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Justin Brooks
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You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent First Edition

by Justin Brooks (Author), Barry Scheck (Foreword)
4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 161 ratings
See all formats and editions
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Surviving prison as an innocent person is a surreal nightmare no one wants to think about. But it can happen to you. 
 
Justin Brooks has spent his career freeing innocent people from prison. With You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent, he offers up-close accounts of the cases he has fought, embedding them within a larger landscape of innocence claims and robust research on what we know about the causes of wrongful convictions.
 
Putting readers at the defense table, this book forces us to consider how any of us might be swept up in the system, whether we hired a bad lawyer, bear a slight resemblance to someone else in the world, or are not good with awkward silence. The stories of Brooks's cases and clients paint the picture of a broken justice system, one where innocence is no protection from incarceration or even the death penalty. Simultaneously relatable and disturbing, You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent is essential reading for anyone who wants to better understand how injustice is served by our system.
Previous page
  1. ISBN-10
    0520386833
  2. ISBN-13
    978-0520386839
  3. Edition
    First Edition
  4. Publisher
    University of California Press
  5. Publication date
    April 4, 2023
  6. Language
    English
  7. Dimensions
    6 x 1 x 9 inches
  8. Print length
    232 pages
  9. See all details
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About Justin Brooks

Editorial Reviews

Review

“The truest true crime you’ll ever read, and when it’s not scaring you, it will make your blood boil.” ― BookTrib

"An essential read for anyone interested in criminal justice reform and for those who want to understand the human cost of wrongful conviction." ― Splash Magazines

"Well-researched and accessible." ― Arts Fuse

"This important book spotlights the work of various Innocence Projects to seek justice for those wrongly convicted and highlights urgently needed reforms. . . . Highly recommended." ― CHOICE

From the Back Cover

"Justin Brooks exposes the deep flaws in our legal system that have unjustly led so many into prison and onto death row. How can we trust such a system to take away the lives of our citizens? We cannot."—Sister Helen Prejean, author of Dead Man Walking

"If you thought it couldn't happen to you, think again. You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent is a fascinating and chilling account of innocent people wrongly imprisoned, written by an attorney who has dedicated his life to freeing the wrongly accused. Brooks's new book takes you to the front lines of this battle, where he makes clear with case after compelling case that our justice system has a long way to go before it can be a just system."—Edward Humes, journalist and author of Burned: A Story of Murder and the Crime That Wasn't

"If you've never imagined that you could be imprisoned for a crime you didn't commit—I sure didn't—Brooks is here to reveal the truth. But more important, he draws upon his decades of experience fighting these nightmarish injustices to reveal what we can do to spare innocent lives in the future."—Amanda Knox, author of Waiting to Be Heard

"This compelling and engaging book shows how it really could happen to you: you could be convicted of a crime you did not commit. Brooks describes how an early case of an innocent woman who pleaded guilty and was sentenced to death transformed his career. Having since founded the California Innocence Project, and worked on scores of innocence cases, Brooks describes powerful accounts of how race, class, bad lawyering, and even outright lies contribute to wrongful convictions."—Brandon L. Garrett, author of Autopsy of a Crime Lab

"Brooks has written an absorbing, smart, and important book that covers the landscape of wrongful convictions in the American criminal justice system and the path forward to preventing them. You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent is a narrative work of social science and policy translation at its best, a compelling, pragmatic, and invaluable journey to better understanding and rectifying the law's ultimate nightmare—convicting the innocent. This book will be of interest to anyone who is concerned with the fairness of our trial procedures and the reliability of the evidence that is used to secure plea bargains and convictions in criminal cases. It should be required reading for all prosecutors and judges, not to mention police as well as criminal defense attorneys."—Richard A. Leo, author of Police Interrogation and American Justice

"Brooks has been on the front lines of the fight to free the innocent from prison for decades. His compelling book shows how easy it is for innocent people to go to prison and how hard it is to free them. You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent should be required reading for every law enforcement officer and every prosecutor in the United States and around the world."—Jeremy DeConcini, former Special Agent, US Department of Homeland Security

"Brooks's trek from San Diego to Sacramento is symbolic of his dedication to his clients, his commitment to freeing the wrongly convicted, and his optimism despite overwhelming obstacles in the journey for justice. His book is a litany of examples of how our criminal justice system makes wrongful convictions so easy and setting them aside so difficult. Brooks stands with those warriors who persist in the fight for justice no matter how long the effort or how many defeats along the way. They battle not only for all those wrongfully convicted but for all of us who need protectors of our rights and freedom. Every law student dreams of freeing an innocent person; Brooks lives that dream."—Lee Sarokin, former US Circuit Judge of the US Court of Appeals for the Third Circuit

"You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You're Innocent is the kind of book that robs you of your peace. It unpacks—tale after heartbreaking tale—how 'court guilt' can blow the doors off judicial safeguards and overwhelm innocence with ease. Long before your jaws rehinge, the truth hits: guilt often comes down to gamesmanship, we live a hairsbreadth from the unthinkable, you might go to prison even if you haven't done a thing."—Catherine Pugh, Attorney, formerly with the Department of Justice Civil Rights Division, Special Litigation Section

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ University of California Press; First Edition (April 4, 2023)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Hardcover ‏ : ‎ 232 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0520386833
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0520386839
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 1.1 pounds
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 6 x 1 x 9 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.9 4.9 out of 5 stars 161 ratings

About the author

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Justin Brooks

Justin Brooks

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Justin Brooks is a Professor of Practice at University of San Diego School of Law and Co-Founder of the California Innocence Project. He has served as counsel on many high profile criminal cases and has exonerated more than 35 innocent people (including former NFL player Brian Banks). He has been recognized several times by the Los Angeles Daily Journal as one of the Top 100 Lawyers in California, and in 2010 and 2012, California Lawyer Magazine honored him with the “Lawyer of the Year” award. He has initiated innocence organizations throughout Latin America, speaks around the world about innocence work, and is the author of "You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You are Innocent" and "Wrongful Convictions: Cases and Materials." He is portrayed by Academy Award nominated actor Greg Kinnear in the feature film, “Brian Banks.”

Customer reviews

4.9 out of 5 stars
4.9 out of 5
161 global ratings
Educational and inspiring
5 Stars
Educational and inspiring
Even if you are not too familiar with criminal procedure technicalities or even the criminal justice system as a whole, this is an inspiring journey of a man who has devoted his life to fighting a (sometimes unfair) system and freeing wrongfully convicted folks who lost all faith.I enjoyed how the author went through some of his most significant cases while at the same time explaining in a detailed manner the legal aspects and the challenges that he and his team had to overcome to releasing an innocent person out of prison.I would definitely recommend this book.
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Top reviews from the United States

Luis
5.0 out of 5 stars So much value in this Book!
Reviewed in the United States on May 1, 2024
Verified Purchase
This is one of few books I did not regret buying for a class I took in college. Justin Brooks, an accomplished Criminal Defense Attorney, Law Professor and so much more writes memoirs of cases that exemplify the crisis in our country’s criminal justice system. Through his unmatched experience you deepen your understanding on the pitfalls you may experience in the criminal justice system. This book is an easy read, and anyone can extract so much relevant and applicable value and knowledge from it. You won’t regret buying it!
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Dr. Kimberly J. Cook
5.0 out of 5 stars Essential reading for all residents in the USA!
Reviewed in the United States on December 22, 2023
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Do you know that people who live in the USA are used to thinking that we have “the best system in the world”? Justin Brooks life’s work representing people incarcerated on wrongful convictions exposes the worst parts of it, and reveals that we have a LONG way to go to be the ideal many people think we have. I appreciate this book so much. As a professor and scholar of wrongful convictions, I will require my students to read this. It’s engaging, insightful, passionate, and illuminating.

Mr Brooks’ credibility cannot be questioned: more than 30 years of experience representing clients whose stories form the bulk of this book. He is an advocate for reform because he sees the shortcomings in our system up close and pop personal. His clients are people that he comes to care about personally.

Bravo, Mr Brooks! And congrats to you and your clients.
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Gerardo Huertas
5.0 out of 5 stars Honest, compelling and direct critic of the real dangers of the legal system
Reviewed in the United States on January 25, 2024
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I just finished reading it this week. As a criminal attorney in Costa Rica, I have to say the book reveals brilliantly the dangers that we all face with a criminal system designed to convict and that prioritizes efficiency (which is seen as getting as many rulings as fast as possible) over fundamental rights. The cases exposed in the book (many if which I had read before) should just be a real eye opener for everyone who disregards these issues thinking that they could never be victims of injustice. Congratulations on a great book and message
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Arthur W. Campbell
5.0 out of 5 stars What a Compelling, Comprehensive Myth-Buster about Criminal Defendants!
Reviewed in the United States on April 12, 2023
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As a former federal prosecutor and criminal-defense attorney, I was blown away by Justin Brooks’ YOU MIGHT GO TO PRISON, EVEN THOUGH YOU’RE INNOCENT. In his lucid, hard-hitting style Justin deals with all the ways blameless citizens get swept into the nets of police and prosecutors and languish for years in prison, often on death-row.

Whether the reason is a bad defense attorney, having lived with a murdered victim, ethnicity, poverty, or bad science, Justin has seen them all. His book carefully documents scores of instances in this country and abroad. Most of the examples were clients of the California Innocence Project, which he founded in San Diego after Justin’s years as a colorful, international youth.

One of the most extraordinary features of his book is, throughout its impassioned prose on behalf of the innocent and institutional reforms, Justin steadfastly honors the roles of good-faith police and prosecutors. When his investigations amass proof of innocence, his reputation for integrity has occasionally even convinced prosecutors to join in his efforts to free the wrongly incarcerated.

By contrast, and on a personal note, I accidentally convicted an innocent man as a prosecutor in Washington, D.C. When I discovered my error, I got no help reversing the conviction from key players in the process: Neither the defense attorney (“I might get sued!”), the judge (“I’ll be pilloried in the papers!”), nor my boss (“Forget it— he’s going down on other charges!”) When I reopened the case on newly discovered evidence and then dismissed it, I wasn’t hailed as a hero. Instead it cost me my prosecutorial career.

In sum, as an author of eleven law books, I am in awe of what Justin could compress into single volume of just over 200 pages. He not only catalogs the entire range of mishaps leading to wrongful convictions, but also cites scientific studies supporting the proper approaches, and presents compelling arguments for both courtroom and legislative reform.

This is a must-read book for all attorneys and judges involved in criminal courts, for citizens who would save themselves from wrongfully incarceration, and all of us who envision a court system that strives for real justice.

Art Campbell, Retired Professor of Law
17 people found this helpful
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homebebe
5.0 out of 5 stars This is a must read for anyone who has a loved one in this world.
Reviewed in the United States on April 29, 2023
Verified Purchase
I saw this book being held by Amanda Know. I immediately ordered it and have been reading the book and can't put it down. Every story Justin writes about I have been living for 7 years. My son was caught in a ruse called net nanny, detectives go on Adult dating sites and entrap unsuspecting men. The ruses are planned between police & prosecutors. The charges and crimes are planned out ahead of time. The lead detective, Carlos Rodriguez invited a para military, QAnon leaning group to participate and advertised their support, so they could get more money from donors. The Pulitzer Prize winning writer, Michael Winerip wrote a NYT article, Convicted of Sex Crimes with No Victim, Aug 2020. This is still going on in Washington State. To date 312 men have been entrapped, 9 have committed suicide and 1 has been murdered in jail. My sons sentence is a lifetime sentence.108 months to life, lifetime doc custody and lifetime registry. He was just 20 The lives ruined are forever, the families destroyed will be for generations. Youth, LGBTQ, Black, Hispanic and the mentally vulnerable are all targeted. I never thought I would be a victim of this type of conduct by police but yes you can go to prison and be innocent. My son has a lifetime sentence….from an entrapment ruse/sting. This book is well written and is tragically happening every day in our country.
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Top reviews from other countries

Lizard
5.0 out of 5 stars Excellent and informative read !
Reviewed in Canada on May 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
I was looking for a book to read to educate myself more about wrongful convictions , and I had heard a lot of hype about this book so I decided to check it out for myself . Was pleased to see it was available on Kindle (as I primarily read e-books) and I was not disappointed , this was a very informative read that certainly deserves the high ratings ! I encourage everyone to check it out and recommend it to your friends . Unfortunately the average citizen doesn’t know much about wrongful convictions , and I didn’t until very recently . This book made me realize how this is a scenario that could happen to anyone . I’m really glad that the book touches on the subject of how many wrongfully convicted people were forced or pressured into falsely pleading guilty , or had people falsely testify against them . I’m so glad there are books like this which are teaching the public about wrongful convictions. 10/10 would highly recommend ! 👏🏻
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Teresa A. Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars Harrowing Dive into the Banality of Wrongful Convictions
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2023
Verified Purchase
This was truly a compelling read. Brooks, a criminal defense lawyer, shares his unique perspective of the justice system through the untold stories of the wrongfully convicted.
The book is enlightening in many ways. First, it challenges the lie you may believe, that I believed, that you would never yourself be wrongfully convicted. Secondly, it does so by revealing the massive inequities, implicit bias, and legal obstacles that our justice systems is littered with. Brooks is both honest and fair, explaining the injustices in our system which we have become far too comfortable with, while also acknowledging that we are all, in a way, responsible for correcting those injustices.
I’m glad I read it, and you will be too.
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Teresa A. Barnes
5.0 out of 5 stars Harrowing Dive into the Banality of Wrongful Convictions
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on July 19, 2023
This was truly a compelling read. Brooks, a criminal defense lawyer, shares his unique perspective of the justice system through the untold stories of the wrongfully convicted.
The book is enlightening in many ways. First, it challenges the lie you may believe, that I believed, that you would never yourself be wrongfully convicted. Secondly, it does so by revealing the massive inequities, implicit bias, and legal obstacles that our justice systems is littered with. Brooks is both honest and fair, explaining the injustices in our system which we have become far too comfortable with, while also acknowledging that we are all, in a way, responsible for correcting those injustices.
I’m glad I read it, and you will be too.
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Iris
5.0 out of 5 stars A must read!
Reviewed in Germany on May 7, 2023
Verified Purchase
No one is safe from being wrongfully convicted,no matter where you live. This book reveals broken systems and is a must read for everyone.
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Ethan Cruise-Smith
5.0 out of 5 stars A concerning but utterly engrossing read!
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 12, 2023
Verified Purchase
Living outside of the US, it's hard to appreciate the personal realities of mass incarceration. Brooks paints a picture of a distended legal system that is so confident in itself that errors in judicial procedure are considered as - and often limited to - case formalities, not the innocence of the accused. When the stakes can be life or death, inequality of access to sound legal advice can yield convictions of the most disadvantaged due to nothing but their own missteps through the legal web. Brooks explores 10 factors, some simply unfortunate and others systemic, that cause innocent people to go to prison - and stay there.

This is an exciting read to build an understanding of the issues at the heart of US legal policy debate, but more inspiringly to see how the work of a few is changing the system and people's lives.
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Amazon Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars You HAVE to read this book
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on April 17, 2023
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Justin’s book is as much thought provoking as it is frightening. The accounts from his cases highlight issues that affect criminal justice systems in countries around the globe. Brooks acknowledges his own plan for if he is ever wrongfully convicted, a point that shows just how vulnerable we all are to falling foul of imperfect criminal legal systems. If this book doesn’t make you sit up and take notice of the unjust practices connected to these systems I don’t know what will. Read it, educate yourself about the causes of wrongful convictions and then do whatever you can to help support those organisations and people trying to change the criminal legal systems in your country. Don’ t be the person who thinks it won’t happen to them, because as Justin makes clear, anyone can be wrongfully convicted.
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