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False Justice
A Former State Attorney General Confronts Our Broken Criminal Justice System and Exposes 12 Myths That Convict the Innocent
By Jim Petro and Nancy Petro
Published by Prometheus
Distributed by Simon & Schuster
Table of Contents
About The Book
Former Ohio Attorney General crusades against wrongful conviction and shows how citizens can prevent this terrifyingly common miscarriage of justice.
“Wrongful criminal conviction is much more frequent than most Americans believe. The thought of imprisoned innocent people haunted me. I became determined to try to do something about it.” —Jim Petro, Former Attorney General of Ohio
The flaws in America’s execution of justice lead to an unacceptable number of wrongful criminal convictions. Jim Petro was confronted with this issue when the guilt of several convicts serving life sentences was called into question. In False Justice, Jim and Nancy Petro detail and challenge twelve myths of justice:
False Justice corrects these common misunderstandings with an important truth: true justice requires constant vigilance and is the responsibility of every citizen.
“Wrongful criminal conviction is much more frequent than most Americans believe. The thought of imprisoned innocent people haunted me. I became determined to try to do something about it.” —Jim Petro, Former Attorney General of Ohio
The flaws in America’s execution of justice lead to an unacceptable number of wrongful criminal convictions. Jim Petro was confronted with this issue when the guilt of several convicts serving life sentences was called into question. In False Justice, Jim and Nancy Petro detail and challenge twelve myths of justice:
- “Everyone in prison claims innocence.”
- “The conviction of an innocent person is extremely rare.”
- “Only the guilty confess.”
- “Wrongful convictions are accidental and unintentional.”
- “Eyewitness testimony is the best evidence.”
- “Conviction errors get corrected on appeal.”
- “Questioning a conviction dishonors the victim.”
- “The pros will fix the justice system.”
- “Forensic science is trustworthy.”
- ”Juries are prepared and qualified to decide cases fairly.”
- “Innocent people never plead guilty.”
- “Our system delivers fair and equal justice for all.”
False Justice corrects these common misunderstandings with an important truth: true justice requires constant vigilance and is the responsibility of every citizen.
Product Details
- Publisher: Prometheus (July 7, 2026)
- Length: 328 pages
- ISBN13: 9781493094912
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Raves and Reviews
(Praise for the Previous Edition)
"One of the most important and influential books on the subject of wrongful convictions...A must read for any person or student interested in the eye-opening truth about wrongful conviction."
– Mark Godsey, Director of the Rosenthal Institute for Justice/Ohio Innocence Project and author of Blind Injustice: A Former Prosecutor Exposes the Psychology and Politics of Wrongful Convictions
“Jim Petro reveals in False Justice how the lessons of DNA analysis of crime scene evidence changed his views on criminal justice. Petro became motivated not only to represent the wrongfully convicted but also to change the system. This former prosecutor and state attorney general is an important voice for criminal justice reform.”
– Barry Scheck, cofounder and codirector of the Innocence Project at the Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law
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Book Cover Image (jpg): False Justice
3rd Edition eBook 9781493094912
