Unraveling the Wrongful Conviction - A Guide for Analyzing Innocence Claims

This book lays out the author's proven approach to investigating and assessing a defendant's claim of innocence whether pre-trial, or post-conviction.

List of contents

The Preface: Why I Do This
Chapter 1. How Do I Start? Where Do I Start?
Chapter 2. Organizing the Raw Data
Chapter 3. Building My Murder Memo (Part 1): Organizing The Details
Chapter 4. Building My Murder Memo (Part 2): Reviewing the Police Investigation
Chapter 5. Building My Murder Memo (Part 3): Reviewing witness interviews and lab reports while Creating my People List and To Dos
Chapter 6. Time To Get Out: My First Client Visit
Chapter 7. Time To Get Out: Visiting the Crime Scene
Chapter 8. Identifying and Finding My Witnesses
Chapter 9. The Witness Interview (Part 1): Approaching The Witness
Chapter 10. The Witness Interview (Part 2): The Interview and the Report
Chapter 11. My Work Completed -- Now What?

About the author

Dan Grothaus is a former journalist and investigative reporter, who became a criminal defense investigator, working mainly on capital murder cases. He helped develop innocence claims resulting in 15 exonerations/prison releases; six acquittals at trial; and the dismissal of nine capital murder charges pre-trial. Grothaus previously worked as a reporter with the Houston Chronicle and the Houston Post, after earning his Bachelor of Journalism degree from the University of Missouri. While still working in print, Grothaus wrote and produced an hour-long documentary on pedophiles, Child At Risk, for the Houston PBS Station, KUHT. That documentary was awarded a National Emmy in 1986.

Product details

• Authors: Dan Grothaus, Dan J. Grothaus, Daniel Grothaus
• Publisher: Taylor & Francis Ltd.
• Languages: English
• Product format: Hardback
• Release: 10.09.2025
• EAN: 9781032895321
• ISBN: 978-1-0-3289532-1
• No. of pages: 276
• Subjects: Social sciences, law, business > Political science > Political science and political administration; LAW / Forensic Science, SOCIAL SCIENCE / Criminology, POLITICAL SCIENCE / Law Enforcement, Politics & government, Criminal or forensic psychology, Politics and government, Legal aspects of criminology, Police & security services, Crime and criminology, Crime & criminology, Sentencing & punishment, Sentencing and punishment, Criminal justice law, Public international law: human rights, International human rights law, Police and security services, Police law & police procedures, Criminology: legal aspects, Police law and police procedures, International law: courts and procedures, International courts & procedures