Wrongful Conviction - podcast cover

Wrongful Conviction

Lava for Good Podcastslavaforgood.com

Hosted by celebrated criminal justice reform advocate and founding board member of the Innocence Project Jason Flom, Pulitzer prize-winning podcast host and producer Maggie Freleng, and Emmy Award-winning writer, producer and podcast host Lauren Bright Pacheco, Wrongful Conviction features intimate conversations with men and women who have spent years in prison for crimes they maintain they did not commit. Some have been fully exonerated and reunited with family and friends while others continue to languish, with some even facing execution on death row. Each episode peels back the layers behind the stories of those who have found themselves caught in a legal system gone wrong, with illuminating insights from lawyers and leading experts sharing their in-depth knowledge about each case, from prison visits and courtroom battles to reexamined crime scenes and witness interviews. This gripping series reveals the tragedy of injustice…as well as the triumph that is possible when people step up and demand change.

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Episodes

#223 Jason Flom with Joe D'Ambrosio

19 year old Anthony Klann was stabbed to death in Cleveland, Ohio in September of 1988. Two men who had a lot to gain worked with detectives to spin a narrative, claiming two other men, Joe D'Ambrosio and Michael Keenan, committed the murder on September 22nd; however, Anthony Klann was still very much alive the following night. Learn more and get involved at: https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/urge-governor-dewine-to-end-executions-in-ohio https://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/ https://www.wrongf...

Sep 22, 202143 minEp. 223

#222 Jason Flom with Jarrett Adams and Dmitri Henley

3 Chicago teenagers went to a party at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater where embarrassment turned a consensual encounter into a far-fetched gang rape accusation wrapped up in well-worn racist tropes. Three radically different outcomes for each young man only served to underscore the absurdity of this tragic failure of our justice system. Jarrett Adams’ book Redeeming Justice: https://www.penguinrandomhouse.com/books/624157/redeeming-justice-by-jarrett-adams/9780593395905 Learn more and ge...

Sep 15, 202139 minEp. 222

#221 Jason Flom with Anthony Sims

This is an updated episode that originally aired on September 21, 2021. On May 18th, 1998, Charlie Winbush told her fiancé, Julius Graves, that a man named Li Run Chen, who worked at a Chinese restaurant in the neighborhood had touched her inappropriately. Graves replied that he would scare him. Later that day, Julius Graves, his fiancée's cousin, and another younger friend had a few drinks with Graves and his friend Anthony Sims as they listened to music by Sims’ car. That same evening, Graves ...

Sep 08, 202148 minEp. 221

#220 Wrongful Conviction: False Confessions - Emerson Stevens

Sometimes when detectives can't get a confession they'll settle for a something else Laura Nirider and Steve Drizin explore the story of Emerson Stevens, a fisherman from Virginia’s Chesapeake Bay. When a young mother was found murdered, it seemed all the evidence pointed to Emerson, until the case fell apart when a key witness was convicted of lying about the case and a forensic test technique was debunked and discredited. Since the initial release of this episode, Virginia Governor Ralph North...

Sep 01, 202132 minEp. 220

#219 Jason Flom with Patrick Pursley

This is an updated episode that originally aired on January 15, 2020. In this live audience recording at ComplexCon Chicago 2019, Patrick Pursley tells us how a false identification, a coerced and immediately recanted statement, and false expert testimony led to his wrongful conviction. Amazingly, Patrick Pursley spearheaded changes to the law while still in prison in order to obtain the ballistic testing necessary to set himself free. His fight continues on the outside for his Certificate of Ac...

Aug 25, 202135 minEp. 219

#218 Jason Flom and Kim Kardashian on Julius Jones

This is an updated episode that originally aired on May 20, 2020. On July 28th, 1999, Julius Jones was playing monopoly with his family and soon to be a sophomore on an academic scholarship at the University of Oklahoma. That night, a man named Paul Howell was shot for his GMC Suburban in the nearby suburb of Edmund, Oklahoma. A few days later, Julius was awakened and dragged out of bed, barefoot and shirtless, and taken into police custody as a murder suspect even though the eyewitness descript...

Aug 18, 202141 minEp. 218

#217 Jason Flom with Kevin Dykes

This is an updated episode that originally aired on September 14, 2020. In June 1986, Kevin Dykes witnessed the attempted murder of 2 people and the actual murder of a 3rd person in his neighborhood in Compton, CA. Kevin decided to go to the police, partly out of fear of reprisals by the killers who knew he witnessed the murder. The prosecutors then used his knowledge of the crimes that he witnessed against him and charged him with all 3 crimes. Learn more and get involved at: https://www.change...

Aug 11, 202139 minEp. 217

#216 Jason Flom with James King

James King has been sitting in prison for almost 25 years for a rape that he adamantly maintains he did not commit. His conviction strongly relied on the inconsistent and contradictory word of a then 13-year old girl who was allegedly hiding her inappropriate relationship with a neighbor twice her age. Despite the lack of material evidence, changed testimonies for the prosecution, and the credible rebuttal of the state’s expert’s absurd findings, King remains incarcerated, desperately working to...

Aug 04, 202140 minEp. 216

#215 Jason Flom with Greg Glod on John Jones

At about 9:40AM on March 19th, 2010, John Jones woke to find his daughter Jada unresponsive and called 9-1-1. She was rushed to the hospital where she remained until July 16th, 2010, when she was removed from life support and passed away. Based on the junk science of shaken baby syndrome, John was convicted of murdering his daughter and sentenced to 15 years to life. Greg Glod, Criminal Justice Fellow at Americans for Prosperity, returns to our podcast to co-host with Jason Flom and share this t...

Jul 28, 202146 minEp. 215

#214 Jason Flom with Troy Coleman

On September 26th, 1989, Kevin Jones and a friend drove to an apartment with $40,000 cash to buy cocaine. Jones went inside, while the friend waited down the block. Almost two hours later, the friend saw Jones’ car approaching him, but Jones was not in it. Jones was later found dead, wrapped up, beaten and shot, in the trunk of that car. Troy Coleman, the owner of the apartment, was 60 miles away in Atlantic City at the time. Despite knowing of Coleman's whereabouts during the crime, prosecutors...

Jul 21, 202142 minEp. 214

#213 Jason Flom with Joe Bryan

Joe Bryan was a high school principal, and his wife Mickey Bryan was a 4th-grade teacher in the small town of Clifton, TX. On Tuesday, October 15th, 1985, Mickey did not show up for work. Her body was discovered later that day in her bedroom. Joe was 120 miles away in Austin at a conference at that time. Prosecutors came up with a theory that Joe drove back to Clifton, killed his wife, and returned to Austin, using the conference as an alibi. He was convicted with "bloodstain analysis" which was...

Jul 14, 202144 minEp. 213

#212 Jason Flom with Curtis Flowers

On July 16, 1996, the owner of Tardy Furniture Company and three employees were found shot and killed. Curtis Flowers, who previously worked at the store, was charged with four counts of capital murder. Even though no physical evidence linked him to the crime, District Attorney Doug Evans used coerced and incentivized witnesses and racially discriminatory jury selection to send Curtis to Death Row. When his conviction was overturned due to prosecutorial misconduct, DA Evans continued with the sa...

Jul 07, 202141 minEp. 212

#211 Jason Flom with Marcus Wiggins

At age 13, Marcus Wiggins became one of many young black men to be tortured into a false statement by sadistic Chicago PD Detective Commander Jon Burge and his “Midnight Crew.” When an eyewitness foiled their first frame job, Marcus’ mother Carolyn successfully sued and exposed these men, leading Burge’s underlings to embark on a vendetta to frame Marcus Wiggins for murder. After another failed attempt in 1994, they succeeded and sent Marcus to prison in 1999 for a crime that he did not commit. ...

Jun 30, 202140 minEp. 211

#210 Jason Flom with Richard Glossip

On January 7th, 1997, the owner of the Best Budget Inn in Oklahoma City was beaten to death with a baseball bat at his motel by admitted killer, thief, and methamphetamine addict Justin Sneed. Mr. Sneed, fearful of the death penalty, falsely accused his boss, Richard Glossip, of masterminding the murder for hire plot in exchange for leniency. Now, Richard sits on death row in Oklahoma where his time is running out. To support Richard Glossip, please sign this petition to reopen the case: https:/...

Jun 23, 202152 minEp. 210

#209 Jason Flom with Ronnie Long

This is an updated episode that originally aired on July 29, 2020. On the night of April 25th, 1976, a wealthy, 54 year old widow was burglarized and sexually assaulted in Concord, North Carolina. Police and prosecutors then conspired to elicit a mistaken witness ID, mishandle and suppress evidence, commit perjury and ignore alibis to wrongfully convict Ronnie Long and send him to prison for 44 years. Learn more and get involved at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/welcomeronniehome https://www.wrongf...

Jun 16, 202148 minEp. 209

#208 Wrongful Conviction Podcasts PSA - What to Do When Stopped by the Police (Cooperating)

Jason Flom (“Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom” podcast) and Rabia Chaudry (“Undisclosed" podcast) got together to create a series of PSAs on how to safely respond to encounters with the police. The PSAs cover a variety of different encounters and may save your life. Please listen and share. The information and opinions shared here are not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice and do not form an attorney-client relationship. Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava fo...

Jun 11, 20212 minEp. 208

#207 Jason Flom with Melissa Lucio

On February 17th, 2007, paramedics were dispatched to a residence where they found an unresponsive two-year-old child who subsequently died. Evidence of abuse led to the arrest and conviction of Melissa Lucio, the child’s mother. She was sent to death row where she remains to this day. The DA on the case has since been found to be corrupt and is himself serving 13 years in prison for accepting bribes to sway the outcomes of trials. https://actionnetwork.org/petitions/melissa-lucio-innocent-woman...

Jun 09, 202150 minEp. 207

#206 Wrongful Conviction Podcasts PSA - What to Do When Stopped by the Police (Immigration Status)

Jason Flom (“Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom” podcast) and Rabia Chaudry (“Undisclosed" podcast) got together to create a series of PSAs on how to safely respond to encounters with the police. The PSAs cover a variety of different encounters and may save your life. Please listen and share. The information and opinions shared here are not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice and do not form an attorney-client relationship. Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava fo...

Jun 04, 20212 minEp. 206

#205 Jason Flom with James Davis

This is an updated episode that originally aired on August 12, 2020. On January 24th, 2004, a party at the Brooklyn Masonic Temple devolved into violence, resulting in one man’s death. Before the violence erupted, an overserved young man left the party into the care of his new girlfriend - only to become the murder suspect on the word of his jilted ex. Despite zero physical evidence and an unreliable eye witness, James Davis was convicted of murder and sentenced to 18 years to life thanks to sho...

Jun 02, 202138 minEp. 205

#204 Wrongful Conviction Podcasts PSA - What to Do When Stopped by the Police (On a Jury - Deliberation)

Jason Flom (“Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom” podcast) and Rabia Chaudry (“Undisclosed" podcast) got together to create a series of PSAs on how to safely respond to encounters with the police. The PSAs cover a variety of different encounters and may save your life. Please listen and share. The information and opinions shared here are not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice and do not form an attorney-client relationship. Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava fo...

May 28, 20212 minEp. 204

#203 Jason Flom with Chris Fabricant, Tucker Carrington and John Grisham on Eddie Lee Howard

Eddie Lee Howard was convicted and sentenced to death in 1994 for the rape and murder of 84-year-old Georgia Kemp in Columbus, MS. The only physical evidence against him came in the form of bite marks, not visible to the naked eye, found by the since discredited forensic dentist / junk scientist Michael West. For a detailed account of the junk science of bite mark evidence, listen to the episode “Wrongful Conviction: Junk Science - Bite Mark Evidence” from our Webby Award nominated series Wrongf...

May 26, 202134 minEp. 203

#202 Wrongful Conviction Podcasts PSA - What to Do When Stopped by the Police (On a Jury - Trial)

Jason Flom (“Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom” podcast) and Rabia Chaudry (“Undisclosed" podcast) got together to create a series of PSAs on how to safely respond to encounters with the police. The PSAs cover a variety of different encounters and may save your life. Please listen and share. The information and opinions shared here are not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice and do not form an attorney-client relationship. Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava fo...

May 21, 20213 minEp. 202

#201 Jason Flom with Dewey Bozella

This budding boxer's biggest fight was with a prosecutor who was willing to ignore and hide overwhelming evidence of Dewey's innocence in order to convict him of a crime he did not commit. Learn more and get involved at: https://www.harpercollins.com/products/stand-tall-dewey-bozella?variant=32123155152930 https://vimeo.com/164169981 https://www.wrongfulconvictionpodcast.com/with-jason-flom Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. ​​ We h...

May 19, 202141 minEp. 201

#200 Wrongful Conviction Podcasts PSA - What to Do When Stopped by the Police (Routine Traffic Stop)

Jason Flom (“Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom” podcast) and Rabia Chaudry (“Undisclosed" podcast) got together to create a series of PSAs on how to safely respond to encounters with the police. The PSAs cover a variety of different encounters and may save your life. Please listen and share. The information and opinions shared here are not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice and do not form an attorney-client relationship. Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava fo...

May 14, 20212 minEp. 200

#199 Jason Flom with Al Cleveland

A notorious informant father and son duo traded false information for $2k, wrongfully ensnaring 4 young men in the criminal legal system - one of whom was budding hip hop star, artist, and author, Al Cleveland. Learn more and get involved at: Deacon Cleveland Music Al Cleveland's Artwork 3 Strands, 1 Cord: A Couple's Guide to Understanding Incarceration Baby Shark: The Childhood Genius of Daymond John https://www.ohioinnocenceproject.org Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podc...

May 12, 202140 minEp. 199

#198 Wrongful Conviction Podcasts PSA - What to Do When Stopped by the Police (Routine Foot Stop)

Jason Flom (“Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom” podcast) and Rabia Chaudry (“Undisclosed" podcast) got together to create a series of PSAs on how to safely respond to encounters with the police. The PSAs cover a variety of different encounters and may save your life. Please listen and share. The information and opinions shared here are not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice and do not form an attorney-client relationship. Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava fo...

May 07, 20212 minEp. 198

#197 Jason Flom with Enes Kanter

An NBA center speaks truth to power in his native Turkey, drawing the ire of the authoritarian regime who exacted their revenge on his father, Dr Mehmet Kanter. Learn more and get involved at: https://turkeypurge.com/ https://www.youaremyhope.org/ Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. ​​ We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show are accurate. The views and opinions expressed by the individuals featured in this ...

May 05, 202131 minEp. 197

#196 Jason Flom with Gary Drinkard

A man is sent to death row by his half sister and her boyfriend in exchange for leniency from a crooked detective and an even worse prosecutor’s office. Learn more and get involved at: https://www.witnesstoinnocence.org/ https://eji.org/ https://www.schr.org/ https://www.amazon.com/Quest-Justice-Defending-Damned-2nd/dp/0999472828 Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava for Good™ Podcasts in association with Signal Co. No1. ​​ We have worked hard to ensure that all facts reported in this show...

Apr 28, 202129 minEp. 196

#195 Wrongful Conviction Podcasts PSA - What to Do When Stopped by the Police (Home Search Warrant)

Jason Flom (“Wrongful Conviction with Jason Flom” podcast) and Rabia Chaudry (“Undisclosed" podcast) got together to create a series of PSAs on how to safely respond to encounters with the police. The PSAs cover a variety of different encounters and may save your life. Please listen and share. The information and opinions shared here are not intended to be, and should not be construed as, legal advice and do not form an attorney-client relationship. Wrongful Conviction is a production of Lava fo...

Apr 23, 20212 minEp. 195

#194 Jason Flom with Alexis Ke'Erica Martin

15 year-old Alexis Ke’Erica Martin was aware that her ex-boyfriend was about to free her from sex trafficker, Angelo Kerney, but didn’t know that Kerney was about to be killed. Ohio’s brand new safe harbor law should have protected this inspiring survivor. Learn more and get involved at: https://www.gofundme.com/f/gxes23-alexis-keerica-martin-support-fund http://ohiojpc.org/ Vote for our 2021 Webby Nominees (click links in categories) Wrongful Conviction - False Confessions in Crime & Justic...

Apr 21, 202133 minEp. 194
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