Jeffrey Deskovic Podcast: Convicted, Exonerated & Reforming the Justice System (New York) June 21, 2018
Today’s podcast is with Jeffrey Deskovic. At 16 years old in New York Jeff was convicted of raping and murdering a high school classmate. He was an innocent man. He spent 16 years behind bars and was released in 2006 after a long fight for his freedom and because of DNA evidence. Jeffrey is the founder of the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation based in New York which works to free the innocent from prison and seeks to reform the system to stop wrongful convictions from occurring. He just finished his 2nd year in law school at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University.
We are very happy to have Mr. Deskovic as a guest as we talk about what happened to him, how he got out of prison and his efforts to free others since his release. We also hear about the legislative work being done by the Deskovic Foundation including supporting two bills in the New York Legislature proposing the creation of a prosecutorial conduct commission.
Some might not see the relationship between victims-restorative justice and wrongful convictions. But RJI sees the connection clearly as does Jeffrey Deskovic. Listen.
For more information on the Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation visit their website: https://www.deskovicfoundation.org/
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Bill Pelke
June 26, 2018Great Podcast!
I am glad you are working together.
lisarea
July 6, 2018Thank you, Bill Pelke. Appreciate your comments since RJI has met many exonerees through knowing you in the Journey of Hope: From Violence
to Healing. We are honored to have you on our Global Advisory Council. We must fix the justice system from top to bottom.
Janet Q. Tyler
June 29, 2018Very good podcast. So glad Jeffrey was able to share more insight into wrongful convictions. When someone is incarcerated with a life sentence and there was never a crime, it causes you to lose faith in any justice. Prosecutors do and say whatever they need to in order to maintain a conviction. Inmates do not have the means to pay for assistance so then it falls on the family. The taxpayer who ultimately is paying for that prosecutor and his mistakes, many times over. Thanks and I hope you will look over our website. It too, is a wrongful conviction/actual innocence case. A PCR has been filed and we are seeking representation.
http://www.jeromedwightbergeron.weebly.com
lisarea
July 6, 2018Thank you, Janet, for your comment. In Jeffrey Deskovic’s case there was a rape and a murder, as you know from the podcast. We hope that you find
justice for your father. RJI’s position is that prosecutors need to understand the importance of victims-driven restorative justice and apply it.
No ethical prosecutor would ever want an innocent person to be convicted and sentenced for crimes he did not commit. Thus, the New York legislation creating an independent prosecutorial conduct commission is very much needed to assure there are real consequences when an unethical prosecutor is in office.