Unveiling Injustice: America's Flawed Justice System - Stephen B Bright

Mid-Atlantic - conversations about US, UK and world politics

Todays podcast explores America's Flawed Justice System. Today's guest is esteemed awyer Stephen B. Bright, a renowned in law and justice advocate. We delve into Stephen's book, "The Fear of Too Much Justice." which reveals systemic failures in the US criminal justice system, highlighting inequality, injustice, and its struggles for fair trials.

Stephen's experience includes teaching law at Yale and Georgetown, directing the Southern Center for Human Rights, and advocating in Supreme Court capital cases. The conversation begins with Stephen explaining his drive to expose US justice inequalities after handling death penalty cases since 1979. The US stands out for its deeply flawed justice system due to elected prosecutors and judges, politics driving cases, and power imbalances favouring the powerless.

Historically, remnants of slavery influence the system, seen in the racial bias of the death penalty, particularly in the South. Stephen shares the tragic case of Glenn Ford, wrongly sentenced to death, who suffered from inadequate defence, discriminatory jury selection, and prosecution misconduct. This illuminates the National Registry of Exonerations' findings, revealing over 2,800 wrongly convicted people by 2021.

Systemic flaws underscore the urgency for reform. Discriminatory practices, racial bias, and unchecked power in the US justice system demand a closer examination.

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