PODCAST · society
For the Innocent
by Legal Talk Network
Hosted by Michael Semanchik, For the Innocent exposes the shocking reality of wrongful convictions through raw, first-person stories from the exonerated. Season 3 returns September 9th featuring powerful accounts from Amanda Knox, JJ Velasquez, Bruce Lisker— three exonerees whose names have become synonymous with injustice— and more. Through their voices, uncover how the justice system failed them, what it took to win back their freedom, and the lifelong impact of being branded guilty while innocent. Plus, hear legal and criminal experts break down the systemic flaws from false confessions and eyewitness misidentifications to flawed forensic science and corrupt police officers. This season uncovers the truth behind America’s most haunting wrongful convictions. Season One and Two are now available.
Episodes
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The Exoneree Band – Finding Purpose and Healing After Wrongful Incarceration
How do you rebuild a life after it was taken from you? A wrongful conviction strips a person of their agency, leaving pain and loss where there once was freedom and purpose. Healing from such a profound injustice is no easy task, and even after exoneration, the ache of what was lost remains. In...
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Why Being Right Won’t Set You Free — Hard Knox with Amanda Knox
In this episode of Hard Knox, now airing on For the Innocent, Amanda Knox sits down with Michael Semanchik and exoneree Scott McMahon. Scott is an American who endured more than five years of imprisonment in the Philippines for a crime he did not commit. Together, Amanda, Mike, and Scott confront...
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Presumed Guilty: The Framing of William Michael Dillon
We trust the justice system to protect the innocent and prosecute the guilty, but what happens when it gets things catastrophically wrong? In 1981, 21-year-old William Michael Dillon became the focus of a murder investigation in Canova Beach, Florida. Though Dillon maintained his innocence…
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Survivors Guide to Prison: Examining a Broken System with Matthew Cooke
The failure rate of our prison systems is staggering, with recidivism exceeding 70% in nearly every state. What should this tell us about the success—or lack thereof—of our criminal justice system? And, how can those who are incarcerated survive the harshness of prison and avoid becoming part of...
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From Prison to the Oscars: The True Story Behind Sing Sing and Rehabilitation Through the Arts
A maximum-security prison may not seem like the natural setting for a homegrown theater program. But at Sing Sing Prison in New York, just such a project has inspired scores of incarcerated men to learn and grow through the stories they step into—offering them the chance to be part of a…
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A Murdered Cop and a Mishandled Mugshot – JJ Velazquez’s Wrongful Conviction
In 1998, a retired NYPD officer was shot and killed inside an illegal gambling parlor. Angry cops wanted speedy justice for one of their own, and an overzealous, incautious investigation ensued. A witness to the shooting with a criminal past was put under intense pressure to deliver a suspect....
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The Collapse of a Conviction: How an LAPD Cop and Two Journalists Unraveled the Case Against Bruce Lisker
At just 17 years old, Bruce Lisker was branded a murderer after being accused and convicted of the violent killing of his mother. He would go on to spend the next 26 years of his life in prison, until a federal judge finally overturned his conviction in 2009. Bruce’s exoneration might never have...
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A Deceitful Detective & Manipulated Evidence – The Wrongful Conviction of Bruce Lisker
In 1983, Bruce Lisker’s mother was violently attacked in their family home. After responding to his frantic 911 call, police quickly drew assumptions from the chaotic crime scene. Dorka Lisker was bludgeoned, stabbed several times, and near death in her Sherman Oaks home. Seventeen year-old Bruce...
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Breaking Down the Amanda Knox Case: Facts vs. Frenzy
To this day, some still believe Amanda Knox is guilty of the horrific murder of Meredith Kercher in 2007. However, this belief appears to stem entirely from the wildly sensational media coverage surrounding her supposed involvement. Thorough examination of the facts of the case have clearly shown...
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The Amanda Knox Story: Her Fight for Justice on the Global Stage
Suffering is part of the human experience, but most of us are granted the dignity of processing our pain and healing in private. For Amanda Knox, that has never been an option. As she herself puts it, “The worst experience of my life is the thing that most people know about me.” Amanda recounts…
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Amanda Knox, JJ Velasquez, and More | For The Innocent Season 3 Trailer
Hosted by Michael Semanchik, For the Innocent exposes the shocking reality of wrongful convictions through raw, first-person stories from the exonerated. Season 3 returns September 9th featuring powerful accounts from Amanda Knox, JJ Velasquez, Bruce Lisker— three exonerees whose names have…
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Evidence Preservation: Who’s Responsible and What Happens When It’s Lost or Destroyed
At the moment of conviction, the incentive to safeguard evidence diminishes in the eyes of the Criminal Justice System. That’s why it is critically important to act quickly to ensure evidence remains available for future appeals. Without it, your fight for freedom could be over before it even...
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The Luis Vargas Story: Misidentified as the “Teardrop Rapist”
Luis Vargas was wrongfully convicted after three separate witnesses misidentified him as the “Teardrop Rapist.” Sixteen years later, DNA linked to the uncaught serial sex offender was found in one of the victim’s clothing from the crime. But for that evidence being preserved, Luis Vargas would…
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Eyewitness Misidentifications
In the first 325 DNA exonerations, false identification accounted for 72% of the wrongful convictions. But how is that possible? The simplest explanation is that we are not as good at identifying each other as we think. Add to that a frightening encounter with someone of a different race with no...
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The Guy Miles Story: How Flawed Eyewitness Identification Led to 18 Years in Prison
Guy Miles was wrongfully convicted after being misidentified by an eyewitness during a robbery investigation in Orange County, California. Although he had once been involved in gangs during his youth, he left that life behind and moved to Nevada for a fresh start. Unfortunately, his past followed...
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Dark Pleas: Trading Innocence for Freedom in Post Conviction Deals
Imagine being in prison for decades. You’ve been fighting your appeal for many years. Your lawyer believes you’ll get a new trial but there is no guarantee that you’ll win your freedom. Suddenly, the prosecution offers a plea deal. You can go free but there’s a catch... You have to admit you’re...
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Angela’s Story: A Dark Plea in Exchange for Freedom
On November 20th 1999, Angela Garcia’s home caught on fire. Surprised and crawling in the dark, she was not able to find her children before the blaze forced her to jump out of a 2nd floor window. She ran to get help but tragically her children would die before anyone could reach them. The State...
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Plea Deals: Why Innocent People Give Up and Go to Prison
Believe it or not, there are many reasons to plead guilty when you’re not. ----- Plea deals are necessary to fight crime. Without them, our criminal justice system would grind to a halt, and the bad guys would run free. The downside is that plea deals can ensnare innocent people. Even more scary,...
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Marilyn’s Story: A Plea Deal Turned Deadly
Marilyn Mulero was wrongfully suspected of a Chicago gang murder in 1992. Naive to the criminal justice system, she was frightened into signing a statement by threats of the death penalty from law enforcement. Failing to adequately investigate the case, her attorney pressured Marilyn into making…
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Junk Science - Undoing the Damage
When forensic evidence gets it wrong, how do we free the innocent? ----- In our history of criminal prosecutions, some types of evidence ended up being unreliable. Forensic sciences like bite-mark identification, arson investigations, and shaken baby syndrome sent many innocent people to prison.…
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Junk Science - Shaken Baby Syndrome
In the 1980s and 1990s, Shaken Baby Syndrome (SBS) was a popular medical theory used to arrest and convict innocent parents of fatally abusing their children. Unknown at the time, this theory was severely scientifically flawed. Unfortunately, erroneous data collection led experts to believe…
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Junk Science - Bloodstains & Bite Marks
What happens when forensic science is later found to be false? ----- Forensic science is a cornerstone of our criminal justice system. Unfortunately, not all sciences used to prosecute people are reliable. So what happens when forensic science is later debunked? Does that mean everyone convicted…
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Zavion’s Story
A Minor Accident Turns Fatal ----- Zavion Johnson was bathing his four month old daughter when she slipped from his grasp and hit her head on the tub. He immediately checked her for injuries but found nothing. Tragically, she harbored unseen internal injuries that Zavion was unaware of. Later in...
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Season 2 Begins
The Lives and Stories of the Wrongfully Convicted ----- Welcome back listeners. There is so much left to cover. In upcoming episodes, we will explore topics like Junk Science, Plea deals, Eyewitness Misidentifications, and Evidence Preservation. There is an amazing lineup of guests. We will hear...
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False Confessions (Part 2)
Despite best intentions, parents can be their child’s worst enemy during an investigation. And innocent people can know the same facts that only guilty criminals do. But how are these things possible? In this part two of two, we talk all about it with Making a Murderer’s Laura Nirider, Certified...
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False Confessions (Part 1)
It’s the most intriguing question about our criminal justice system. Why do innocent people confess to crimes they didn’t commit? As strange as it seems, it happens regularly and for a variety of reasons like investigator deception, false evidence, and interrogation tactics. In this part one of...
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Marty’s Story (Part 2)
Marty Tankleff was wrongfully convicted of murdering his parents in 1990. Innocent and very young, he would learn the legal system well enough to win his freedom. In the process, Marty would uncover the criminals and deep corruption that killed his family and kept him behind bars for 18 years.…
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Marty’s Story (Part 1)
Marty Tankleff was only 17 when his parents were murdered in their Belle Terre home in Long Island, New York. When he needed help from adults the most, he was subjected to a frightening interrogation as a person-of-interest. Traumatized, confused, and in a state of exhaustion he was pressured…
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More Episodes Dropping Soon!
So far, we’ve heard from Brian Banks and Uriah Courtney about false accusations and DNA evidence. Coming up in mid-May, we’re going to talk with Marty Tankleff about his false confession and why he admitted to a crime despite being completely innocent. Later this season, we’ll hear about the...
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False Accusations
People are falsely accused of crimes all the time. It’s bad enough when it happens by accident, but it’s even worse when the accuser has something to gain from it. Join us as we explore the role of jailhouse informants and confidential sources in implicating the wrongfully accused with Justin...
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Brian Banks' Story - Part 3
Welcome to the final episode of our three-part series on the remarkable story of Brian Banks. In this episode, we will delve deeper into the challenges that Brian faced after his release from prison. We also hear about the pivotal moment when a chance encounter with someone from his past offers...
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Brian Banks' Story - Part 2
In this episode, we hear more of Brian’s story, a high school football player who had his life turned upside down when he was wrongfully convicted of rape and sentenced to 5 years in prison. This episode delves deep into the traumatic experience of Brian's imprisonment, the injustices he faced in...
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Brian Banks' Story - Part 1
In 2002, Brian Banks was a 17-year-old high school football star with a promising future ahead of him. He was getting the attention of Division 1 teams at major universities and was on the brink of making his dreams come true. Unfortunately, his life took a tragic turn when he was knowingly and...
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DNA Evidence (Part 2)
DNA testing is the most powerful tool for freeing the innocent. But without evidence to test, it’s useless... leaving many wrongfully convicted people without hope. That’s why it’s critical to preserve every piece of evidence in your case. In this episode we talk with Alissa Bjerkhoel about her...
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DNA Evidence (Part 1)
Since its origins, DNA evidence has both convicted the guilty and exonerated the innocent. Despite its amazing abilities, this forensic science has not always been a slam dunk. In addition to reliability issues, its misapplication has led to the wrongful prosecution of the innocent around the...
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Uriah’s Story
Uriah Courtney was wrongfully convicted and sentenced to life for kidnapping and rape. Despite having a solid alibi, a series of coincidences and past drug offenses convinced law enforcement that they had their man. Although his case looked hopeless, there was one person who knew Uriah was…
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Welcome to For the Innocent
Despite best intentions, our criminal justice system is not perfect. Innocent people are frequently accused, convicted, and sent to prison for crimes they didn’t commit. On this show, we explore how this happens by talking with real-life exonerees, famous attorneys who fight for freedom, and...
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ABOUT THIS SHOW
Hosted by Michael Semanchik, For the Innocent exposes the shocking reality of wrongful convictions through raw, first-person stories from the exonerated. Season 3 returns September 9th featuring powerful accounts from Amanda Knox, JJ Velasquez, Bruce Lisker— three exonerees whose names have become synonymous with injustice— and more.
Through their voices, uncover how the justice system failed them, what it took to win back their freedom, and the lifelong impact of being branded guilty while innocent. Plus, hear legal and criminal experts break down the systemic flaws from false confessions and eyewitness misidentifications to flawed forensic science and corrupt police officers. This season uncovers the truth behind America’s most haunting wrongful convictions.
Season One and Two are now available.
HOSTED BY
Legal Talk Network
CATEGORIES
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Frequently Asked Questions
How many episodes does For the Innocent have?
For the Innocent currently has 37 episodes available on PodParley. New episodes are automatically indexed when they're published to the podcast feed.
What is For the Innocent about?
Hosted by Michael Semanchik, For the Innocent exposes the shocking reality of wrongful convictions through raw, first-person stories from the exonerated. Season 3 returns September 9th featuring powerful accounts from Amanda Knox, JJ Velasquez, Bruce Lisker— three exonerees whose names have become...
How often does For the Innocent release new episodes?
For the Innocent has 37 episodes. Check the episode list to see recent publication dates and frequency.
Where can I listen to For the Innocent?
You can listen to For the Innocent on PodParley by clicking any episode. We provide an embedded audio player for direct listening, and you can also subscribe via your preferred podcast app using the RSS feed.
Who hosts For the Innocent?
For the Innocent is created and hosted by Legal Talk Network.
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