With much of our lives taking place virtually and via smart devices, it’s no shock that cyberstalking is on the rise. Even though there may not be any direct contact involved in this type of stalking, it is still considered a crime and can be prosecuted in a very...
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Russell A. Spatz
of The Miami-dade State Attorney
Wrongful Convictions
Victims of Wrongful Incarceration May Receive Compensation Based on Florida Act
In the criminal courts of this country, we say that a defendant is innocent until proven guilty. Many times this means that a jury of the defendant's peers finds the evidence against him or her to overwhelmingly suggest guilt. However, there are still times when the...
Florida Man Seeks Murder Conviction Appeal
One Florida man is hoping for an appeal of his murder conviction from almost 30 years ago. The defendant has spent 28 years in prison for a crime he may not have committed.In 1990, the defendant was convicted of killing a man and kidnapping the victim's girlfriend. He...
Can a prosecutor be sentenced to jail for role in wrongful conviction?
A former prosecutor and judge in Texas will go to jail for his role in the wrongful conviction of a man. The prosecutor has pled guilty to intentionally failing to disclose evidence in a case that sent an innocent man to prison for the murder of his wife. The...
New Proposed Laws in Florida Bring Changes to Help Prevent and Compensate for Wrongful Convictions
A wrongful conviction in a criminal case not only causes a lot of financial and emotional strain on the victim of the wrongful conviction and his/her family, but it can also cost the taxpayers a lot in the wrongful imprisonment of an innocent person. For all these...
Investigative Tactics Play Major Role in Record High Exoneration Rates
There has been a massive increase in the number of exonerations in America as of late, to the point where we have reached a record high. More importantly, there's been a significant increase in non-DNA related exonerations while those involving DNA have flat lined....
Discrimination in Jury Selection Proved in 1987 Case
On Monday, the Supreme Court ruled in favor of Georgia death row inmate Timothy Tyrone Foster. In a 7-1 decision, the High Court ruled that the prosecution in Foster's case had illegally discriminated against potential jurors based on race. Foster was convicted in...
Are CIU’s the Answer to Overturning Wrongful Convictions?
Since the first Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) was established in Dallas in 2007, the country has seen a rise in the establishment of these bodies. CIUs are intended to be an independent reviewer of previous cases that may be wrongful convictions.In its 2016 study,...
Study Finds Sleep Deprivation Linked to False Confessions
Most people know that sleep deprivation can cause lapses in judgement and cognitive impairment. But false imprisonment? A recent study focused on how sleep deprivation can contribute to innocent people admitting to crimes they haven't committed.Military and police...
2015 Was a Record Year for Exonerations
The subject of wrongful convictions seems to be on most people's radars. With the runaway popularity of documentaries such as Netflix's "Making a Murderer," there has been a surge of interest in exonerations and the justice system. While no judicial system is perfect,...