Description
Book SynopsisProposes groundbreaking, fundamental reform for the adversarial legal system to keep innocent people from going to prison We rely on the adversarial legal system to hold offenders accountable, ensure everyone is playing by the same rules, and keep our streets safe. Unfortunately, a grave condition lingers under the surface: at all times the imprisonment of possibly tens of thousands of innocent people. The Plea of Innocence offers a fundamental reform of the adversarial system: plausibly innocent people may now plead innocent and require the government to search for exonerating facts; in return, they will be required to waive their right to remain silent, speak to government agents, and participate in a search for truth. While almost all the participants within the system hope that only guilty people will be convicted, the unfortunate reality is that innocent people are convicted and imprisoned at an alarming rate. With the privatization of defense institutions, accused innocent people
Trade Review"Featuring compelling analysis and exceptional scholarship,
The Plea of Innocence illustrates how the justice system can be revised to protect innocent people from conviction. Few books could be more important or timely." -- Brian Levin, California State University, San Bernardino
"Worthy of full consideration by legal scholars and anyone with an interest in justice for those who are innocent." -- Ros Burnett, University of Oxford
"A timely and important contribution. As calls for reforming the justice system increasingly enter into the public sphere, Bakken offers a compelling path forward, one that is both possible and revolutionary." -- Marvin Zalman, Wayne State University
"Remarkable and convincing. The book is well-written, thoroughly researched and enjoyable to read. It is a rethinking of the criminal law that everyone involved in the criminal justice system should read and contemplate." -- John Hill * The Lawyer's Daily *
