Criminal Law: Wrongful Convictions Flashcards Preview

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Flashcards in Criminal Law: Wrongful Convictions Deck (9)
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1
Q

Steven Truscott: Who was involved in the case?

A

Steven Truscott (accused), Lynn Harper (victim), Frank Donnelly (defence lawyer)

2
Q

Steven Truscott: What were the timeline of events leading to the murder of Lynn?

A
  1. Truscott was seen cycling through the countryside with harper, who he dropped off at a highway intersection, where he believed that she hitched a ride to her grandmother’s home
  2. he turned around after cycling ahead, and noticed that she was entering a chevrolet with out of province plates
3
Q

Steven Truscott: Why was he charged?

A
  1. police found details of his account deceptive
  2. prosecution’s case was based on the assertion that Harper was a cautious girl, who did not hitchhike
  3. mysterious abrasion on Truscott’s penis
  4. narrow window of death made it certain that he was with her around that time
4
Q

Steven Truscott: What was he charged with?

A

life imprisonment, 10 year parole eligibility period

5
Q

Steven Truscott: What was he found guilty of?

A

1st degree murder, rape (originally sentenced to be hanged)

6
Q

Thomas Sophonow

A

sentenced to life

  • charged for the 1981 murder of 16 year old Barbara Stoppel
  • unfair trial, eyewitness error
  • tried 3 times due to jury hesitation, spent 4 years in prison before the convictions was overturned
  • cleared through DNA evidence
7
Q

Guy Paul Morin

A
  • sentenced to life
  • murder of 9 year old neighbour, Christine Jessop
  • flawed investigations, errors made by centre of forensic sciences, false testimony by jailhouse informants
  • served 3 years
8
Q

Donald Marshall Jr

A

sentenced to life

  • wrongfully convicted of stabbing a woman to death, 1971
  • served 11 years
  • released after Esbary was caught bragging about how good he was with knives
  • acquitted 1983
9
Q

David Milgaard

A
  • sentenced to life
  • accused of rape and stabbing of Gail Miller, 1969
  • pinned onto him by his friend
  • DNA proved innocence, 1997
  • served 23 years