TEDxMidAtlantic
Ronald Sullivan: How I help free innocent people from prison
Ronald Sullivan: 我如何帮助无辜的人免于牢狱之灾
Filmed:
Readability: 3.3
885,852 views
哈佛大学法学教授 Ronald Sullivan 致力于解救被误判的无辜人士，实际上他在职业生涯中解救了大约 6000 名无辜人士。他分享了令人心碎的故事，人们如何（为什么）为了没有做过的事而入狱，以及他们和其他人的生活。看了这个视频，我们所有人都有责任每天做点什么，让这个世界更美好。
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. - Clinical professor of law
Ronald Sullivan is a leading theorist in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, trial practice and techniques, legal ethics and race theory. Full bio
Ronald Sullivan is a leading theorist in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, trial practice and techniques, legal ethics and race theory. Full bio
Double-click the English transcript below to play the video.
想象你用了19小时，
00:12
So, imagine that you take
a 19-hour, very long drive
a 19-hour, very long drive
0
690
6993
00:20
to Disney World,
1
8022
1320
开车去迪斯尼，
00:21
with two kids in the back seat.
2
9366
1504
两个孩子坐在车后座。
00:24
And 15 minutes into this 19-hour trip,
3
12256
5132
在这 19 小时的行程中，
00:30
the immutable laws of nature dictate
4
18531
2714
每隔 15 分钟，
00:33
that you get the question:
5
21269
2056
你都会被问同一个问题：
00:35
"Are we there yet?"
6
23349
1364
“我们还没有到吗？”
00:36
(Laughter)
7
24737
1257
（笑）
00:38
So you answer this question
a hundred more times, easily,
a hundred more times, easily,
8
26549
3457
你要回答上百次，简单的说，
00:42
in the negative,
9
30030
1159
“还没有”，
00:43
but you finally arrive.
10
31213
1400
最后终于到达了。
00:44
You have a wonderful,
wonderful, wonderful trip.
wonderful, wonderful trip.
11
32637
2773
你的旅行非常精彩。
00:47
You drive 19 long hours back home.
12
35434
4777
之后开车 19 小时回到家。
00:53
And when you get there,
13
41538
1537
当你到家时，
00:55
the police are waiting on you.
14
43099
1617
警察在等你。
00:57
They accuse you of committing a crime
15
45221
2388
他们指控你犯罪了，
00:59
that occurred while you
were away in Florida.
were away in Florida.
16
47633
3267
那时候你还在佛罗里达。
01:03
You tell anybody and everybody
who will listen,
who will listen,
17
51864
2882
你竭力想要告诉每个人，
01:06
"I didn't do it!
18
54770
1463
“我什么也没有做！
01:08
I couldn't have done it!
19
56257
1351
我怎么会做这个！
01:10
I was hanging out with Mickey
and Minnie and my kids!"
and Minnie and my kids!"
20
58682
2788
我和米老鼠唐老鸭
还有我的孩子在一起！”
还有我的孩子在一起！”
01:14
But no one believes you.
21
62684
1319
没人相信你。
01:17
Ultimately, you're arrested,
22
65284
1841
最后，你被捕了，
01:19
you're tried,
23
67804
1243
被审判，
01:21
you're convicted
24
69071
1300
被定罪，
01:22
and you are sentenced.
25
70395
1293
被判刑。
01:24
And you spend 25 years in jail,
26
72278
3004
你需要在监狱里呆 25 年，
01:28
until someone comes along and proves --
27
76234
3378
直到有人替你证明——
01:33
has the evidence to prove --
28
81564
1424
有证据证明——
01:35
that you actually were in Florida
29
83012
3644
案发时，你的确
01:38
when this crime was committed.
30
86680
1769
人在佛罗里达。
01:41
So.
31
89806
1160
就是这样。
01:43
So, I'm a Harvard Law professor,
32
91831
1654
我是哈佛大学的一位法律教授，
01:45
and the last several years,
I have worked on
I have worked on
33
93509
4141
过去几年，我一直致力于
01:50
winning the release of innocent people
34
98285
2539
帮助被误判的无辜人员
01:53
who've been wrongfully convicted --
35
101373
2193
被无罪释放——
01:56
people like Jonathan Fleming,
36
104221
1752
比如 Jonathan Fleming，
01:58
who spent 24 years, eight months in jail
37
106762
3289
因为发生在纽约布鲁克林区
02:02
for a murder that was committed
in Brooklyn, New York,
in Brooklyn, New York,
38
110075
3598
的一桩谋杀案，在监狱里
呆了 24 年零 8 个月，
呆了 24 年零 8 个月，
02:05
while he was in Disney World
39
113697
3483
而案发时他正在迪斯尼乐园，
02:09
with his kids.
40
117204
1273
和孩子们在一起。
02:11
How do we know this?
41
119146
1150
我们如何知道的？
02:12
Because when he was arrested,
42
120882
1651
因为当他被捕时，
02:15
among his property in his back pocket
43
123288
2791
在他的后口袋中
02:18
was a receipt --
44
126866
1241
有一张收据。
02:21
time-stamped receipt
45
129045
1817
盖有时间印章的收据，
02:22
that showed that he was in Disney World.
46
130886
2861
显示他就在迪斯尼乐园。
02:26
That receipt was put in the police file,
47
134322
3125
收据放在警察局档案袋中，
02:29
a copy of it was put
in the prosecutor's file,
in the prosecutor's file,
48
137471
2626
收据复印件在检察官的档案袋中，
02:32
and they never gave it
to his public defender.
to his public defender.
49
140121
3232
他们从没有拿出来给公设辩护人看。
02:35
In fact, nobody even knew it was there.
50
143377
1942
实际上，根本没有人知道
这个收据的存在，
这个收据的存在，
02:37
It just sat there for 20-some-odd years.
51
145343
2739
它在档案中被封存了 20 多年。
02:40
My team looked through the file,
and we found it,
and we found it,
52
148926
3551
我的团队审查案卷时发现了它，
02:45
did the rest of the investigation,
53
153407
1722
完成了调查，
02:47
and figured out someone else
committed the crime.
committed the crime.
54
155153
2287
发现了真正的罪犯。
02:49
Mr. Fleming was in Disney World,
55
157464
3140
Fleming 先生当时在迪斯尼，
02:52
and he is now released.
56
160628
1939
如今他被释放了。
02:55
Let me give you a little bit of context.
57
163151
1952
让我再多介绍一点。
02:57
So about three years ago, I got a call
from the Brooklyn District Attorney.
from the Brooklyn District Attorney.
58
165802
4138
3 年前，Brooklyn 地区检察官电话我，
03:01
He asked whether I'd be interested
in designing a program
in designing a program
59
169964
4083
问我是否有兴趣设计一个项目，
03:06
called a "conviction review unit."
60
174071
1978
叫“定罪重审小组”。
03:08
So I said yes.
61
176073
1281
我同意了。
03:09
A conviction review unit is essentially
a unit in a prosecutor's office
a unit in a prosecutor's office
62
177378
4667
定罪重审小组是
检察官办公室的一个部门，
检察官办公室的一个部门，
03:14
where prosecutors look at their past cases
63
182069
3117
检察官会重看以前的案子，
03:17
to determine whether or not
they made mistakes.
they made mistakes.
64
185210
2611
判断是否有错误。
03:20
Over the course of the first year,
65
188465
2032
在第一年，
03:22
we found about 13 wrongful convictions,
66
190521
3094
我们发现 13 个错误定罪，
03:25
people having been in jail for decades,
67
193639
2535
这些人已经入狱几十年了，
03:28
and we released all of them.
68
196198
1635
我们协助释放了他们。
03:29
It was the most in New York history.
69
197857
2678
这是纽约历史之最。
该项目还在继续中，
03:32
The program is still going on,
70
200559
1492
03:34
and they're up to 21 releases now --
71
202075
3267
已有 21 人被释放——
03:37
21 people who spent
significant time behind bars.
significant time behind bars.
72
205366
4356
这 21 人都在监狱待了很多年。
03:42
So let me tell you about a couple other
of the men and women
of the men and women
73
210257
5454
我要给你们说说我在这个项目中
03:47
that I interacted with
in the course of this program.
in the course of this program.
74
215735
3284
所接触到的几个人的故事。
03:51
One name is Roger Logan.
75
219043
2375
有一个人叫 Roger Logan，
03:54
Mr. Logan had been in jail 17 years
76
222199
3103
他被判入狱 17 年，
03:57
and wrote me a letter.
77
225326
1480
他给我写了一封信。
03:58
It was a simple letter; it basically said,
78
226830
2143
信的内容很简单，说的是，
04:00
"Professor Sullivan, I'm innocent.
I've been framed.
I've been framed.
79
228997
3054
“Sullivan 教授，我是无辜的，
我被陷害了。
我被陷害了。
04:04
Can you look at my case?"
80
232075
1355
你能重新看我的案卷吗？”
04:06
At first blush, the case seemed
like it was open and shut,
like it was open and shut,
81
234279
3144
咋一看，案子的判决似乎无可争议，
04:09
but my research had shown
82
237447
2033
但我的调查显示，
04:12
that single-witness identification cases
83
240492
2623
唯一目击证人作证的案件
04:15
are prone to error.
84
243139
1278
通常很容易出错。
04:17
It doesn't mean he was innocent,
85
245377
1799
不是说他无罪，
而是我们应该更加仔细审核这些案件。
04:19
it just means we ought to look
a little bit closer at those cases.
a little bit closer at those cases.
86
247200
3317
04:22
So we did.
87
250541
1310
于是我们这样做了。
04:23
And the facts were relatively simple.
88
251875
2001
事实比较简单。
04:25
The eyewitness said she heard a shot,
89
253900
3082
目击证人说她听见枪响，
04:29
and she ran to the next building
and turned around and looked,
and turned around and looked,
90
257006
3051
跑到隔壁楼里，四处查看，
发现 Logan 先生在现场。
04:32
and there was Mr. Logan.
91
260081
1581
04:34
And he was tried and convicted
and in jail for 17-some-odd years.
and in jail for 17-some-odd years.
92
262432
4284
他随后被判有罪，需要服刑 17 年。
04:38
But it was a single-witness case,
so we took a look at it.
so we took a look at it.
93
266740
2814
因为只有一个目击证人，
所以我们仔细查看了案件。
所以我们仔细查看了案件。
我派了一些人去现场，
发现了矛盾的地方。
发现了矛盾的地方。
04:41
I sent some people to the scene,
and there was an inconsistency.
and there was an inconsistency.
94
269578
3120
04:44
And to put it politely:
95
272722
5137
客气的说：
04:49
Usain Bolt couldn't have run
from where she said she was
from where she said she was
96
277883
3659
Usain Bolt 女士不可能从她说的地方
04:53
to the other spot.
97
281566
1188
跑到事发现场。
04:54
Right?
98
282778
1152
明白吗？
04:55
So we knew that wasn't true.
99
283954
2417
我们知道这不是事实。
04:58
So it still didn't mean
that he didn't do it,
that he didn't do it,
100
286925
2097
我们不是说他没有作案，
05:01
but we knew something was maybe fishy
about this witness.
about this witness.
101
289046
3984
但我们认为目击证人可疑。
05:05
So we looked through the file,
102
293634
2034
于是我们全面查看了卷宗，
05:07
a piece of paper in the file
had a number on it.
had a number on it.
103
295692
2339
档案中有张写有号码的纸条，
05:10
The number indicated
that this witness had a record.
that this witness had a record.
104
298055
2966
表明目击者有犯罪记录。
05:13
We went back through 20 years
of non-digitized papers
of non-digitized papers
105
301045
3808
我们重新追溯了 20 年前的纸质文件，
05:16
to figure out what this record was about,
106
304877
2576
想弄清这个记录到底是什么。
05:19
and it turned out -- it turned out --
107
307477
2487
最后我们发现，
05:21
the eyewitness was in jail
108
309988
3508
当目击人说她在犯罪现场时，
05:25
when she said she saw what she saw.
109
313520
1919
她其实正在监狱里服刑。
05:29
The man spent 17 years behind bars.
110
317718
2213
这男人在狱中白白待了 17 年。
05:33
The last one is a case about two boys,
111
321476
4767
最后一个案子有关两个男孩。
05:38
Willie Stuckey, David McCallum.
112
326267
1821
Willie Stuckey 和 Daid McCallum。
05:41
They were arrested at 15,
113
329002
1585
他们被捕时 15 岁，
05:43
and their conviction was vacated
29 years later.
29 years later.
114
331320
4200
29 年后被无罪释放。
05:48
Now this was a case,
115
336865
1794
在这个案子中，
05:50
once again -- first blush,
it looked open and shut.
it looked open and shut.
116
338683
2804
再一次，乍一看没有疑点，
05:53
They had confessed.
117
341511
1272
他们都认罪。
05:55
But my research showed
that juvenile confessions
that juvenile confessions
118
343750
2751
但我经过研究发现，少年招供时
05:58
without a parent present
119
346525
1489
父母不在场，
06:00
are prone to error.
120
348038
1435
他们很容易被误导认罪。
06:01
The DNA cases proved this several times.
121
349497
2266
DNA 检测已经多次证实了这个事实。
06:03
So we took a close look.
122
351787
1374
所以我们进行了全面审查。
06:05
We looked at the confession,
123
353708
1849
我们研究了招供书，
06:07
and it turned out,
124
355581
1164
结果发现，
06:08
there was something in the confession
125
356769
1862
在招供书中有些内容
06:10
that those boys could not have known.
126
358655
1968
这些男孩并不知情，
06:12
The only people who knew it
were police and prosecutors.
were police and prosecutors.
127
360647
2731
只有警察和检察官知情。
真实情况是：
06:15
We knew what really happened;
128
363402
2271
06:17
someone told them to say this.
129
365697
1559
有人指示他们这么做。
06:19
We don't exactly know who,
130
367280
1869
我们不知道他们具体是
06:21
which person did,
131
369173
1467
受了谁的指示。
06:22
but any rate, the confession was coerced,
132
370664
2895
但无论如何，他们是被逼认罪的，
06:25
we determined.
133
373583
1354
我们对此确信无疑。
06:27
We then went back and did forensics
134
375422
1832
于是我们回头开始取证，
06:29
and did a fulsome investigation
135
377278
1686
进行了事无巨细的调查，
06:30
and found that two other,
136
378988
1396
最后发现是另外两个
06:32
much older, different heights,
different hairstyle,
different hairstyle,
137
380408
2859
年龄更大，有着不同的身高和发型
06:35
two other people committed the crime,
138
383291
2334
的人实施了犯罪，
06:37
not these two boys.
139
385649
1270
而不是这两个男孩。
06:39
I actually went to court that day,
140
387341
2045
我当天出席了
06:41
for what's called a "vacatur hearing,"
141
389410
3542
“Vacatur 听证会”，
06:44
where the conviction is thrown out.
142
392976
2111
罪名当场被推翻。
06:47
I went to court; I wanted to see
143
395111
1702
我想亲眼看着
06:49
Mr. McCallum walk out of there.
144
397461
2507
McCallum 先生走出法庭。
06:51
So I went to court,
145
399992
1154
于是我去了法庭，
06:53
and the judge said something
that judges say all the time,
that judges say all the time,
146
401170
2769
法官说了一句
他们经常说的话，
他们经常说的话，
06:55
but this took on a really special meaning.
147
403963
2209
但这次却有非常特殊的意义。
06:58
He looked up after the arguments and said,
148
406693
2620
他看完论证结果后，
07:01
"Mr. McCallum,"
149
409337
1203
“McCallum先生，”
07:03
he said five beautiful words:
150
411108
1889
他说了 5 个漂亮的词：
07:05
"You are free to go."
151
413594
3451
“你现在自由了。”
07:10
Can you imagine?
152
418539
1614
能想象吗？
07:12
After just about 30 years:
153
420177
2378
在 30 多年后：
07:15
"You are free to go."
154
423315
1529
“你现在自由了。”
07:18
And he walked out of that courtroom.
155
426725
1779
他径直走出了法庭。
07:21
Unfortunately,
his codefendant, Mr. Stuckey,
his codefendant, Mr. Stuckey,
156
429595
3179
不幸的是，他的伙伴，Stuckey 先生
07:24
didn't get the benefit of that.
157
432799
2129
没有等到这一天。
07:27
You see, Mr. Stuckey died in prison
158
435477
1858
他在 34 岁时
07:30
at 34 years old,
159
438180
2088
死在了狱中。
07:32
and his mother sat
at counsel table in his place.
at counsel table in his place.
160
440292
3392
他的母亲坐在律师桌边，
他本该坐着的位置上。
他本该坐着的位置上。
07:36
I'll never forget this
the rest of my life.
the rest of my life.
161
444898
2558
我这一生都不会忘记这个时刻，
07:39
She just rocked at the table, saying,
162
447480
2977
她在桌子前不停前后摇摆，说道，
07:42
"I knew my baby didn't do this.
163
450481
1960
“我知道我的孩子没有做这种事，
07:44
I knew my baby didn't do this."
164
452465
2219
我知道他没做。”
07:46
And her baby didn't do this.
165
454708
1383
她的孩子的确没有做，
07:48
Two other guys did it.
166
456813
1238
是另外两个人做的。
07:51
If there's anything that we've learned,
anything that I've learned,
anything that I've learned,
167
459117
3286
如果我们可以从公正定罪
07:54
with this conviction integrity work,
168
462427
3188
过程中学到什么，
07:57
it's that justice doesn't happen.
169
465639
2939
那就是，正义不会自己出现。
08:01
People make justice happen.
170
469779
3829
要人为创造正义。
08:08
Justice is not a thing
that just descends from above
that just descends from above
171
476441
3895
司法公正不是自上而下，
08:12
and makes everything right.
172
480360
1380
让一切都正确。
08:14
If it did, Mr. Stuckey
wouldn't have died in prison.
wouldn't have died in prison.
173
482602
3983
如果是这样，Stuckey 先生
就不会死在狱中。
就不会死在狱中。
08:19
Justice is something
174
487756
1723
正义是
08:21
that people of goodwill make happen.
175
489503
3098
怀有良好意愿的人创造的。
08:25
Justice is a decision.
176
493885
3595
正义是一个决定，
08:32
Justice is a decision.
177
500392
1728
一个决定。
08:35
We make justice happen.
178
503461
2340
我们决定创造正义。
08:38
You know, the scary thing is,
179
506306
1919
可怕的是，
08:40
in each of these three cases I described,
180
508249
2617
在我描述的 3 个案例中，
08:42
it would have only taken
just an extra minute --
just an extra minute --
181
510890
2602
只要多花一分钟——
08:45
an extra minute --
182
513516
1615
多花一分钟——
08:47
for someone to look through the file
183
515155
2143
有人多看一眼案卷，
08:49
and find this receipt.
184
517322
1488
发现那张收据，
08:51
Just one -- to look through the file,
find the receipt,
find the receipt,
185
519804
3056
就多看一眼案卷，发现收据，
08:55
give it to the public defender.
186
523684
1867
交给公诉辩护人，
08:58
It would have taken someone just a minute
187
526882
2542
仅仅多花一分钟
09:01
to look at the video confession
and say, "That cannot be."
and say, "That cannot be."
188
529448
4647
看着认罪视频说，“不可能”。
09:07
Just a minute.
189
535179
1286
仅仅多花一分钟，
09:09
And perhaps Mr. Stuckey
would be alive today.
would be alive today.
190
537704
2980
也许 Stuckey 先生今天还活着。
09:13
It reminds me of one of my favorite poems.
191
541451
3381
这让我联想到我很喜爱的一首诗，
09:16
It's a poem that Benjamin Elijah Mays
would always recite,
would always recite,
192
544856
4283
Benjamin Elijha Mays
总是引用这首诗，
总是引用这首诗，
09:21
and he called it "God's Minute."
193
549163
1713
并把它称为“上帝的一分钟”。
09:22
And it goes something like this:
194
550900
1573
诗是这样的：
09:24
"I have only just a minute,
195
552497
2117
“我只有一分钟，
09:26
only 60 seconds in it,
196
554638
2027
60 秒，
09:28
forced upon me, can't refuse it,
197
556689
2275
强加到我身上，无法拒绝，
09:30
didn't seek it, didn't choose it.
198
558988
2266
我没有寻找它，没有选择它。
09:33
But it's up to me to use it.
199
561278
1554
但它任我使用。
09:34
I must suffer if I lose it,
give account if I abuse it.
give account if I abuse it.
200
562856
3438
一旦失去，我将遭受痛苦；
一旦滥用，我将遭受惩罚。
一旦滥用，我将遭受惩罚。
09:39
Just a tiny little minute,
201
567175
2254
一瞬间
09:42
but eternity is in it."
202
570105
2480
即永恒。”
09:45
If I were to charge
203
573903
1550
如果我能指控
09:47
each and every one of us,
204
575477
1633
我们每个人，
09:49
I would want to say something like,
205
577934
2409
我想说，
09:53
"Every day,
206
581962
1152
“每一天，
09:55
every day,
207
583868
1151
每一天，
09:57
take just one extra minute
208
585935
2064
多花一分钟
10:01
and do some justice.
209
589800
1376
来伸张正义。
10:04
You don't have to --
210
592932
1402
你不必
10:06
I mean, some people spend
their careers and their lives,
their careers and their lives,
211
594358
4013
像公诉人一样，
10:10
like public defenders,
212
598395
1238
终其一生，
10:11
doing justice every day.
213
599657
1240
每天都要断案。
10:14
But in your professional lives,
whatever you do,
whatever you do,
214
602206
2320
但在你的职业生涯中，
无论做什么，
无论做什么，
10:16
take time out
215
604550
1690
都要留出点儿时间，
10:18
to just
216
606264
1164
为了
10:20
do some justice.
217
608576
1287
声张正义。
10:21
Make a colleague feel better.
218
609887
1714
让身边的同事感觉好些。
10:24
If you hear something that's sexist,
219
612083
2551
如果你听到有关性别歧视的言论，
10:27
don't laugh, speak up.
220
615388
2157
不要笑，大声抗议。
10:30
If someone is down, lift them up,
221
618397
2320
如果有人生活不顺，拉他们一把，
10:32
one extra minute each day,
222
620741
2694
每天一分钟，
10:36
and it'll be a great, great place.
223
624253
2322
世界就会变得更美好。
10:38
I want to show you something.
224
626599
1796
大家可以看看
10:41
Now, above me is a picture
225
629957
2975
我头顶上这张照片，
10:44
of David McCallum.
226
632956
1421
这个人是 David McCallum。
10:47
This is the day
he was released from prison.
he was released from prison.
227
635353
2880
这天他出狱了。
10:50
After 30 years, he got to hug a niece
228
638257
3057
时隔 30 年，他第一次拥抱了自己
10:53
he had never been able to touch before.
229
641338
2792
从未见过的侄女。
10:57
And I asked him then,
230
645378
1357
我问他，
10:59
I said, "What's the first thing
you want to do?"
you want to do?"
231
647563
2699
“你最想做的第一件事是什么？”
11:02
And he said, "I just want
to walk on the sidewalk
to walk on the sidewalk
232
650286
2379
他回答，“我想在人行道上走走，
11:04
without anybody telling me where to go."
233
652689
2181
不需要别人告诉我该去哪里。”
11:07
Wasn't bitter,
234
655470
1705
多简单，
11:09
just wanted to walk on the sidewalk.
235
657199
1906
想走在人行道上。
11:11
I spoke to Mr. McCallum
about two weeks ago.
about two weeks ago.
236
659835
3007
两周前，我和 Mccallum
先生谈了一次话，
先生谈了一次话，
11:15
I went to New York.
237
663369
1174
我去了纽约，
11:16
It was on the two-year anniversary
238
664567
2763
那是在他出狱的
11:19
of his release.
239
667354
1570
两周年纪念日。
11:21
And we talked,
240
669280
1640
我们一起聊天，
11:22
we laughed, we hugged, we cried.
241
670944
2464
欢笑，拥抱，哭泣。
11:26
And he's doing quite well.
242
674035
2205
他很好。
11:28
And one of the things he said
when we met with him
when we met with him
243
676264
3886
见面时，他说了一件事，
11:32
is that he now has dedicated his life
244
680174
3130
从现在开始，他会奉献自己的一生，
11:35
and his career
245
683328
1369
奉献自己的职业生涯，
11:36
to ensuring that nobody else
is locked up unjustly.
is locked up unjustly.
246
684721
4159
确保不再有人被不公平对待。
11:41
Justice, my friends,
247
689951
2002
声张正义，我的朋友们，
11:45
is a decision.
248
693596
1249
这是一个决定。
11:47
Thank you very much.
249
695526
1207
谢谢你们。
11:48
(Applause)
250
696757
4140
（鼓掌）
ABOUT THE SPEAKER
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. - Clinical professor of lawRonald Sullivan is a leading theorist in the areas of criminal law, criminal procedure, trial practice and techniques, legal ethics and race theory.
Why you should listen
Professor Ronald Sullivan is the faculty director of the Harvard Criminal Justice Institute and the Harvard Trial Advocacy Workshop. Sullivan also serves as Faculty Dean of Winthrop House at Harvard College. He is the first African American ever appointed Faculty Dean in Harvard's history. He is a founding member and Senior Fellow of the Jamestown Project.
Sullivan has merged legal theory and practice over the course of his career in unique and cutting-edge ways. In 2014, he was tasked to design and implement a Conviction Review Unit (CRU) for the newly elected Brooklyn District Attorney. The CRU, designed to identify and exonerate wrongfully convicted persons, quickly became regarded as the model conviction integrity program in the nation. In its first year of operation alone, Sullivan discovered over 10 wrongful convictions, which the DA ultimately vacated. Some of the exonerated citizens had served more than 30 years in prison before they were released.
In 2008, Sullivan served as Chair, Criminal Justice Advisory Committee for then-Senator Barack Obama's presidential campaign. In this capacity, his committee made policy recommendations on a range of issues in an effort to put into practice some of the best research in the field. He also served as a member of the National Legal Advisory Group for the Barack Obama Presidential Campaign. Finally, Sullivan was appointed Advisor to the Department of Justice Presidential Transition Team.
In 2007, in the wake of Hurricane Katrina, Sullivan was asked to create a system to solve a criminal justice crisis. More than 6,000 citizens were incarcerated in and around New Orleans without representation and with all official records destroyed by Hurricane Katrina. Sullivan designed an indigent defense delivery system that resulted in the release of nearly all the 6000 inmates.
Sullivan still maintains an appellate and trial practice. He has represented persons ranging from politicians to professional athletes to recording artists to pro bono clients in criminal jeopardy. Representative clients include: The family of Michael Brown, former New England Patriot Aaron Hernandez and the family of Usaamah Rahim.
Sullivan is a Phi Beta Kappa graduate of Morehouse College and the Harvard Law School, where he served as President of the Harvard Black Law Students Association and as General Editor of the Harvard BlackLetter Law Journal.
Ronald S. Sullivan Jr. | Speaker | TED.com