Blind Injustice: A Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology and Politics of Wrongful Convictions (Hardcover) (ISBN-13: 9780520287952)

Awarded Digital Book World's Best Book Published by a University Press

In this unprecedented view from the trenches, prosecutor turned champion for the innocent Mark Godsey takes us inside the frailties of the human mind as they unfold in real-world wrongful convictions. Drawing upon stories from his own career, Godsey shares how innate psychological flaws in judges, police, lawyers, and juries coupled with a "tough on crime" environment can cause investigations to go awry, leading to the convictions of innocent people.

In Blind Injustice, Godsey explores distinct psychological human weaknesses inherent in the criminal justice system--confirmation bias, memory malleability, cognitive dissonance, bureaucratic denial, dehumanization, and others--and illustrates each with stories from his time as a hard-nosed prosecutor and then as an attorney for the Ohio Innocence Project.

He also lays bare the criminal justice system's internal political pressures. How does the fact that judges, sheriffs, and prosecutors are elected officials influence how they view cases? How can defense attorneys support clients when many are overworked and underpaid? And how do juries overcome bias leading them to believe that police and expert witnesses know more than they do about what evidence means?

This book sheds a harsh light on the unintentional yet routine injustices committed by those charged with upholding justice. Yet in the end, Godsey recommends structural, procedural, and attitudinal changes aimed at restoring justice to the criminal justice system.

Author: Mark Godsey
ISBN-10: 0520287959
ISBN-13: 9780520287952
Publisher: University of California Press
Language: English
Published: 10/10/2017
Pages: 264
Format: Hardcover
Weight: 1.00lbs
Size: 9.10h x 6.20w x 0.90d

Review Citation(s):
Library Journal 11/01/2017
Choice 04/01/2018