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Mass Exoneration and Ethics, 4/9

Girard-diCarlo Center logo

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 TV 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.

Arthur J. Kania Dean, TV Charles Widger School of Law 
, Director, The David F. and Constance B. Girard-diCarlo Center for Ethics, Integrity and Compliance and Professor of Law, TV Charles Widger School of Law
, Managing Director, Exoneration Project

 

9:15 – 9:30 a.m.: Mass Exoneration, Past and Present

, 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

, Senior Resource Counsel, National Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers
Michael Mellon
, Defender Association Philadelphia
, 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

, Assistant Defender, Defender Association of Philadelphia
, Assistant Public Defender, Felony Trial Division District 1, Maryland Office of the Public Defender
, Legal Director, ACLU Massachusetts
, Staff Attorney and Lecturer in Law, Exoneration Project


Moderated by , Co-director, Innocence Project

 

12:15 – 1:30 p.m.: Lunch and Featured Speaker

, District Attorney, City of Philadelphia

 

1:30 – 2:30 p.m.: Consequences of Corrupt Convictions

, 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
, Exoneree and Founder, JustIs 4 JustUs


Moderated by , Exoneree and Executive Director, JustIs 4 JustUs

 

2:30 – 3:30 p.m.: Media and Mass Exoneration

, Roderick and Solange MacArthur Justice Center Senior Investigator, MacArthur Justice Center, Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, Reporter, The Philadelphia Inquirer, Investigative Reporter, Philadelphia Daily News, Investigative Reporter, Philadelphia Daily News, Investigative Reporter, Buzzfeed News


Moderated by , Senior Researcher, The National Registry of Exonerations

 

3:45 – 5 p.m.: Perspectives from Law Enforcement

Andre M. Davis, City Solicitor, City of Baltimore, Assistant District Attorney, City of Philadelphia Office of the District Attorney
, President and CEO, Association of Prosecuting Attorneys
, First Assistant, Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office

Moderated by , Director, Criminal Justice Institute, Harvard Law School