Remembering Wrongful Convictions Day: A Conversation with Indiana Innocence Project Board Member and Exoneree Roosevelt Glenn

The prosecution and conviction of innocent people in Indiana is a problem of serious concern. Since 1989, there have been 47 exonerations in Indiana. However, there have been 11 exonerations in Indiana since 2017. Almost 25% of Indiana’s total number of exonerations have occurred over the last six years.

These wrongful convictions have a racial dimension. Specifically, 22 of the 47 Indiana exonerees (47%) are Black Americans, whereas Black Americans comprise only ten percent of Indiana’s population. Because almost half of the wrongful convictions in Indiana involved Black Americans, significant questions exist about equal justice in the Indiana criminal justice system. Lake County alone has six exonerations—the highest in Indiana. 

Mr. Roosevelt Glenn, a board member of the newly launched Indiana Innocence Project, was wrongly convicted in Lake County, along with his co-defendant Darryl Pinkins. As Black men, they faced the enormity of bias and faulty evidence in our criminal legal system in Indiana. Mr. Glenn will speak about his wrongful conviction and discuss opportunities and next steps for Indiana lawyers and law students in stopping wrongful convictions before they happen. 

Mr. Glenn will be introduced by Professors Beety and Sandys, who will also guide a question and answer session after the lecture. 

This event is co-sponsored by the Black Law Student Association at Maurer. 

This event can also serve as one CLE credit.