January 6, 2016
ASU’s Post-Conviction Clinic works to free the wrongfully convicted
Since its release last month, the Netflix documentary series “Making a Murderer” has inspired a host of social media debates, many soaked in outrage aimed at an alleged injustice.
The series follows the murder case against Steven Avery in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin, and the accusation that the county’s law enforcement conspired to frame him.
Although Avery’s innocence is in question, one thing is certain: We devour these stories. Other binge-worthy, fact-based productions built around the premise of being accused of or getting away with murder — such as the podcast “Serial” and HBO’s docu-series “The Jinx” — enthrall and enrage the public, casting a light across the criminal justice system and making us wonder: How can justice prevail?
One way is through the ASU Post-Conviction Clinic, which is partnered with the Arizona Justice Project, giving Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law students the opportunity to work on real cases with claims of actual innocence. The clinic recently received nearly $1 million from the National Institute of Justice to work on cases where DNA evidence could exonerate the wrongfully convicted.
Katherine Puzauskas is the supervising attorney for the ASU Post-Conviction Clinic, and previously held the position of director of the Arizona Justice Project. Robert Dormady is a graduate of ASU Law, who is now an ASU Law Fellow and serves as the program coordinator for the clinic. The two contributed answers, via email, on this subject for a Q&A with ASU Now.
Read more: https://asunow.asu.edu/20160106-arizona-impact-un-making-murderer