real life wrongs

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 Instructor of Legal Studies, Kelly Lauzon, and producer and freelance writer, Kelly Fanson, dive into the stories, the crimes, and the hard times of the controversial world of wrongful convictions. 

 The eyes of the law can become fixated. Through the real life account from exoneree, Jamie Nelson, Kelly Lauzon and Kelly Fanson explain and discuss how tunnel vision can unwittingly, or even maliciously grip officials in the justice sytem and result in a wrongful conviction.  

But what did you really see?

This episode examines Eyewitness Identification--a key factor in the world of Wrongful Convictions. We dissect the real life story of Michel Dumont from his arrest, conviction and release. 

Our esteemed guest, American Psychologist, Elizabath Loftus, talks to us about misinformation and the nature of memory and how it impacts our justice system.  

 Why someone would admit to something they didn't do?

This episode looks at False Confessions and how our own words can be used against us in our Justice System. We highlight the case of Canad's longest incarcerated wrongfully convicted individual, Romeo Phillion. 

Dr. Lindsay Malloy, Dr. Hayley Cleary, and Dr. Jessica Sutherland join us to dissect the various kinds of confessions as well as interrogation tactics that are often the cause of a false confession.  

 Have you ever seen the show “Deal or no Deal”? Well, it’s never that fun in court.  
This week, Real Life Wrongs examines Plea Deals.  Our highlight case this week is Maria Shepherd, a Canadian woman who was wrongfully convicted of killing her step daughter.

The use of plea deals has been increasing in frequency across the globe over the last few decades and can play a key role in wrongful convictions. Dr. Allison Redlich, a leading expert in the field, gives great insight into how they work and what to look out for.  

 This episode looks at a controversial undercover operation known around the world as the "Canadian Method.” 

or Mr Big Stings. It's a meaty episode that includes how a sting goes down, the controversial tactics that concern most justice systems throughout the world, 

Guests include defence lawyer Alison Craig who successfully defended against a Mr. Big Sting; Toronto Star journalist Wendy Gillis who covered the case of Alan Smith, and Alain Olivier who spent 7 years in a Thai prison as a result of a Mr. Big Sting.

We also talk about the case of Kyle Unger, a young man wrongfully convicted of the murder of Manitoba teenager, Brigitte Grenier due to a Mr. Big Sting.

We're examining Police Misconduct and Policing, from different perspectives (3 episodes).
This first episode covers the role of the Police and how their misconduct can lead to the wrongful conviction.
Retired Winnipeg Sergeant, Andrew Mikolajweski joins us to discuss how misconduct played a big role in the wrongful conviction of Thomas Sophonow.

The second episode in the policing series looks at misconduct within the force. We review cases of past misconduct and address ongoing complaints against the RCMP, including civil litigation on workplace harassment, abuse of authority, and sexual misconduct. 

Former Corporal of the Regina Police Service, Heather Gray speaks with us about the very dark side of her experience spanning multiple decades on the force. 

Trigger warning: mild sexual content & suicide.

The third episode in the policing series considers the human element of wearing the badge.
As society dissects the role of policing more than ever, this is an important interview with both a veteran of the force, Sergeant Jason Frye, and 16 year member of the OPP, Constable Theresa Wabason.  

 This episode looks at how jailhouse informants can have a significant impact on creating a wrongful conviction.
We take a close look at how justice wasn't served for Guy Paul Morin, a Canadian man who was wrongfully convicted of the rape and murder of his nine-year-old neighbour. At trial, it was the prosecution's decision to call upon the testimony of two of Guy's cellmates, jailhouse informants who were only in it for themselves.  
Special guest, Professor of Law and criminal attorney, Robert Bloom joins us to share his extensive knowledge on the subject.

How can the science be wrong?!

This episode looks at how faulty forensic science is one of the most significant contributing factors to wrongful convictions.

UH Law Center Professor and author of Cops in Lab Coats, Sandra Thompson joins us to talk about everything from the jury's responsibility when hearing experts on the stand to how labs work and which ones are working better than others.   

Our featured case is Joyce Hayman, a mother who was wrongfully convicted of giving cocaine to her toddler son,

Anyone can call themselves an expert.
On this episode, you'll discover how even in a court of law, that term can be used loosely. Yes, even you could be considered an expert in court!
Maria Shepherd, a woman wrongfully convicted of killing her step daughter because of expert testimony, joins us to recount her harrowing story.
 

 What makes a good lawyer? Even more importantly, how can you tell if you have a bad one? 

If you're ever in a situation where you need to hire a lawyer, this episode of Real Life Wrongs examines what to expect, beginning with that first phone call. 

Our esteemed guest, Jason Gilbert, lays it out in easy to understand language and detail. Jason is a Criminal Defence Lawyer, B.A., and a founding partner of the firm Addelman Baum Gilbert LL.B. Jason speaks to us about what to expect, how a bad lawyer can cause a wrongful conviction, what the jury can/should look out for, and so much more.  

We also look at the case Erin Walsh to give a real life example of how bad lawyering can lead to a wrongful conviction.

 This episode of RLW is called "What John Knows" because when we researched our guest prior to his interview, the first words I said were, "this is a guy who's probably seen and knows too much."   John Hill is now retired from practice, but he continues to write columns dealing with crime and imprisonment, as well as a number of books that look at some of Canada's most notorious criminals. 

John spoke to us about his professional experiences, and he talks about whether our criminal and correctional systems work fairly. 

 This episode jumps head first into an all encompassing topic. We're not going to solve the world's problems in a single episode, but we can crack the topic of what we often don't like to talk about. Marginalization impacts us all. 

Almost every case of a wrongful conviction has an element of marginalization in it, and it's important that we talk about it. 

Dr. Emily Haney Caron and Dr. Erika Fountain join us to discuss the ways in which our most vulnerable members of society are at the greatest risk of becoming the victim of a wrongful conviction.

This episode offers insight into the many ways that children and young adults are impacted by a wrongful conviction. Whether they are the child of a wrongfully convicted parent, have been wrongfully convicted themselves, or have become impacted by the criminal justice system in some other way, this episode brings to light the stark reality that wrongful convictions are not just an adult problem.

We have many experts in to share their views with us, but none are as poignant as Jordan Shepherd, son of Canadian exoneree Maria Shepherd, who shares what it was like growing up with a mother who was wrongfully convicted.

In this final episode of our series we try to take a lighter approach as we look back on the human errors that contribute to wrongful convictions. Join us as we look back on what we learned! Wrongful convictions can happen to anyone, and we hope that our journey through this world has given you insight that you can share.