Locked Up for ZERO Crime—How It Happens: With Professor Jessica Henry

In this episode of Stuck, host Andrew Wildes sits down with Professor Jessica Henry—attorney, former public defender, Montclair State University scholar, and author of Smoke but No Fire: Convicting the Innocent of Crimes That Never Happened. They unpack the startling reality that up to 40 percent of U.S. exonerations involve “no-crime” convictions—cases where police, prosecutors, or flawed forensics pinned an offense on someone even though no illegal act occurred. From Andrew’s eye-opening Linstead case in Jamaica to Texas death-row prisoner Robert Robertson’s pending execution, the conversation exposes systemic failures and maps out practical reforms. Key Themes ➤ “Smoke but No Fire”—crimes that never happened ➤ Startling data: 40 % of U.S. exonerations are no-crime cases ➤ Police field-test errors and mass drug-charge dismissals ➤ Forensic fraud: arson myths, shaken-baby triad, lab scandals ➤ Prosecutorial overreach, plea-deal coercion, and cognitive bias ➤ Role of race and poverty in wrongful arrests ➤ Independent experts vs. junk science in court ➤ Death-row and life sentences for nonexistent offenses ➤ Plea bargains trapping the innocent to “go home” ➤ Structural fixes: training, funding defense, lab oversight, police reform Timestamps & Chapters 00:00 – Intro: “Where There’s Smoke…” — Andrew’s Linstead Lock-Up Story 03:02 – Meet Professor Jessica Henry; Her Wrongful-Conviction Research 05:46 – One-Third? No—Now 40 %: The Data That Shocked Henry 09:07 – Harris County Field-Test Fiasco: Thousands Pled to Lint & Tylenol 11:55 – Forensic Fraud Gallery: Annie Dookhan, Fred Zain, Dr. West 14:50 – Arson Mythology & Cameron Todd Willingham’s Execution 18:05 – Shaken-Baby Syndrome, Cognitive Bias, and False Murder Charges 21:11 – Robert Robertson: Death Row for a Tragic Accident—Call to Act Brought to you by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Wave⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ on ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Frequency Network⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. Connect with Professor Jessica Henry Website: https://www.jessicahenryjustice.com Podcast: Just Justice (available on all major platforms) LinkedIn: Jessica Henry X (Twitter): @jhenryjustice More About Andrew Wildes Explore the work of ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Andrew Wildes⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠—Jamaican lawyer, journalist, and host of Stuck: Wrongful Convictions in Jamaica. His mission is to expose systemic injustice, amplify the voices of the wrongfully imprisoned, and drive meaningful legal reform through storytelling and advocacy. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Instagram⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Facebook⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠YouTube⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ For updates, insights, and behind-the-scenes content, follow Andrew across platforms and join the conversation on justice in Jamaica. Production, Distribution, and Marketing Produced by ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Massif Studio & Production⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ and ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠The Tallawah Group⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠. ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Massif Studio Website⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Massif on LinkedIn⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ ⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Tallawah Website⁠⁠⁠⁠ Learn more about your ad choices. Visit megaphone.fm/adchoices