Kalief Browder spent three years in custody awaiting a trial that never came. Photo: The New Yorker
“Three Years on Riker Without Trial” — Jennifer Gonnerman, The New Yorker
This is a beautifully written piece about the breakdown of the justice system in a recent New Yorker. It instigated a lot of discussion across the country – and Canada – about issues such as timely justice, legal aid and incarceration. Do you think something like this could happen in Canada? Has it?
I also think this is an excellent example of not only writing about legal issues comprehensibly, but of using legal documents to report. While you read, think about the logistics of newsgathering in this story.
Legal Constraints on (Digital) Creativity
There certainly have been miscarriages of justice in Canada. And there certainly have been delays. But have never heard of anything quite like this in our system…which of course does not mean that it didn’t happen, or that it couldn’t happen. To me the worst Canadian story is that of Thomas Sophonow http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Thomas_Sophonow but others would surely differ.
One addendum: Check out this piece on Wrongful Conviction Day from the Law Times (Canada): http://www.lawtimesnews.com/201410144258/headline-news/wrongful-conviction-day
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