University Calendar
Wrongful Convictions Panel: Prosecutorial Misconduct
**Please Join Us**
Panel and Discussion Series
Space is Limited: RSVP Required
Wrongful Convictions Series: Know the Causes, Hear the Stories, Make a Change
Prosecutorial Misconduct
Join us for a lively discussion on how prosecutorial misconduct contributes to wrongful conviction in the United States.
- Date: Wednesday, February 28, 2018
- Time: 6:30 to 9 p.m.
- Where: Montclair State University Hall Room 1010
- Space is Limited: RSVP Required
The Panelists
Jessica S. Henry, Esq. is an Associate Professor of Justice Studies at Montclair State University and a former NYC public defender. A frequent media commentator on criminal justice, Prof. Henry's areas of research include wrongful convictions and the death penalty.
Bill Bastuk is the President of the coalition group It Can Happen To You, which comprises criminal justice reform organizations, exonerates, the falsely accused, individual advocates, and concerned citizens seeking to prevent false accusations and wrongful convictions. Bill started the coalition following his acquittal for a rape he did not commit.
Rodney Roberts is a DNA exoneree who spent 17 years in prison for a kidnapping he did not commit. He pleaded guilty after being threatened with a life sentence. Hoping to free other wrongfully convicted people, Rodney is at the beginning stages of opening The Rodney Roberts Foundation. Hear him discuss the misconduct of the prosecutor in his case.
Jeffrey Deskovic is an internationally recognized wrongful conviction expert who founded The Jeffrey Deskovic Foundation, which exonerates the wrongfully convicted while pursuing policy changes aimed at preventing wrongful convictions. Jeff was exonerated by DNA evidence after 16 years of wrongful imprisonment. He has a MA from the John Jay College of Criminal Justice and is halfway through his degree at the Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University in pursuit of his dream of exonerating others as a lawyer.
Upcoming Events
Panel events in April and May will cover topics of child-witness testimony and false guilty pleas.