It could be you

• Autores: Linda Geddes
• Localización: New scientist, ISSN 0262-4079, Nº. 3078, 2016, págs. 36-39
• Idioma: inglés
• Texto completo no disponible (Saber más ...)
• Resumen

  • When Netflix released the Making a Murderer documentary series last year, viewers around the world discovered the story of Steven Avery, the owner of a Wisconsin salvage yard who served 18 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. The series was a big hit, in part because miscarriages of justice exert a strange fascination over those who are lucky enough to see them as simply entertainment. Perhaps that appeal comes from the fact that it could feasibly happen anyone. A combination of very human factors seems capable of trumping the objective evidence in any case. From bad interpretation of crime scene clues to emotional biases in the courtroom, small missteps can combine to build a seemingly incontrovertible case against an innocent suspect, and ultimately wreck their lives. Thanks in part to the publicity surrounding cases like Avery's, there has been a growing awareness of such flaws in recent years, and some fledgling efforts to understand and correct them. These suggest that, even if the risks can't be eliminated, steps could be taken to minimize the chances that innocent people end up behind bars and the bad guys get to walk free. Geddes details how one can put a stop to wrongful convictions.