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Sara S. (Belmont, MA)
Justice on Trial
Anyone who believes that our American justice system provides fairness to the disenfranchised among us will find quite a different story here. Writer Brian Patrick O'Donoghue has provided us with a meticulous insider's view of the journalistic equivalent of Sir Ernest Shackleton's Endurance Expedition.
Full of egregious examples of how the legal system let down four young alleged "perpetrators" and the teen-aged victim and their families, this tale should be required reading for every high school graduate. That student participation under O'Donoghue's professorial eye kept the fight for justice going lends much
…more needed inspiration.
The timing of its publishing coincides nicely with an announced damages settlement of $11.5 million for the last of the "Fairbanks Four" victims whose questionable conviction and prolonged incarceration can never be compensated for adequately. (less)Overall I found the book to be extremely interesting and loaded with information. I previously had not heard about this case, even though I consume lots of true crime both in print and in podcasts. One of the things that stands out is that it really points out how witnesses testimony/memories can be very biased and based in what they firmly believe, be it the truth or not, and in the end lead to devastating outcomes. And there are times that these outcomes must be reversed in the name of justice. The road is often very long and difficult.
There were times, however, that I felt the book was a little difficult to
…more follow, especially because chapters were broken down even further, and I would have to go back to reread something to make sense of what I was reading, so that made it take longer to read. There were other times where the author went off on a tangent that would confuse things.
With respect to the factual aspect of the material, it was definitely very thorough from the arrest right up to the overturning of the convictions. Overall, I thought the book was a really good read and would recommend it to any other true crime consumer. (less)As a journalist, Brian Patrick O'Donoghue knew how to track thin threads of evidence to yield a larger picture of the truth. As a teacher at the University of Alaska Fairbanks (UAF), he ignited in his Investigative Reporting students devotion to pursuing the facts. Together, they helped to bring freedom to four young men convicted of murder.
The investigative trail from arrest to release unfolded over several years and involved an ever-larger cast of characters. The students, who changed every semester, propelled the investigation with their varied skills and interests. The detectives were essential characters.
…more Witnesses and family members led the investigating students to still others who might have information. When O'Donoghue and his students interested the Alaska Innocence Project, the story turned and unfolded like a legal thriller, with many lawyers taking center stage. At times, I was tempted to take notes to keep the characters straight. Yet, in the end, I saw that all the characters, both those who inhibited justice and those who pursued it, deserved to be named.
With all the characters and all the information uncovered, the story still moves along at a good pace. O'Donoghue offers a few unnecessary backstories but keeps the reader engaged with the next morsel of information and then the next right to the end of the book.
Taken as a whole, the book offers three interwoven themes. First, the need for equal justice under the law. This is closely tied to a second theme revolving around prejudice. Local Athabascan people testified to slights and injuries replicating those of Blacks or Mexicans in the lower forty-eight. Finally, it takes power to enforce unequal and prejudiced treatment. The powers vested in elected and appointed officials can be augmented by the forces of fear and prejudice present in almost any community.
"The Fairbanks Four: Murder, Injustice, and the Birth of a Movement" isn't just a book about the power applied for unjust ends. It's also a story infused with hope. It reminds us that wherever injustice is found, there can also be people who will work tirelessly and in concert with others to right the scales of justice again. (less)Beginning in 2001, University of Alaska, Fairbanks journalism professor, Brian O'Donoghue enlisted the aid of his students - over several years - to investigate a 1997 murder in which 4 men were convicted - he believed wrongly.
In 2013, the Innocence Project joined in and finally, the convictions were overturned and the men were freed.
It was an interesting idea to involve journalism students - who actually did excellent work in turning up sources and evidence. What was so disheartening was the time it took to unravel what actually happened. To some extent, it shows how difficult it can be to arrive at the truth,
…more but also how when the pressure is on to solve the crime quickly, how easy it can be to railroad someone.
In this case three of the four were Athabascan Indians and the victim was white - which many think contributed to the immediate assumption of guilt and conviction despite lack of clear evidence. What was most troubling was the refusal of the prosecutor to seriously question the methods of achieving confessions, the problem with their star witness and most importantly the insistence that the confession of the actual killer (admitted not only to his lawyer, but also to a prison guard) should not be permitted to be heard. I hadn't realized until reading this that one of the exceptions to lawyer/client confidentiality occurs when an admission reveals that an innocent party has been convicted. And, of course, the admission to the prison guard was not confidential in any case. Yet she still argued for suppression.
The only criticism I have of the book was that there was too much detail. Many of the witnesses interviewed - at length - really had little to nothing to add to finding the truth. It did illustrate how difficult investigations of this sort are, but it was a slog at times to read all of it. Also, while the author was writing about his experience, some of the details of his life - like his trip to India, didn't add much to the story either.
Overall, I would recommend the book as a treatise in how the justice system often does not work without a lot of help from committed investigators. (less)Four innocent native (Athabascan) teenagers were convicted of the murder of a 15-yr-old boy in 1997 in Fairbanks, Alaska. The author, an investigative reporter/professor, wrote this detailed story of the 18 years it took to exonerate them. There were many characters in the story and at times it was difficult to keep track of all of them. The case reminded me of the Central Park Five, who were also wrongly convicted and sent to jail until exonerated many years later. This is a story of injustice and dogged perseverance of many individuals who spent almost two decades working for justice. Originally the state did
…more not seem to want to prove their innocence, which clearly represented prejudice towards native people as described in the story.
It was a very interesting, detailed book of how much time and energy and people it took to finally clear these men, who by the time of their exoneration had spent half their lives in jail. I enjoyed the book, although remembering each person involved was quite difficult at times. I think the book would benefit from a list of characters that could be referred to while reading. Additionally, I wanted to see where these men are now in their lives, several years after release, but it was not mentioned. I was able to find the details online. Overall, it was an engaging read, resembling a police procedural. However, the narrative could have benefited from a more fluid structure. (less)
