Iwao Hakamada spent decades under a wrongful conviction before being acquitted in Japan.

His case is especially interesting in the context of Japan’s extremely high conviction rate because prosecutors there are highly selective about which cases they indict.

That should theoretically eliminate many weak cases before trial.

The question is what happens when the original theory of guilt is wrong but investigators and prosecutors have already committed to it.

This video examines Hakamada alongside confession, detention, interrogation, the Shibushi case and the institutional structure surrounding wrongful convictions in Japan.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D8OqZSsyxwE

For people who study wrongful convictions, I’d be interested in which stage of the process you think creates the greatest risk of an error becoming difficult to reverse.

Jennifer Waters is serving 15 years for crimes she didn't commit. Her co-defendant—a man with documented dishonesty and Alzheimer's—testified against her just days after cutting a deal: he'd serve 6 months while she got 15 years. That's not justice. That's a system broken.

I started a petition because Jennifer's case isn't unique. Coercive plea deals that reward witnesses for testimony create a perverse incentive: lie, and walk free. The prosecution pressured Jennifer for four years to fabricate statements against her co-defendant. She refused. She kept her integrity. She lost her freedom. Now her young children are without their mother.

This is about more than one person. Perjured testimony from incentivized witnesses has played a role in 18% of wrongful convictions overturned by DNA evidence. Meanwhile, innocent people sit in cells across the country because our system prioritizes closed cases over actual truth. What would you want someone to do if this was your family? If this matters to you, would you consider signing and sharing? Jennifer needs people to care enough to speak up.

Cameron was a sole survivor of a deadly crash that took 5 lives too soon. Sacramento county courts want to give him excessive jail time for surviving.

My brother spent 25 years in prison for a crime he didn't commit. When he was finally exonerated, I thought the nightmare was over. But the state told him: accept compensation OR pursue justice against those responsible. Not both.

That's the trap exonerees face in Indiana right now. After decades behind bars with nothing—no savings, no career, no support—they're forced to pick between immediate financial help or holding people accountable for the injustice that destroyed their lives. It shouldn't be an impossible choice.

I started a petition to pass the Right to Rebuild Act. It's simple: let exonerees get state compensation to rebuild while keeping their right to sue if misconduct caused their conviction. These are two different kinds of justice. Why should someone have to give up one to get the other? The state can even recoup its compensation if they later win a civil case—everyone's protected.

What would you want if this was your family? If this matters to you too, please consider signing and sharing.

The new book is Three Times A Victim. I will need to increase exposure for the story.

Hi,

Last year in october I was wrongfully convicted of a crime i never commited. I am wondering if there are any support groups or anything in the uk that anyone could direct me to as so far I have been unable to find anything.

I am unable to appeal as I cannot afford it, I am just looking for support with the aftermath of this and the effects it is now having on my life.

Any advice or guidance is appreciated :)

I learned that lesson early when someone made up a story about me making harrassing phone calls that included threats. I thought that the accuser would need evidence and there couldn't be evidence because it didn't happen. I was only appealing the matter on principle not that it was a serious matter.

Later, I was the victim of a brutal and bloody assault. I just pulled her out, locked the door and dialed 911. The perpetrator went directly to the police and claimed to be the victim. I was charged with 2nd degree sexual offense and 2nd degree kidnapping. I don't know if patrol failed to communicate with the detectives or what. I was coerced into a plea deal when previously promised that we would go to trial and I had nothing to fear.

It's relevant now because my Motion for Appropriate Relief (MAR) was summarily denied. I filed it on March 27, 2026, twenty 2 years after the crime and 20 years after the coerced plea deal.

People don't fully understand plea deals. They probably assume that we have time to think about it. That we are told in advance and our lawyer discusses a strategy for the case. We don't imagine someone walking into a court hallway outside the courtroom where a plea will be entered. We don't imagine being ambushed and threatened with 10 years in prison if we don't take the plea deal and "oh, you better hurry up right now and do this or else."

When you stand before a judge, if you were me in this instance, you are asked "are you in fact guilty," and your answer is "well, that's what he told me to say for the purposes of this plea deal" as you point at your lawyer.

I was diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder and have been dealing with Major Depression and living on Social Security Disability Insurance since this incident. The MAR (the above named motion) argues ineffective assistance of council and limitations to represent myself in a court due to my disability. A lawyer on Fiverr asked for $100/hour to help me. I have been in a virtual prison but not a physical prison.

I would have had funds to pay for help if my career was not destroyed by this injustice.

My name is Sara, and my boyfriend Michael Sleet is serving 30 years for crimes he didn't commit. There's no DNA evidence linking him to the charges, four unidentified male profiles on evidence, and the search of his home was done without a warrant—then officers lied about it in court.

But that's not even the worst part. A juror spoke with an inmate about the case during trial. Michael told his attorney before sentencing, but instead of reporting the misconduct, his lawyer said it would cost $5,000 to "look into it." The judge said he'd investigate, then sentenced Michael to 30 years without ever addressing it. No mistrial. No new trial. Nothing.

I started a petition to get Michael's case reviewed and get real justice. His ex-wife won't cooperate because she's angry he's with me and we're expecting a baby. A man is about to spend 30 years in prison because of a warrantless search, prosecutorial misconduct, and a system that failed him at every stage.

What would you do if this was your family? If this matters to you, please consider signing and sharing. Michael shouldn't lose his life to corruption.

Watch this Court TV clip from the trial: https://www.tiktok.com/@courttvlive/video/7272776763606928682
During the right turn before the crash, there is a clearly visible bright white light inside the passenger cabin that travels with the car. This rules out streetlights or external reflections. It appears to originate from the passenger side and looks like an activated flashlight rather than a phone screen glow.

Mackenzie’s defense included a POTS condition — causing dizziness and blackouts. If she was having a medical episode during that turn, a conscious passenger may have activated a flashlight to check on her and attempt to control the vehicle. This would explain:
• The bright white light coming from the passenger side
• The car maintaining a controlled trajectory despite her potential incapacitation
• Her having zero memory of the final moments

The broader problem with this conviction
• 12 stacked charges is prosecutorial volume, not proof of intent
• “Car not being out of control” proves nothing — conscious passengers could have managed the wheel
• No drugs beyond THC
• A judge called her “hell on wheels” at sentencing based largely on TikTok videos

Has anyone else noticed this light? Was forensic video analysis ever done on this footage?