Criminal Law

Criminal Law
Criminal Law

Two wrongfully convicted men released from prison

A North Carolina Superior Court Judge ordered the release of Jonathan Scott Pierpoint, who served 17 years of a life sentence for a crime he did not commit.  Faculty and students in the Duke Law School’s Wrongful Convictions Clinic and Innocence Project worked for two years to develop their claim that Pierpoint’s conviction was the result of false testimony.
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Shawn Massey was released from prison after Mecklenburg County District Attorney Peter Gilchrist ’65 secured a Superior Court order vacating his conviction on multiple counts of second-degree kidnapping and felonious breaking and entering and robbery with a dangerous weapon.  Incarcerated since May 1998, Massey, 37, had two years left to serve on his sentence.
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Faculty

Criminal Law @ Duke

  • BlogExceptions Noted
    The blog of the Center for Criminal Justice and Professional Responsibility examines issues related to wrongful convictions.

  • Griffin to testify before House subcommittee
    Prof. Lisa Griffin will testify July 26 before the House Judiciary Committee's Subcommittee on Crime, Terrorism and Homeland Security regarding pending legislation on public corruption. » House Judiciary Committee

  • Second trial for accused murderer may benefit prosecution, according to Newman '88
    Prof. Theresa Newman '88 says Jason Young's retrial enables the prosecution "to tighten up their evidence." » News & Observer

  • Lau '09 involved in exoneration of two men wrongly convicted of murder
    Jamie Lau '09 served as investigator for the NC Innocence Inquiry Commission in the cases of two men released Sept. 22 after spending 11 years in prison for a crime they didn't commit. » MSNBC

  • Dunlap addresses legality of al-Awlaki killing
    Prof. Charles Dunlap commented on legal issues surrounding the killing of Anwar al-Awlaki, US citizen and outspoken member of al Qaeda's leadership, in USA Today, The Wall Street Journal, and Wired.

  • Al-Awlaki appears to have been "more than just a propagandist" says Silliman
    Prof. Scott Silliman says Anwar al-Awlaki's links to terrorist activities "put him in the category of a legitimate target." » LA Times

  • Beale comments on Koch Industries investigation
    Prof. Sara Beale says documents turned up in the investigation "should really should get the Justice Department’s attention." » Bloomberg

  • Dunlap discusses drone use in warfare
    Prof. Charles Dunlap discusses the political, moral, and strategic implications of drone strikes. » PBS NewsHour

  • Coleman comments on poll showing ebbing support for death penalty
    Increased public awareness of the process and mistakes involved in some death penalty cases may account for changing attitudes, says Prof. James Coleman. » Winston-Salem Journal

  • Duke Law grads face off in Nov. 8 Supreme Court case
    Deputy Solicitor General Michael Dreeben '81, represented the government in U.S. v Jones, arguing against Stephen Leckar '73 in a case involving the legality of warrantless GPS tracking. » SCOTUSblog

  • Coleman challenges prosecutors’ calls to repeal Racial Justice Act
    D.A.s face “mountain of evidence” they routinely exclude qualified black jurors from capital juries, writes Prof. James Coleman. » News and Observer