Blind injustice: a former prosecutor exposes the psychology and politics of wrongful convictions

266 Pages·2017·2.4 MB·english

by  Mark Godsey

Blind Injustice
A Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology
and Politics of Wrongful Convictions
mark godsey
University of California Press
Blind Injustice

Blind Injustice
A Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology
and Politics of Wrongful Convictions
mark godsey
University of California Press
University of California Press, one of the most distinguished university
presses in the United States, enriches lives around the world by
advancing scholarship in the humanities, social sciences, and natural
sciences. Its activities are supported by the UC Press Foundation and by
philanthropic contributions from individuals and institutions. For more
information, visit www.ucpress.edu.
University of California Press
Oakland, California
© 2017 Mark Godsey
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Godsey, Mark, author.
Title: Blind injustice : a former prosecutor exposes the psychology and
politics of wrongful convictions / Mark Godsey.
Description: Oakland, California : University of California Press, [2017] |
Includes bibliographical references and index. |
Identifiers: lccn 2017013390 (print) | lccn 2017016659 (ebook) |
isbn 9780520962958 () | isbn 9780520287952 (cloth : alk. paper)
Subjects: lcsh: Judicial error—United States. | Prejudices—United
States—Psychological aspects. | Criminal justice, Administration of—
Political aspects—United States. | Evidence, Criminal—United States. |
Discrimination in criminal justice administration—United States. |
False imprisonment—United States.
Classification: lcc kf9756 (ebook) | lcc kf9756 .g63 2017 (print) |
ddc 345.73/0122—dc23
lc record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2017013390
Manufactured in the United States of America
24 23 22 21 20 19 18 17
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
Contents
Acknowledgments vii
About This Book ix
1. eye opener 1
2. blind denial 9
3. blind ambition 59
4. blind bias 90
5. blind memory 113
6. blind intuition 152
7. blind tunnel vision 170
8. seeing and accepting human limitations 213
Notes 225
Index 251

Acknowledgments
This book is dedicated to my parents for their example of open-mindedness
and openheartedness. To Berea College in Kentucky, where my parents
attended school, for setting my family on a path of education, intellectual
curiosity, and questioning. To the staff, students, clients, exonerees, Boards
of Advocates, and supporters of the Ohio Innocence Project, particularly the
Rosenthal Family, as fellow warriors. And, finally, to my wife, Michele
Berry Godsey, for being my partner in sharing psychological intrigue and
in fighting injustice.
I would like to thank the following people who assisted me greatly in the
research and/or polishing of this book: Liza Dietrich, Tom Wells, Taylor
Freed, Beckie Taylor, Laura Hills, Martin Yant, Phil Locke, Mindy Schechter,
Jim Maxson, Kathy Brinkman, Richard Leo, Brandon Garrett, Nancy Petro,
Jim Petro, Lou Bilionis, Barry Scheck, Rob Warden, Anne DeLyons, Karla
Hall, John Cranley, Michele Berry, Caleb Baum, Rachelle Barr, and Megan
Wamsley.
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About This Book
This book is intended for anyone with an interest in criminal justice, psy-
chology, the forensic sciences, civil rights, or politics.
It is also designed to serve as the primary or a supplementary textbook
for undergraduate and law school courses on wrongful convictions.
Instructors wishing to assign this book may contact the author, Mark
Godsey, who will share a database containing supplementary videos, clinical
studies, and selected case documents to help enrich a curriculum for each
chapter. Professor Godsey teaches this book in conjunction with the Netflix
docu-series Making a Murderer or the Academy Award–winning docu-
series OJ: Made in America. Instructors wishing to follow one of these
models are welcome to contact him for more details.
For readers interested in learning more, please join the Facebook group
Blind Injustice.
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