Seminar in Criminology - Discussion 8 - Essay Example

Law Discussion 8: Criminology Q How Mr. Mortons conviction could have been prevented; Michael Morton was wrongfully convicted for the murder of his wife in 1987. He would spend the next 25 years behind bars due to that wrongful conviction. However, this conviction could have been prevented had the investigators had continued with their investigations to completion. The conviction happened due to hurried investigation leading to presentation of a false case (Thistlethwaite & Wooldredge, 2014). The prosecution also made a mistake by not presenting the evidence that had been collected showing Mr.

Morton’s innocence in the case. They also did not disclose this evidence to the Mr. Morton’s defense team and thus his defense was at a disadvantage. If the judge had ensured that all evidence collected was also presented to the defense team the wrongful conviction might have been avoided.Q. 2. What you consider just for Mr. Morton’s compensationAlthough there can really never be enough compensation for the years Mr. Morton spent in prison after the wrongful conviction, some monetary compensation is necessary to show the mercy of the state.

In my opinion, the state would have compensated Mr. Morton monetary wise for the years he spent in prison and educate his children to the highest levels. The monetary compensation by the state should have been double Mr. Morton’s earnings per year multiplied by the 25 years.Q.3. Reforms to prevent wrongful convictions mentioned in the section on "Significance and Subsequent Research?"The research conducted by Bedau and Radelet in Chapter 5 made recommendations that led to the decrease in wrongful convictions and that reforms in criminal prosecutions.

The research has led to creation of policies and organizations to help in reducing wrongful convictions. Today, there are many non-profit organizations that research into such cases focusing on wrongful convictions (Thistlethwaite & Wooldredge, 2014). In my opinion these reforms by Bedau and Radelet have been very critical in improving the justice system in the United States since it has reduced the over reliance on DNA evidence.ReferenceThistlethwaite, A. & Wooldredge, J. (2014). Forty Studies that Changed Criminal Justice: Explorations into the History of Criminal Justice Research.

Boston: Little, Brown & Company