Produce the Body!

Habeas Corpus - "the ancient writ" -- enshrined in the Magna Carta and the United States Constitution. Literally translated, it is a command from a judge to a jailer stating, "Produce the body." The body in question is a prisoner, and the judge who issues such a writ is commanding the government to bring that prisoner into court and to justify his imprisonment.

Habeas Corpus is one of the greatest tools a free society has to resist government tyranny, and also the avenue of last resort for those charged with capital crimes. In this episode, we look at one such case, House v. Bell, from Tennessee, in which a man sat on death row for more than 20 years while lawyers used habeas proceedings to try to prove his innocence.

Rape and murder, guilt and innocence, conviction and . . . exoneration? Join us and find out.