Ep 3. The Evidence: The Duty to Correct

The Innocence Files is a nine-episode series that follows the stories of eight wrongfully convicted individuals who were exonerated through the efforts of the Innocence Project, a non-profit organization that works to exonerate the wrongfully convicted through DNA testing and other legal methods. Each episode highlights a different case and the systemic issues within the criminal justice system that led to the wrongful convictions.

In season 1 episode 3, titled "The Evidence: The Duty to Correct," the focus is on the case of Levon Brooks and Kennedy Brewer. Both men were wrongfully convicted of sexually assaulting and murdering young girls in the town of Noxubee County, Mississippi. Despite there being no physical evidence linking either man to the crimes, they were both convicted based on circumstantial evidence and coerced confessions.

The episode opens with a brief overview of the case and the evidence used to convict Brooks and Brewer. It then delves into the story of Brooks, who was arrested and charged with the murder of three-year-old Courtney Smith in 1990. Despite no physical evidence tying him to the crime and an alibi witness who testified that he was with her when the murder occurred, Brooks was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison.

The episode then moves on to the case of Brewer, who was arrested and charged with the murder of his girlfriend's three-year-old daughter, Christine Jackson, in 1992. Like Brooks, Brewer was convicted based on circumstantial evidence, including a bite mark on the victim that was attributed to him despite the fact that he had a verified alibi for the time of the murder.

The episode then focuses on the efforts of the Innocence Project to exonerate both men. Through DNA testing and expert analysis, the Innocence Project was able to prove that Brooks and Brewer were not the perpetrators of the crimes they were convicted of. In Brewer's case, the DNA evidence even pointed to the true perpetrator, a man who had been suspected but never charged in the murder.

But the road to exoneration was not easy. The episode highlights the resistance that the Innocence Project faced from the prosecutor's office in Noxubee County. Despite clear evidence of their innocence, the prosecutor refused to concede and worked to prevent the case from being re-opened. It took years of legal battles and public pressure before both men were finally exonerated.

Overall, "The Evidence: The Duty to Correct" is a powerful episode that showcases the failures of the criminal justice system in the United States. Through the stories of Brooks and Brewer, the episode highlights the importance of DNA testing and other scientific evidence in proving the innocence of those wrongfully convicted. It also highlights the challenges that the Innocence Project and other organizations face in working to correct the injustices of the criminal justice system.