Reading reflection 9 - Essay Example

Wrongful Convictions: In this week’s article on wrongful convictions, I managed to learn that thereare certain people who might be jailed for crimes that they did not commit. By reflecting deeper into the lessons contained in the reading, I denote that wrongful convictions are an aspect of miscarriage of justice. Reflecting deeper on the readings, I denote that it is always difficult to overturn cases that involve miscarriage of justice. Resolving these cases usually takes years, and a person can even be vindicated from the crime after his or her death in prison/ police custody.

On most occasions, people sentenced to death normally use this term as a ground of defense. Proving their innocence through this ground of defense is an efficient and effective manner of receiving their freedom. Reflecting further on this notion of wrongful convictions, I came to realize that the best and most efficient method of exonerating these people is through the use of DNA evidence. My interest in the reading made me to research on a case that involved a person who was wrongfully convicted, and thereafter released.

I settled on Joe D Ambrosio, who was released on March 2010. Ambrosio was convicted in 1989 for the murder of Klann, but during his trial, prosecutors failed to produce evidence that was exonerating him, despite such evidence being in their possession (Free and Ruesink, 2012). Ambrosio was released by judge Synerberg for wrongful conviction. From this case, I learnt that prosecutors and law enforcement officers can make an individual to suffer imprisonment from crimes they did not commit, especially if such individuals are not efficient in their work.

The Color of Death:Race and the Death Penalty.This article introduces us to the element of racialism in the administration of justice in United States of America. For instance, the article denotes that the Governor of Illinois, George Ryan, conceded that the death penalty system in United States of America was full of error because it discriminated upon the person who deserved to die and who deserved to live, by analyzing the color of their skin. Because of this, he decided to forgive the death row convicts in his state.

Reflecting on this, I denote that though it was wise of him to carry out such kind of an action, it could have been good if he enacted policies and laws that would abolish death penalty in the State. This is because he was in the position of power. In my own opinion, the best way to reduce inequitable administration of justice in regard to the death penalty, it is important for states all over America to abolish the system (Free and Ruesink, 2012). By doing this, judicial officers won’t have a chance to discriminate upon whom to sentence to death or live, by looking at their races.

This reading made me remember the passage of the Senate bill 9, in 2009 by the North Carolina Senate. This bill was meant to repeal the racial justice act, by allowing death row convicts to appeal their sentences, if race influenced the decision of the judge in giving the sentence (Free and Ruesink, 2012). References: Free, M. D., & Ruesink, M. (2012). Race and justice: wrongful convictions of African American men. Boulder, Colo.: Lynne Rienner Publishers. Top of FormBottom of Form