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Junk Science

and the American Criminal Justice System
4.07 goodreads logo

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( 928 ratings, 182 reviews)
Book Hero Magic crafted this summary to help describe this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Summary
Junk Science by M. Chris Fabricant delves into the controversial use of forensic techniques in the criminal justice system. It exposes how flawed scientific practices can lead to wrongful convictions. The book advocates for more rigorous standards, revealing the alarming impact of unreliable evidence.
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Book Hero Magic created this recommendation. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! IS THIS YOUR NEXT READ?

This book may appeal to you if you are intrigued by the intersection of science and the justice system, as it explores how flawed forensic science can impact court rulings and convictions. It offers a fascinating insight into the politics of crime and evidence, challenging conventional beliefs with real-world implications.

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Now in an expanded paperback edition, Innocence Project attorney M. Chris Fabricant presents an insider's journey into the heart of a broken, racist system of justice and the role junk science plays in maintaining the status quo.

Akashic Books

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! Description

"Fierce and absorbing . . . Fabricant chronicles the battles he and his colleagues have fought to unravel a century of fraudulent experts and the bad court decisions that allowed them to thrive." —Washington Post

From CSI to Forensic Files to the celebrated reputation of the FBI crime lab, forensic scientists have long been mythologised in American popular culture as infallible crime solvers. Juries put their faith in "expert witnesses," and innocent people have been executed as a result. Innocent people are still on death row today, condemned by junk science.

In 2012, the Innocence Project began searching for prisoners convicted by junk science, and three men, each convicted of capital murder, became M. Chris Fabricant's clients. Junk Science and the American Criminal Justice System chronicles the fights to overturn their wrongful convictions and to end the use of the "science" that destroyed their lives. Weaving together courtroom battles from Mississippi to Texas to New York City and beyond, Fabricant takes the reader on a journey into the heart of a broken, racist system of justice and the role forensic science plays in maintaining the status quo.

At turns gripping, enraging, illuminating, and moving, Junk Science is a meticulously researched insider's perspective of the American criminal justice system. Previously untold stories of wrongful executions, corrupt prosecutors, and quackery masquerading as science animate Fabricant's true crime narrative. The paperback edition features a brand-new index as well as an updated introduction and final chapter chronicling the Innocence Project's continued fight against junk science in courtrooms across America.

Book Hero Magic summarised reviews for this book. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! HOW HAS THIS BEEN REVIEWED?

The book Junk Science by M. Chris Fabricant is a gripping critique of the American criminal justice system, focusing on the misuse of forensic science. Reviews highlight its engaging narrative and thorough research, depicting how unreliable evidence contributes to wrongful convictions. The book is praised as a necessary read for understanding the impact of flawed forensic methods on justice, shedding light on the urgent need for reform.

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9781636141350

Publisher: Akashic Books,U.S.

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 14 September 2023

Country: United States

Imprint: Akashic Books,U.S.

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Width: 152.0mm

Height: 228.0mm

Weight: 250g

Pages: 400

About the Author

M. CHRIS FABRICANT is the Innocence Project's Director of Strategic Litigation and one of the nation's leading experts on forensic sciences and the criminal justice system. Fabricant is featured in the Netflix documentary The Innocence Files and his public commentary has been published in virtually every major media outlet. A former public defender and clinical law professor, Fabricant brings to his writing over two decades of experience ranging from litigating death penalty cases in the Deep South to misdemeanors in the South Bronx. Born in New York City and raised in Sedona, Arizona, Fabricant has lived in Brooklyn since graduating from George Washington University Law School in 1997.

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