For the Innocent: A Podcast About Wrongful Convictions, Legal Failures, Prison, True Crime, Forensic Science, and Criminal Justice

Sep 26 2024 26 ep. 16

For the Innocent: A Podcast About Wrongful Convictions, Legal Failures, Prison, True Crime, Forensic Science, and Criminal Justice artwork

Hosted by The Innocence Center’s Executive Director Michael Semanchik, For the Innocent features heartbreaking first-person accounts of exonerees like NFL football player Brian Banks and loving father Zavion Johnson about their experiences of being wrongfully convicted. Hear emotional stories of unfair trials revolving around crimes not committed, devastating memories of incarceration and the journey these men and women took to receive freedom through exoneration.

Throughout the series, you’ll hear from legal and criminal experts, forensic scientists, and prominent judges who will help us understand what went wrong. Expert guests provide insights about our criminal justice system and how wrongful convictions become a terrible reality.

Learn why innocent people falsely confess, what causes misidentifications, and how junk science like bite marks, shaken baby syndrome and DNA can be used to convict people.

With its compelling storytelling and dedication to uncovering the truth, For The Innocent serves as a poignant reminder of the importance of fighting for innocence, while also highlighting the tireless efforts of activists and lawyers working to right these injustices and holding institutions accountable for their mistakes.

Season One and Two are now available.

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Evidence Preservation: Who’s Responsible and What Happens When It’s Lost or Destroyed

Sep 26 2024 40 mins

At the moment of conviction, the incentive to safeguard evidence diminishes in the eyes of the Criminal Justice System. That’s why it is critically important to act quickly to ensure evidence remains available for future appeals. Without it, your fight for freedom could be over before it even begins. In this episode, host Michael Semanchik is joined by Raquel Barilla, former Staf

The Luis Vargas Story: Misidentified as the “Teardrop Rapist”

Sep 12 2024 32 mins

Luis Vargas was wrongfully convicted after three separate witnesses misidentified him as the “Teardrop Rapist.” Sixteen years later, DNA linked to the uncaught serial sex offender was found in one of the victim’s clothing from the crime. But for that evidence being preserved, Luis Vargas would have spent the rest of his life behind bars. This is his story.

Eyewitness Misidentifications

Aug 29 2024 39 mins

In the first 325 DNA exonerations, false identification accounted for 72% of the wrongful convictions. But how is that possible? The simplest explanation is that we are not as good at identifying each other as we think. Add to that a frightening encounter with someone of a different race with no time for the mind to process and you have the perfect formula for getting it all wrong.

The Guy Miles Story: How Flawed Eyewitness Identification Led to 18 Years in Prison

Aug 15 2024 30 mins

Guy Miles was wrongfully convicted after being misidentified by an eyewitness during a robbery investigation in Orange County, California. Although he had once been involved in gangs during his youth, he left that life behind and moved to Nevada for a fresh start. Unfortunately, his past followed him when his photo was included in a “six-pack lineup.” An eyewitness mistakenly i

Dark Pleas: Trading Innocence for Freedom in Post Conviction Deals

Aug 01 2024 30 mins

Imagine being in prison for decades. You’ve been fighting your appeal for many years. Your lawyer believes you’ll get a new trial but there is no guarantee that you’ll win your freedom. Suddenly, the prosecution offers a plea deal. You can go free but there’s a catch... You have to admit you’re guilty.

Angela’s Story: A Dark Plea in Exchange for Freedom

Jul 18 2024 29 mins

On November 20th 1999, Angela Garcia’s home caught on fire. Surprised and crawling in the dark, she was not able to find her children before the blaze forced her to jump out of a 2nd floor window. She ran to get help but tragically her children would die before anyone could reach them. The State wrongfully accused and convicted her of arson and murdering her family. After nearly

Plea Deals: Why Innocent People Give Up and Go to Prison

Jun 20 2024 48 mins

Believe it or not, there are many reasons to plead guilty when you’re not. ----- Plea deals are necessary to fight crime. Without them, our criminal justice system would grind to a halt, and the bad guys would run free. The downside is that plea deals can ensnare innocent people. Even more scary, once you admit to a crime you didn’t commit, it can take decades to get you out of

Marilyn’s Story: A Plea Deal Turned Deadly

Jun 06 2024 29 mins

Marilyn Mulero was wrongfully suspected of a Chicago gang murder in 1992. Naive to the criminal justice system, she was frightened into signing a statement by threats of the death penalty from law enforcement. Failing to adequately investigate the case, her attorney pressured Marilyn into making a risky blind plea deal with the court. That gamble turned into the death penalty. This

Junk Science - Undoing the Damage

May 23 2024 19 mins

When forensic evidence gets it wrong, how do we free the innocent? ----- In our history of criminal prosecutions, some types of evidence ended up being unreliable. Forensic sciences like bite-mark identification, arson investigations, and shaken baby syndrome sent many innocent people to prison. So where does that leave us? How do we make it right? Lindsay Herf, executive director

Junk Science - Shaken Baby Syndrome

May 09 2024 46 mins

In the 1980s and 1990s, Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) was a popular medical theory used to arrest and convict innocent parents of fatally abusing their children. Unknown at the time, this theory was severely scientifically flawed. Unfortunately, erroneous data collection led experts to believe certain brain injuries in children could only be the result of abusive shaking. What they di