What a sad, depressing, and eye-opening read. It’s interesting that the author calls this his ‘death-penalty’ book, but I’ll definitely agree with it also being a book about friendship and loyalty, as well as one about child abuse, alcoholism, and neglect. So much is also about poverty and as a result, the loss of hope. The two teens in the story, Luke and Toby, don’t have much to look forward to in their lives, or ways to cope, and this feels very desperate and is difficult at times to read. It paints a very grim portrait of impoverished middle America.
I commend the author on writing a book about two teen boys, which doesn’t happen often within the young adult genre. But it’s ultimately heartbreaking. I’m grateful to my Litsy Postal Book Club group for picking this, otherwise I may not have read this emotional YA novel.

"Our procedure has been always haunted by the ghost of the innocent man convicted." – U.S. v. Garsson, D.C., 291 F. 646, 649 (1923) (Judge Learned Hand)

 

While you may find "Actual Innocence" in the "true crime" section of your bookstore, this is not your typical fare of a more or less well-written and soon-to-be-TV-movie account of a harrowing crime, or series of crimes. And while the book undeniably shows the hands of two lawyers who know how to craft a closing argument, and a Pulitzer Prize winning journalist, this is at heart, as the authors point out – and disturbingly so – a "work of nonfiction."

 

"Actual Innocence" is an account of the work of Scheck's and Neufeld's "Innocence Project," describing some of the Project's most prominent and successful cases, and a scathing condemnation of the shortcomings of the American system of criminal justice – particularly, under the Supreme Court's holding in Herrera v. Collins, 506 U.S. 390, 404 (1993) (Rehnquist, C.J.) that "a claim of 'actual innocence' is not itself a constitutional claim." Under Herrera and the cases following it, a federal court can reject a defendant's petition for relief even if it is based on proof of innocence, even if that proof is, as in the cases represented by the Innocence Project, of a scientific nature (DNA evidence showing that the defendant cannot have committed the crime he has been convicted of), and even if the deadlines for submitting that proof are so short that it is virtually impossible for a defendant to present evidence obtained post-conviction in time for a consideration at least in the state court system, which review has to precede a review by the federal courts.

 

Read more on my own website, ThemisAthena.info.

 

Preview also cross-posted on Leafmarks.

Really good Book! Give an excellent insight into a defense lawyer's cases, especially one that has workes on a numbee of high profile cases.

I thought the writing of this book was very good with significant "spinnage"! One has to remember who this author is and look for the "twists" put into her stories, as a result...Those not from the Cook County or Northern Illinois area wouldn't be familiar with her "work" therefore wouldn't understand her "track record". The only reason this book did not get one to two stars from me is because Ms. Lyon does write extremely well and persuasive...Just be watchful for the "twists". If you can't do that, pay attention to the foreward author and that should let you know the ride you are in for...Overall...a well written book though.