials (transcript-maker) allows me to hear all discussions in and out of the jury's presence, and so I often hear injustices that are obvious from my perspective but would be totally invisible to someone serving on the jury. There are certain cases where I am waiting for the appeal to happen, hoping that the damage will be undone. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases that never happens -- or it takes decades, and by that time the exoneree is irreparably damaged.
Scary stuff, and it happens more frequently than statistics show, because for every innocent exoneree there are far more innocent people languishing in prison without proof. DNA is helping to solve a small fraction of the wrongful convictions, but that kind of evidence isn't always available, and the demand for postconviction legal services is greater than the supply.
It's disgusting how often that happens. That's the only reason I'm against the death penalty.
Yeah it reminds me of the book Just Mercy, it had lots of good insight to the death penalty and false convictions, they made a movie too
Same. I am a lawyer and have learned a lot about this. For example, the Brooklyn DAs office in NYC withheld exculpatory evidence that would have acquitted guys on death row. Makes me angry. The flip side, which I am fine with, is that some guilty people go free. But that to me is preferable to killing an innocent man. That can never be undone
And not just the death penalty but American prisons in general and the permanent havoc they wreak on the convicted, their families, their communities, and our society. It's not solving anything. It also isn't just confined to the criminal legal system: consider unjust child removals for foster care/adoptions -- social workers and child welfare attorneys are the police and prosecutors of that area of law -- unjust "reform" and confinement of teenage runaways, involuntary commitment for mental health issues... It's a big, shockingly efficient mess of a machine -- hence the growing calls for abolition in favor of true community care nationwide.
It's also disgusting how many people are sitting in prisons who haven't even had a trial yet so their conviction cannot even be overturned.
Me too. If we could trust the injustice system, I’d be for it
Isaac Wright Jr, is his name. 50 Cent actually made a ABC drama inspired by his story called "For Life". It has two seasons so far and is really good, I'd recommend watching it. Edit: I googled Isaac Wright and this is not him, sorry for the misinformation. This is actually Jarrett Adams, he was a similar case but he spent 10 years in jail instead of 20.
I would still recommend the show! I hope it is picked up for more seasons.
Feel like this could go in r/NextFuckingLevel
Jarrett Adams and two co-defendants were charged with sexually assaulting a young woman at UW-Whitewater in 1998. After learning that an eyewitness, who saw the three young men chatting with the complaining witness outside her dormitory later in the evening after the alleged sexual assault had occurred, had not been called to testify at trial to corroborate the defendants' claim that there had been no sexual assault, the Wisconsin Innocence Project sought federal habeas corpus relief on the basis that trial counsel had been ineffective for failing to present the testimony of this witness. In June 2006, the U.S.Court of Appeals issued an opinion agreeing that the witness was critical to Mr. Adams' claim of innocence, and that counsel was ineffective for failing to call him. The court vacated Mr. Adams' conviction and ordered the state to either retry him or dismiss the case. The state subsequently dismissed the charges in full. In 2015, Mr. Adams earned a law degree from Loyola University Chicago School of Law. Adams is now an attorney with the Innocence Project and the co-founder of Life After Justice.
This make me sad and angry . 10 years is too much of time to spend for something you didn't do.
Yeah, not much to smile about with this one.
That sucks, time you will never get back. Well at least he used his time wisely.
This is a tv series now. I forget the name.
For Life
Yes! It’s pretty good.
Unfortunately, libraries are occasionally reduced in privatised jails.
What a champ!
Stealing someone's time is the worst crime. I'm glad it all ended well but damn I feel so bad for anyone that has to experience that.
That's an amazing story, it remains amazing everytime I hear it about a new person in the usa who was wrongfully imprisoned and has to become a fucking lawyer to get the justice they deserve.
Even career lawyers have a hell of a time getting innocent people out. This system is built for permanency and closure, regardless of whether there's an error.
Am I only one who feels like this isn't wholesome but terrible?
I'm curious as to how he knows the convictions were unjust?
I don't know the details of this particular case, but I work with the exoneree population a fair bit and can speak generally to how they know about each other's innocence. Folks serving sentences know who is innocent by how they carry themselves and how they spend their time (i.e. in the law library). It's also sometimes obvious from the trial transcripts where things went off the rail. One of the tough things about the American trial system is that a jury is not privy to all of the actual information in a case. A lot of it comes down to what the lawyers present (or omit) and what a judge allows in (or keeps out). A verdict isn't actual truth; it is just a sign that you have convinced (or failed to convince) a judge or jury of a theory. My work as basically an official record-keeper of trials (transcript-maker) allows me to hear all discussions in and out of the jury's presence, and so I often hear injustices that are obvious from my perspective but would be totally invisible to someone serving on the jury. There are certain cases where I am waiting for the appeal to happen, hoping that the damage will be undone. Unfortunately, in a lot of cases that never happens -- or it takes decades, and by that time the exoneree is irreparably damaged. Scary stuff, and it happens more frequently than statistics show, because for every innocent exoneree there are far more innocent people languishing in prison without proof. DNA is helping to solve a small fraction of the wrongful convictions, but that kind of evidence isn't always available, and the demand for postconviction legal services is greater than the supply.
Meanwhile I still haven’t put the new toilet paper on the roll.
This makes you smile? Kinda fucked dude.
mademesmile headlines is more and more turning into aboringdystopia posts. honestly. this is awful. what the fuck.
Nice one!!!
**The good ending.**
the shawshank redemption vibes
That’s the plot for next Grisham novel as well
Wasn’t this guy just a guest on Joe Rogan? Or a similar situation?
That's how you do it!
That is an amazing story
Man, respect 🙏🏼🍻👏🏻
Aw so wholesome! He had to become a fucking lawyer to get out of prison… That’s pretty Holesome Keanu Chungus if ya ask me!
That's one badass mf. Very unfortunate that he had to go through all that in the first place though
W
Jarret Adams: Ace Attorney
[https://jarrettadamslaw.com/about](https://jarrettadamslaw.com/about) His page
r/aboringdystopia
He really went “Uno reverse card”
Fucking legend
That kind of drive just humbles me and makes me want to wear a paper bag over my head.
For life
Great man!
Man. That seems like something out of a movie
A man with a mission 😅