Mass Exoneration and Ethics, 4/9
April 9, 2018
9 a.m. - 5 p.m.
Thousands of dismissed convictions due to police misconduct, law enforcement lab scandals, discredited experts and faulty forensics have made national headlines in recent years. Yet how many other convictions tainted by systemic error or ethically compromised officials exist and go unexamined once the headlines fade?
The David F. and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo Center for Ethics, Integrity and Compliance joins forces with leading criminal justice organizations to tackle this question and more as part of a daylong symposium entitled “Mass Exoneration and Ethics.” The event will bring together legal experts from around the nation—and across the ideological aisle—to discuss ways to investigate and consider large-scale reviews of cases affected by systemic errors or misconduct.
“Mass Exoneration and Ethics” is presented in partnership with the Defender Association of Philadelphia, the Exoneration Project, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers, National Registry of Exonerations, Maryland Office of the Public Defender, City of Philadelphia Office of the District Attorney, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys and Pennsylvania Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers.
The Symposium takes place on Monday, April 9, 2018, from 9 a.m. to 5 p.m., in the Laurence E. Hirsch'71 classroom (Room 101) of Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law (299 North Spring Mill Road, Villanova). This program is approved by the Pennsylvania Continuing Legal Education Board for 4 substantive and 2 ethics CLE credits.
Welcome: 9 a.m.
Mark C. Alexander, Arthur J. Kania Dean, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Steven Chanenson, Director, The David F. and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo Center for Ethics, Integrity and Compliance and Professor of Law, Villanova University Charles Widger School of Law
Eva Nagao, Managing Director, Exoneration Project
9:15 – 9:30 a.m.: Mass Exoneration, Past and Present
Samuel R. Gross, Founder, National Registry of Exonerations and Thomas and Mabel Long Professor of Law, University of Michigan Law School
9:30 – 10:45 a.m.: Uncovering Systemic Misconduct
Vanessa Antoun, Senior Resource Counsel, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Michael Mellon, Defender Association Philadelphia
Peter Neufeld, Co-Director, Innocence Project
Tara Thompson, Staff Attorney and Lecturer in Law, Exoneration Project, University of Chicago
Moderated by Carl Williams, Staff Attorney, ACLU Massachusetts
11 – 12:15 p.m.: Litigating Mass Exoneration
Brad Bridge, Assistant Defender, Defender Association of Philadelphia
Debbie Katz Levi, Assistant Public Defender, Felony Trial Division District 1, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
Matthew Segal, Legal Director, ACLU Massachusetts
Joshua Tepfer, Staff Attorney and Lecturer in Law, Exoneration Project
Moderated by Barry Scheck, Co-director, Innocence Project
12:15 – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch and Featured Speaker
Lawrence Krasner, District Attorney, City of Philadelphia
1:30 – 2:30 p.m.: Consequences of Corrupt Convictions
Byron Cotter, Director of Alternative Sentencing, Defender Association of Philadelphia
Mark Cichowicz, Appeals Division, Defender Association of Philadelphia
Sharon Dietrich, Litigation Director and Managing Attorney, Community Legal Services
Rick Jones, Executive Director, Neighborhood Defender Service of Harlem and President, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Juan Rivera, Exoneree and Founder, JustIs 4 JustUs
Moderated by Kristine Bunch, Exoneree and Executive Director, JustIs 4 JustUs
2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Media and Mass Exoneration
John Conroy, Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center Senior Investigator, MacArthur Justice Center, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
Mark Fazlollah, Reporter, The Philadelphia Inquirer
Barbara Laker, Investigative Reporter, Philadelphia Daily News
Wendy Ruderman, Investigative Reporter, Philadelphia Daily News
Melissa Segura, Investigative Reporter, Buzzfeed News
Moderated by Maurice Possley, Senior Researcher, The National Registry of Exonerations
3:45 – 5 p.m.: Perspectives from Law Enforcement
Andre M. Davis, City Solicitor, City of Baltimore
Tracey Kavanagh, Assistant District Attorney, City of Philadelphia Office of the District Attorney
David LaBahn, President and CEO, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
Eric Sussman, First Assistant, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office
Moderated by Ronald Sullivan Jr., Director, Criminal Justice Institute, Harvard Law School
