Dear Friends,
If you listened to the Serial podcast about the 1999 conviction of Adnan Syed for murder, you were probably left wondering how anyone could ever go to prison on such flimsy evidence. But despite significant public attention about the wrongfulness of his conviction, Syed remained behind bars until last week, when he was finally released due to official misconduct and the glaring unreliability of the evidence used against him.
Thankfully, Syed had the benefit of a heroic defense team to keep challenging his conviction. But his case was not solved by their efforts alone. Instead, the big break came when a set of fresh prosecutor eyes reviewed his case file.
You can read about the role of progressive prosecutors in Syed’s exoneration in my new piece “Progressive Prosecutors Make a Difference for the Innocent.”
In more personal news, I was named the 2022 Montclair State University Distinguished Scholar, an award given to one faculty member each year in recognition of outstanding research and scholarship. What an honor! I now have the opportunity to spend next Spring working on a research project. I am truly grateful.
I’ve got more academic and mainstream publications on the way, including a new book chapter in an edited volume called “What is a Criminal” that should be out at the end of the year. I’ll be sure to share that with you when it is released.
I have missed our conversations about justice, and hope to be back in touch each month with updates about what’s happening in our criminal legal system. Drop me a note, either by email or on the blog, and let me know what you might like to read about in upcoming newsletters.
On the home-front, we are adjusting to our new empty nest, although I’m still shocked to have college-aged kids.
I hope you are your families are well.
Take good care,
Jessica