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HSB Assignment 10
HSB Assignment 10
Imaginet haty ouh aveb eenp ickedu po fft hes treet,a ccusedo fc ommittinga m urder,a nda re
thens entencedt o2 0y earsinjail.InD ecember2 005t hish appenedt oA ntonio" Toño"Z úñigain
MexicoC itya nd,liket housandso fo
therinnocentp eople,h ew asw rongfullyimprisoned.
Uset her eadinga nde xploreh ttps://www.innocenceproject.org/t oh elpa nswert hef ollowing
questions:
1. Scrollt ot heb ottomo ft hew ebsitea ndc licko neo ft hec auses( jailhouseinformants,
inadequated efense,e tc.).W ritea no verviewiny ouro wnw ordsa bouth owt hiss pecific
causeleadst of alsec onvictionsa ndimprisonment.
a. Ic hosef alsec onfessions.S omet ypeo ff alsec onfessionw ast hec auseo f3 60+
falsec onvictionsint heU .S.Itm ayb eh ardt ou nderstandw hys omeonew ould
turnt hemselvesinift heya ren’tg uilty.It’sa ctuallyn ott hatc omplicated!A b
ig
factorint hesef alsec onfessionsisf ear.T hep ersonisa fraidt hatf ailingt oa dmit
tot hec rimew illg ivet hemh arsherc harges,o rf earo fa uthorityf igures,a nd
doingw hatt heya sk.A f ewo therr easonsinclude,b uta ren otlimitedt o:
persuasionb yt helawe nforcemento ft hed efender,u singf orce,v iolence,o r
threats,lawe nforcementu singf orcet oc ausey out olie,t hes uspectn oth aving
fullm entals tability,w hichc anb ec ausedb yf atigue,t ension,m alnutrition,d rug
use,m entald ifficulties,o ra limitede ducation.Y oungp eoplew hoa ren ota ware
oft heirr ightsa ree venm orev ulnerablet oinvestigativet acticsliket his.T hisis
alsot hec asew ithy oungp eoplew hoa ret aughtf roma y ounga get or espect
theire ldersa ndo thera uthorityf igures.T hesea llw illleadt of alsec onvictions
andimprisonment,s incet hep ersonw asn’tint hew rongo rg uiltyf romt he
beginning.
2. Looku pa ndr eada boutatleastt woc ases.( Fromt heh omepage,s elect“ cases”o nt he
top.)W ritea s ummaryp aragrapha bouto nec ase.
a. Thec aseIc hosew asA ndreH atchett’sc ase.H ew asw ronglyc onvictedo f
second-degreem urderin1 991.H es pent2 5y earsinp rison,f ora m urderh ew as
wronglyc onvictedo f.T hev ictimo ft hisc asew asN edaM aeC arter.S hew as
foundo nF ebruary1 8th,1 991,a ta bout1 1P .M.S hew asb rutallyb eatenu pa nd
dead.T hish appenedinM onroeS treetP arkinB edford-Stuyvesant.D uringe arlier
int hee vening,H atchettw asw ithC arter.H ev isitedt heh ousea lmoste veryd ay.
Hew asq uestioned,c ooperated,a ndp rovideda d etaileda libi.A tt het ime,h e
wasinjured,w hichm eanth isleg,h isr ightleg,w asina c ast,r equiringc rutches,
then ighto ft hec rime.A littleo vera w eekh adp assed,a nda nu nrelatedb urglary
happened.G erard“ Jerry”W illiamsw asa rrested.H es tatedh eh adinformation
aboutt heC arterC ase.H et oldt heh omicided epartmentt hatw hileh ea nd
anotherw omann icknamedP opeyew ereint hep ark,t heyh earda ladys cream.
Hea lsoc laimedt oh aves eena m ans wingingh isa rmo vera b odylyingo nt he
ground.H ef irstc laimedt hatt hem anint hep arkw ass omeoneh ek newa lready
spoket ot hep olicea ndu seda c rutch.H et hent oldp oliceh ed idn’ts eea c rutch.
Thes amee vening,H atchettw asv oluntarilyp lacedina line-up,w hereW illiams
identifiedh im.W illiamsh elpedt hep olicef indP opeye.T hatt ookm anym any
weeks.S hew asf inallyidentifieda ndf ound.S hev ieweda lineupt hatincluded
Hatchett. P opeye“ wasu nsureo ft heidentificationa tf irsta nds tatedt hatit
lookedlikea notherindividual."S helatera lteredh erm inda ndc hoseH atchett.
Hatchettw ass ubjectedt ot rialf ort hem urdert wice,w ithW illiamsb eingt he
mainw itnessr eportingt oh aves eenH atchett,int hep ark,o na d ark,r ainyn ight.
Hes tatedh es awh imf roma d istanceo f3
0o r4 0f eeto na q uiet,r ainyn ight.
Hatchetta ppearedo nh iso wnb ehalfa th iss econdt riala nda ddeda na libi
witness.N eithera ttorneys howedH atchett'sh ealthd ocumentst op rovet hat,
withh isp
hysicald isabilitiesa ndinjuries,itw ouldh aveb eena lmostu nlikelyf or
Hatchettt oh avec ommittedt hiso ffense.N evertheless,h ew asa ccusedo f
second-degreem urdera nds entencedt oa p risont ermo f2 5y ears,r elyingn early
entirelyo nW illiams'e vidence.
3. Whata res omep rosa ndc onso fe yewitnesst estimony?
a. Somep roso fe yewitnesst estimonyincludeinfluencingjuryd ecision,its ervesa s
compellinge vidence,a nditm ayv alidateo there vidence.S omec onsa ref ear,
whichc reatesd ishonestya ndinaccurated epictions,s incet hem emoryc anb e
corrupted,t hep ersonm ayh avea r acialb ias,a nditm ays ends omeoneinnocent
top rison.
4. Brainstorma nd/orr esearcha tleasto nes trategyw es houldimplementino rdert olessen
then umbero fw
rongfulc onvictions.D escribeind etailw hyt hisisa g oodideaa ndh ow
itw
ouldh
elp.
a. Wec animprovet hea ccuracyo fe yewitnessID’s.W ec and ot hisb y,r ecordingt he
verificationo fidentityp rocedure,p uttingp eopleint helineupt hata ctuallyf it
thew itness’sd escriptiono ft hes uspected,lettingt hev iewerk nowt hatt he
suspectm ayo rm ayn otb eint helineup,a nda ssuringt hatt hep erson
conductingt helineupo ro theridentificationp rocedured oesn otk noww hot he
suspectis.B Yv ideotapingt heidentificationp rocedure,juriesc anm akec ertain
andd eterminet hep rocedurew asd onec orrectly.Itw ouldh elpb ecauseb y
ensuringt hee yewitnesso fa llt heset hings,t heyw
illb elessa fraid,a ndm
ore
likelyt ob
eh
onest.Itisp
robablylesslikelyt heyw illlieo
rlett heirb
rainb
e
corrupted.