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Non-fiction - Injustice and Wrongful Conviction - Christchurch City Libraries

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ChristchurchLib

Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi

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We trust that our criminal justice system works to only punish the guilty - but the truth is a staggering number of innocent people are incarcerated yearly. Many of these stories end in freedom for the accused, often only due to tireless efforts by lawyers and human rights groups like the Innocence Project. Others are still waiting to see justice served. These stories are by turns moving, thrilling and ultimately inspiring tales of resilience and hope. A Christchurch City Libraries list.

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ChristchurchLib

Christchurch City Libraries Ngā Kete Wānanga o Ōtautahi

21 items

21 items

Better, Not Bitter

Better, Not Bitter

Living on Purpose in the Pursuit of Racial Justice

by Salaam, Yusef, 1974-

Book - 2021

Yusef Salaam, one of five teenage boys wrongfully convicted in the Central Park jogger case tells his story - touching upon his upbringing in central Harl...Show more Yusef Salaam, one of five teenage boys wrongfully convicted in the Central Park jogger case tells his story - touching upon his upbringing in central Harlem, his imprisonment and then eventual re-entry into a society he no longer recognised or understood. Yusef provides intimate personal insights into the lessons he learnt along the way, sharing the mental tools that gave him power to survive the devastating impact of the injustice he experienced. Show less

Yusef Salaam, one of five teenage boys wrongfully convicted in the Central Park jogger case tells his story - touching upon his upbringing in central Harl...Show more Yusef Salaam, one of five teenage boys wrongfully convicted in the Central Park jogger case tells his story - touching upon his upbringing in central Harlem, his imprisonment and then eventual re-entry into a society he no longer recognised or understood. Yusef provides intimate personal insights into the lessons he learnt along the way, sharing the mental tools that gave him power to survive the devastating impact of the injustice he experienced. Show less

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The Central Park Five

The Central Park Five

by Burns, Sarah, 1982-

Book - 2019

Sarah Burn's book investigates the failings of the law enforcement and social institutions that allowed five teenagers to be wrongfully imprisoned for the...Show more Sarah Burn's book investigates the failings of the law enforcement and social institutions that allowed five teenagers to be wrongfully imprisoned for the brutal rape and murder of a jogger in Central Park in 1989. All five served full sentences before a later confession and DNA evidence overturned their convictions. The extraordinary events detailed in this book were recently dramatised in the acclaimed 2019 miniseries "When They See Us." Show less

Sarah Burn's book investigates the failings of the law enforcement and social institutions that allowed five teenagers to be wrongfully imprisoned for the...Show more Sarah Burn's book investigates the failings of the law enforcement and social institutions that allowed five teenagers to be wrongfully imprisoned for the brutal rape and murder of a jogger in Central Park in 1989. All five served full sentences before a later confession and DNA evidence overturned their convictions. The extraordinary events detailed in this book were recently dramatised in the acclaimed 2019 miniseries "When They See Us." Show less

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The Central Park Five

The Central Park Five

DVD - 2013

This documentary is a tie in with the book of the same name about the extraordinary wrongful conviction case of five teenage boys arrested for a murder they had no part in. This documentary is a tie in with the book of the same name about the extraordinary wrongful conviction case of five teenage boys arrested for a murder they had no part in. Show less

This documentary is a tie in with the book of the same name about the extraordinary wrongful conviction case of five teenage boys arrested for a murder they had no part in. This documentary is a tie in with the book of the same name about the extraordinary wrongful conviction case of five teenage boys arrested for a murder they had no part in. Show less

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A Witness of Fact

A Witness of Fact

The Peculiar Case of Chief Forensic Pathologist Colin Manock

by Rooke, Drew

Book - 2022

A man passes himself off as a qualified pathologist and enjoys a career as a chief forensic pathologist. Years on it is discovered he lacked critical trai...Show more A man passes himself off as a qualified pathologist and enjoys a career as a chief forensic pathologist. Years on it is discovered he lacked critical training for the job and made serious errors in court resulting in several people being jailed. Drew Rooke reveals a legacy of unsafe verdicts in this deep-dive into the use of forensic evidence in South Australia. Show less

A man passes himself off as a qualified pathologist and enjoys a career as a chief forensic pathologist. Years on it is discovered he lacked critical trai...Show more A man passes himself off as a qualified pathologist and enjoys a career as a chief forensic pathologist. Years on it is discovered he lacked critical training for the job and made serious errors in court resulting in several people being jailed. Drew Rooke reveals a legacy of unsafe verdicts in this deep-dive into the use of forensic evidence in South Australia. Show less

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Conan Doyle for the Defence

Conan Doyle for the Defence

A Sensational Murder, the Quest for Justice and the World's Greatest Detective Writer

by Fox, Margalit

Book - 2018

Award winning journalist and author Margalit Fox delves in to the prejudicial world of Edwardian crime detection, exploring the dogged determination of Si...Show more Award winning journalist and author Margalit Fox delves in to the prejudicial world of Edwardian crime detection, exploring the dogged determination of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as he strives to overturn one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history. Meticulously researched and richly narrated, Fox's true-crime adventure tracks Conan Doyle as he follows in his famous characters' (Sherlock Holmes) footsteps, painstakingly investigating the case of an immigrant Jewish cardsharp unjustly convicted of murder in 20th Century Scotland. Show less

Award winning journalist and author Margalit Fox delves in to the prejudicial world of Edwardian crime detection, exploring the dogged determination of Si...Show more Award winning journalist and author Margalit Fox delves in to the prejudicial world of Edwardian crime detection, exploring the dogged determination of Sir Arthur Conan Doyle as he strives to overturn one of the greatest miscarriages of justice in British history. Meticulously researched and richly narrated, Fox's true-crime adventure tracks Conan Doyle as he follows in his famous characters' (Sherlock Holmes) footsteps, painstakingly investigating the case of an immigrant Jewish cardsharp unjustly convicted of murder in 20th Century Scotland. Show less

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In Dark Places

In Dark Places

The Confessions of Teina Pora and An Ex-cop's Fight for Justice

by Bennett, Michael, 1964-

Book - 2016

'In Dark Places' is a compelling and deeply affecting read and an important examination of how our justice system failed a young man. The conviction of a ...Show more 'In Dark Places' is a compelling and deeply affecting read and an important examination of how our justice system failed a young man. The conviction of a 17 year old with learning difficulties for a murder he didn't commit and and his subsequent 21 years in jail is one of New Zealand's worst cases of wrongful conviction. Pora's case and the appalling circumstances of his "confession" were uncovered by ex-cop Tim McKinnel who helped him fight his convictions and win exoneration in 2014. Show less

'In Dark Places' is a compelling and deeply affecting read and an important examination of how our justice system failed a young man. The conviction of a ...Show more 'In Dark Places' is a compelling and deeply affecting read and an important examination of how our justice system failed a young man. The conviction of a 17 year old with learning difficulties for a murder he didn't commit and and his subsequent 21 years in jail is one of New Zealand's worst cases of wrongful conviction. Pora's case and the appalling circumstances of his "confession" were uncovered by ex-cop Tim McKinnel who helped him fight his convictions and win exoneration in 2014. Show less

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Watch In Dark Places S1E1 | TVNZ OnDemand

https://www.tvnz.co.nz/shows/in-dark-places/episodes/s1-e1

Web Resource

The gripping true story of Teina Pora, an innocent man, imprisoned for two decades for a crime he did not commit, and an ex-cop's heroic battle to win him his freedom. The gripping true story of Teina Pora, an innocent man, imprisoned for two decades for a crime he did not commit, and an ex-cop's heroic battle to win him his freedom. Show less

Anatomy of Innocence

Anatomy of Innocence

Testimonies of the Wrongfully Convicted

Book - 2017

Highlights the stories of fifteen wrongfully convicted and imprisoned Americans, all exonerated by The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal group with th...Show more Highlights the stories of fifteen wrongfully convicted and imprisoned Americans, all exonerated by The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal group with the goal of exonerating wrongfully convicted people. Their stories are captured here by high profile writers including Lee Child, Sara Paretsky, Laurie R. King, Jan Burke and S. J. Rozan. Show less

Highlights the stories of fifteen wrongfully convicted and imprisoned Americans, all exonerated by The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal group with th...Show more Highlights the stories of fifteen wrongfully convicted and imprisoned Americans, all exonerated by The Innocence Project, a non-profit legal group with the goal of exonerating wrongfully convicted people. Their stories are captured here by high profile writers including Lee Child, Sara Paretsky, Laurie R. King, Jan Burke and S. J. Rozan. Show less

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The Sun Does Shine

The Sun Does Shine

How I Found Life and Freedom on Death Row

by Hinton, Anthony Ray

Book - 2018

Hinton's story is a testament to the power of hope in the darkest of circumstances - a man who spent three decades on death row, much of it in solitary c...Show more Hinton's story is a testament to the power of hope in the darkest of circumstances - a man who spent three decades on death row, much of it in solitary confinement, for two murders he didn't commit. Extraordinarily, he never gave up his fight for freedom, and with the help of lawyer Bryan Stevenson he was finally exonerated in 2015. Show less

Hinton's story is a testament to the power of hope in the darkest of circumstances - a man who spent three decades on death row, much of it in solitary c...Show more Hinton's story is a testament to the power of hope in the darkest of circumstances - a man who spent three decades on death row, much of it in solitary confinement, for two murders he didn't commit. Extraordinarily, he never gave up his fight for freedom, and with the help of lawyer Bryan Stevenson he was finally exonerated in 2015. Show less

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The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist

The Cadaver King and the Country Dentist

A True Story of Injustice in the American South

by Balko, Radley

Book - 2018

This thrilling exposé uncovers how two self-styled "experts" in Mississippi, Dr. Steven Hayne and Dr. Michael West, together helped send countle...Show more This thrilling exposé uncovers how two self-styled "experts" in Mississippi, Dr. Steven Hayne and Dr. Michael West, together helped send countless people to jail before their "junk science" evidence began to unravel. This book tells the sobering tale of Kennedy Brewer and Levon Brooks, two men wrongfully convicted due to the testimony of Hayne and West, and their fight for exoneration, while exposing and holding to account a deeply flawed criminal justice system. Show less

This thrilling exposé uncovers how two self-styled "experts" in Mississippi, Dr. Steven Hayne and Dr. Michael West, together helped send countle...Show more This thrilling exposé uncovers how two self-styled "experts" in Mississippi, Dr. Steven Hayne and Dr. Michael West, together helped send countless people to jail before their "junk science" evidence began to unravel. This book tells the sobering tale of Kennedy Brewer and Levon Brooks, two men wrongfully convicted due to the testimony of Hayne and West, and their fight for exoneration, while exposing and holding to account a deeply flawed criminal justice system. Show less

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The Blood of Emmett Till

The Blood of Emmett Till

by Tyson, Timothy B.

Book - 2017

A fresh look at the compelling case of bigotry and inequality that allowed a 14 year old to be lynched. Full of rich detail including the only interview w...Show more A fresh look at the compelling case of bigotry and inequality that allowed a 14 year old to be lynched. Full of rich detail including the only interview with the girl he was accused of making advances to, the recently rediscovered trial transcript, and details from the reopened FBI investigation which examines if other people were involved. The gripping events that allowed this to happen, what ultimately lead to it and how it swept up everyday folk are elegantly laid bare. Consequences from this case and their repercussions started in the civil rights movement, parallels are drawn with America today. Show less

A fresh look at the compelling case of bigotry and inequality that allowed a 14 year old to be lynched. Full of rich detail including the only interview w...Show more A fresh look at the compelling case of bigotry and inequality that allowed a 14 year old to be lynched. Full of rich detail including the only interview with the girl he was accused of making advances to, the recently rediscovered trial transcript, and details from the reopened FBI investigation which examines if other people were involved. The gripping events that allowed this to happen, what ultimately lead to it and how it swept up everyday folk are elegantly laid bare. Consequences from this case and their repercussions started in the civil rights movement, parallels are drawn with America today. Show less

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Just Mercy

Just Mercy

A Story of Justice and Redemption

by Stevenson, Bryan

Book - 2014

In this moving memoir Bryan Stevenson gives a human face to the people he has defended and examines the need for compassion and fairness in the American j...Show more In this moving memoir Bryan Stevenson gives a human face to the people he has defended and examines the need for compassion and fairness in the American justice system, where the most disadvantaged citizens are also treated the most harshly. As an idealistic young lawyer Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative in order to help the wrongly condemned and those in most dire need of assistance in the criminal justice system. Show less

In this moving memoir Bryan Stevenson gives a human face to the people he has defended and examines the need for compassion and fairness in the American j...Show more In this moving memoir Bryan Stevenson gives a human face to the people he has defended and examines the need for compassion and fairness in the American justice system, where the most disadvantaged citizens are also treated the most harshly. As an idealistic young lawyer Stevenson founded the Equal Justice Initiative in order to help the wrongly condemned and those in most dire need of assistance in the criminal justice system. Show less

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Ghost of the Innocent Man

Ghost of the Innocent Man

A True Story of Trial and Redemption

by Rachlin, Benjamin

Book - 2017

A powerful, empathic story of judicial error, misidentification from old photographs, rewards for information leading to false witness testimony, and wit...Show more A powerful, empathic story of judicial error, misidentification from old photographs, rewards for information leading to false witness testimony, and withheld evidence. This is the tale of Willie Grime’s 24 year imprisonment for rape and murder and his protracted struggle to clear himself. In comes Christine Mumma, who was fundamental in establishing the Innocence Inquiry Commission, who eventually clears him. Well researched and sometimes slow paced, but building to a dramatic conclusion. Read this travesty of justice and you may never have faith in the justice system again. Show less

A powerful, empathic story of judicial error, misidentification from old photographs, rewards for information leading to false witness testimony, and wit...Show more A powerful, empathic story of judicial error, misidentification from old photographs, rewards for information leading to false witness testimony, and withheld evidence. This is the tale of Willie Grime’s 24 year imprisonment for rape and murder and his protracted struggle to clear himself. In comes Christine Mumma, who was fundamental in establishing the Innocence Inquiry Commission, who eventually clears him. Well researched and sometimes slow paced, but building to a dramatic conclusion. Read this travesty of justice and you may never have faith in the justice system again. Show less

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Adnan's Story

Adnan's Story

The Search for Truth and Justice After Serial

by Chaudry, Rabia

Book - 2016

Fans of the gripping and hugely popular true-crime podcast 'Serial' can delve even further into the case against Adnan Syed in this book, in which author ...Show more Fans of the gripping and hugely popular true-crime podcast 'Serial' can delve even further into the case against Adnan Syed in this book, in which author Rabia Chaudry presents new key evidence that she maintains dismantles the State's case. In early 2000, 17 year old Adnan Syed was convicted and sentenced to life plus thirty years for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, a high school senior in Baltimore, Maryland. Adnan has maintained his innocence and this book takes an in-depth look at some of the discrepancies of the investigation. Show less

Fans of the gripping and hugely popular true-crime podcast 'Serial' can delve even further into the case against Adnan Syed in this book, in which author ...Show more Fans of the gripping and hugely popular true-crime podcast 'Serial' can delve even further into the case against Adnan Syed in this book, in which author Rabia Chaudry presents new key evidence that she maintains dismantles the State's case. In early 2000, 17 year old Adnan Syed was convicted and sentenced to life plus thirty years for the murder of his ex-girlfriend Hae Min Lee, a high school senior in Baltimore, Maryland. Adnan has maintained his innocence and this book takes an in-depth look at some of the discrepancies of the investigation. Show less

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White Silence

https://www.rnz.co.nz/programmes/white-silence

Web Resource

Forty years ago an Air New Zealand flight crashed into Mt Erebus in Antarctica. There were no survivors from the 257 people on board. This award-winning e...Show more Forty years ago an Air New Zealand flight crashed into Mt Erebus in Antarctica. There were no survivors from the 257 people on board. This award-winning eight-episode podcast retells the tragedy that led to a controversial Royal Commission of Inquiry and a state apology that finally came last year for the victims’ relatives. Show less

The Innocence Project

https://www.innocenceproject.org/

Web Resource

If you would like to find out more about wrongful convictions the Innocence Project website is a great place to start. Learn more about the work they do t...Show more If you would like to find out more about wrongful convictions the Innocence Project website is a great place to start. Learn more about the work they do to exonerate the wrongfully accused and to try to reform the criminal justice system to prevent further injustices. Learn more about current cases and past successes. Show less

A Convenient Death

A Convenient Death

The Mysterious Demise of Jeffrey Epstein

by Goodman, Alana

Book - 2020

Did Jeffrey Epstein kill himself? On the morning of August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein, jet-setting consigliere and friend to the rich and powerful, was fou...Show more Did Jeffrey Epstein kill himself? On the morning of August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein, jet-setting consigliere and friend to the rich and powerful, was found unresponsive in his prison cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan where he awaited his second trial for sexual predation and other crimes. He was rushed to a local hospital and one hour later pronounced dead. The coroner's verdict? Suicide. But cracks in the official story emerged immediately. And the questions kept coming. Show less

Did Jeffrey Epstein kill himself? On the morning of August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein, jet-setting consigliere and friend to the rich and powerful, was fou...Show more Did Jeffrey Epstein kill himself? On the morning of August 10, 2019, Jeffrey Epstein, jet-setting consigliere and friend to the rich and powerful, was found unresponsive in his prison cell at the Metropolitan Correctional Center in lower Manhattan where he awaited his second trial for sexual predation and other crimes. He was rushed to a local hospital and one hour later pronounced dead. The coroner's verdict? Suicide. But cracks in the official story emerged immediately. And the questions kept coming. Show less

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Signs of Murder

Signs of Murder

A Small Town in Scotland, A Miscarriage of Justice and the Search for the Truth

by Wilson, David, 1957 April 23-

Book - 2020

Criminologist David Wilson returns to his home town of Carluke in Lanarkshire to revisit a story of an unsolved murder that continues to haunt the region....Show more Criminologist David Wilson returns to his home town of Carluke in Lanarkshire to revisit a story of an unsolved murder that continues to haunt the region. Officially, though, this isn't an 'unsolved murder'. A suspect was found guilty by a jury of his peers, so as far as anyone official is concerned, this murder has been 'solved'. The 'murderer' has even now done his time and been released from prison. This book is a search for the truth. Show less

Criminologist David Wilson returns to his home town of Carluke in Lanarkshire to revisit a story of an unsolved murder that continues to haunt the region....Show more Criminologist David Wilson returns to his home town of Carluke in Lanarkshire to revisit a story of an unsolved murder that continues to haunt the region. Officially, though, this isn't an 'unsolved murder'. A suspect was found guilty by a jury of his peers, so as far as anyone official is concerned, this murder has been 'solved'. The 'murderer' has even now done his time and been released from prison. This book is a search for the truth. Show less

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Hell in the Heartland

Hell in the Heartland

Murder, Meth, and the Case of Two Missing Girls

by Miller, Jax, 1985-

Book - 2020

The stranger-than-fiction cold case from rural Oklahoma that has stumped authorities for two decades, concerning the disappearance of two teenage girls and the much larger mystery of murder, police cover-up, and an unimaginable truth. The stranger-than-fiction cold case from rural Oklahoma that has stumped authorities for two decades, concerning the disappearance of two teenage girls and the much larger mystery of murder, police cover-up, and an unimaginable truth. Show less

The stranger-than-fiction cold case from rural Oklahoma that has stumped authorities for two decades, concerning the disappearance of two teenage girls and the much larger mystery of murder, police cover-up, and an unimaginable truth. The stranger-than-fiction cold case from rural Oklahoma that has stumped authorities for two decades, concerning the disappearance of two teenage girls and the much larger mystery of murder, police cover-up, and an unimaginable truth. Show less

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Is Rape A Crime?

Is Rape A Crime?

A Memoir, An Investigation, and A Manifesto

by Bowdler, Michelle

Book - 2020

Using her own rape as a case study, Bowden examines why one of society's most serious crimes goes largely uninvestigated. Using her own rape as a case study, Bowden examines why one of society's most serious crimes goes largely uninvestigated. Show less

Using her own rape as a case study, Bowden examines why one of society's most serious crimes goes largely uninvestigated. Using her own rape as a case study, Bowden examines why one of society's most serious crimes goes largely uninvestigated. Show less

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The Fact of A Body

The Fact of A Body

A Murder and A Memoir

by Marzano-Lesnevich, Alexandria

Book - 2017

The author recalls her visceral reaction to a criminal and his violent offending and upon reflection, connects her retributive anger with crimes perpetrat...Show more The author recalls her visceral reaction to a criminal and his violent offending and upon reflection, connects her retributive anger with crimes perpetrated against her when she was a young girl. Marzano-Lesnevich’s book is an unflinching examination of crime, justice and their impact on victims and their families. Show less

The author recalls her visceral reaction to a criminal and his violent offending and upon reflection, connects her retributive anger with crimes perpetrat...Show more The author recalls her visceral reaction to a criminal and his violent offending and upon reflection, connects her retributive anger with crimes perpetrated against her when she was a young girl. Marzano-Lesnevich’s book is an unflinching examination of crime, justice and their impact on victims and their families. Show less

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