Class Act Reviews…

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Thanks for visiting. It’s been a while since my last posting.

I’m checking in with a quick update on latest activities in my ongoing mission to advocate for six innocent men. With COVID-19 putting a halt to all book events and nonessential travel, I’ve spent the past year revising my book by inserting new information, eliminating lesser relevant information, and adding additional chapters that contain exciting new developments. This second edition, which will include the entire story from the first book as well as the other aforementioned content, will be published sometime this year.  So, stay tuned for the next wave as I once again, do my best to “shake up the legal system in the name of six wrongfully convicted men!”

Brown County Courthouse, Green Bay, Wisconsin

This past year I’ve been asked to participate in virtual class sessions with college students, many of whom are in undergraduate sociology, criminology, and legal studies who have been taking a course on wrongful convictions. Part of their assignment has been to read my book prior to my joining them for a later discussion. My next (virtual) session takes place this week on Thursday, March 25, 2021.

And now…allow me to step aside and present to you these recent class act (Amazon) reviews from some of those students. There are quite a few so, grab a favorite beverage and get comfy…

5* Truly Inspirational! “Reclaiming Lives by Joan Treppa is such a great book. It really shows that there are truly people on this planet who genuinely care about people’s well-being. Her passion in this book is uncanny, and I wholeheartedly admire her bravery and determination in helping the wrongfully convicted “Monfils Six” see justice and freedom. This book kept me on my toes, and I can honestly say it was really hard to put down! Treppa’s journey is truly an inspiration to us all – it shows me that people can do good when they put their minds to it and give a task their all. Treppa began her work after reading a book about this case’s facts, and she is an ordinary person with a non-legal background in criminal justice. Both her passion for the Monfils case and her care for people led her to the choice of helping the men accused of this crime, and I can only hope to be as brave as she was when she made that decision! I enjoy the fact that she chose to write it as more of a memoir rather than just a story with a series of the events that perspired. Not only does it make it even more evident that she truly cares, but it also made it a really captivating book!

This book should definitely be required in schools (high school and college) as it is incredibly insightful and a really good book for discussions. I suggest to anyone reading this to keep up with this case on Joan Treppa’s website because this case is truly baffling! I am very grateful to have been allowed to read this book for a class because otherwise, I do not think I would have ever come across this book. This book has proven to me, yet again, that the American criminal justice system needs to be improved and held accountable for its misdeeds.” – Shannon

5* Criminal Justice Must Read!! “Reclaiming Lives is an absolute must read for anyone considering a career in the criminal justice system or working with the non-profit organization the Innocence Project! Not only is Joan Treppa a fantastic writer, she is also an incredibly determined individual! I cannot tell you how much I appreciated this book, it invokes a passion for helping people that has been lost in many of our lives. While reading this book I felt almost like I was standing alongside her on this journey. Treppa really gives this story a personal feel that will inspire you to take action and right the wrongs of the criminal justice system. It is heartbreaking to know that there are so many people in prison for a crime that they did not commit or for a crime that was completely fabricated. Luckily there are people in this world like Joan Treppa, to pursue what is right and just. She is truly an inspiration, especially to anyone who is planning to have a career in the criminal justice system.

Joan Treppa is a unique individual who has dedicated so much of her time and energy to helping six innocent men. Since Treppa is an average everyday person, her book is written in layman’s terms so it is easy for the average reader to understand and relate to. It is my belief that if more people were like Treppa, there would be fewer innocent people in prisons. We could all learn a thing or two from her determination and her bravery. I hope that this review gives you the gentle nudge to purchase her book or to at least look into volunteering with the Innocence Project team. There are approximately 1.5 million people convicted of felonies and are serving time in prison, of those 1.5 million roughly 15,000 are innocent (Norris et al. 2018, p. 6). Joan Treppa and the people working with the Innocence Project are dedicated to freeing those innocent people and making sure that wrongful convictions do not happen to anyone else. What will you do to help?” – Erin H.

5* An Interesting Book! “Reclaiming Lives by Joan Treppa is a unique book. Joan Treppa describes her journey to help seek justice for the six innocent men that were accused of a crime they did not do. I had to read this book for class and I could not put this book down. I thought Joan Treppa did a great job telling her story and made it possible for her audience to connect to her and her journey. I have read books about wrongful convictions however, I have not read any book quite like this.

Joan Treppa had no relations to the men she was trying to help, she was simply just an advocate for justice. I believe her story is inspiring for other advocates wanting justice for innocent people in prison. Joan Treppa shows throughout her journey how hard and emotionally draining advocate work can be, however, she kept pursuing to try and help these men receive justice. Reclaiming Lives although can be an inspirational book it also can be a hard book to read. I am a very empathic person, and when I read this book I became super emotional when thinking about these innocent men and what they had to go through. These men did not deserve to go to prison and face the hardships they faced.

I really liked how Joan Treppa set up this book. In the beginning, she describes how she got involved with the Monfils case and then each chapter going forward describes each step she took to help these men receive justice. As a social justice advocate, I really enjoyed reading this book. It does a good job of highlighting the hardship advocates can go through but how it is important to not let that stop you from seeking justice. I would recommend this book to anyone who is interested in learning about wrongful convictions or who wants to know how impactful advocates can be to people and communities.” – Unknown

4* A Great Read about the Fight for Innocence, from Inside and Outside of Prison. “Reclaiming Lives: Pursuing Justice for Six Innocent Men tells the incredible story of a case of injustice that has gone on far too long, and Joan Treppa’s journey of becoming a citizen advocate for the wrongfully convicted men. While I wish that we got a little more of the intricacies of the case from the perspectives of said men, the work done in this book to explain how they have been mistreated and blamed in the criminal justice system, and how Joan has become the fighter for their innocence is nothing short of amazing. What makes the book so interesting is that it is not just the story of the men and their wrongful convictions but more so about Treppa, as someone who initially was just a person interested in the case with little prior legal knowledge, taking huge steps forward and becoming the advocate she is today for not just these six Wisconsin men, but many others as well. This dedication of her life to helping out others that have been less fortunate is inspiring to see how a person not personally connected to a case will go so far to help fight for what is right in a system that often is plague with many wrongs. Something that really drives this point home well is the use of more causal, everyday terms to help explain what the criminal justice system has done and her efforts to get them exonerated. Instead of being riddled with criminal and legal jargon that can often push readers away, Joan really makes it clear that with just a little learning, everyday readers like you and me can become involved in helping free those who have been wrongfully convicted. The book is a great read that, although at times may seem slow, tell the real struggles that both the innocent men and Treppa go through which is absolutely worth taking the time to read.”  – C-Z

5* Great Read! “Reclaiming Lives” is the story about a brave woman, the author of the book, Joan Treppa, who sought to bring awareness of the innocence of six men who were wrongfully convicted of murder in Green Bay, WI. This book takes you on a rollercoaster of emotions as you travel through time with the author and her experiences and fight to get these men exonerated. I enjoyed reading about Treppa’s journey and the hardships she and her colleagues faced in their fight. This book is incredibly eye-opening to how common wrongful convictions are. It makes me angry that these men lost everything over several government actors’ misconduct. And it will tug on your heartstrings to know all that these men have lost while being incarcerated. Joan Treppa is incredibly inspirational and will make you want to know more about where, to begin with helping out other people who are wrongfully convicted. This book hit home for me because I was born in Wisconsin and currently live in the Minneapolis area. It made me teary-eyed to hear about how many Minneapolis community members contributed to helping these six men. This book is very well written and gives an excellent play-by-play of Joan’s journey.

I promise once you start reading this book, you will not be able to put it down. I recommend this book to anyone interested in wrongful convictions, especially those with a closed mind about wrongful convictions. This book sheds light on how easily wrongful convictions occur and their effect on the exoneree and their family members. We always tend to focus on the incarcerated people, and Joan makes sure to tell everyone’s story, including the stories of some of the wrongfully accused family members. Joan shows the importance of a community coming together to advocate for others who don’t have the opportunity to do so for themselves. She has touched so many people with this book. She also shows how the Green Bay Police Department and prosecutors mishandled this case.”  – Rachel

5* Book Review: “This book was gripping from the very beginning. Personally, I really liked the perspective of Joan writing from the position of a citizen advocate, a position that is rarely talked about today. Many people like to take the frontlines on these issues and I think Joan’s perspective offers a new light on the situation as a whole. This perspective shows us how important this issue is based on other normal people becoming entrenched by this case. It made me want to know more about it too and why it had enraged all of these different types of people. The case that this book follows was mind blowing. As you will read, even people who had no idea about how the criminal justice system functions knew that something was wrong right from the start. The book talks about the intricacies of the case and the people that are still out in the world trying to get the rest of the people out of prison. An interesting dynamic throughout the entirety of this book was that one of the original six defendants has been released, while the others have yet to have an appeal approved. This one defendant, known as Pie, spends his life after prison trying to right these wrongs. It is fascinating hearing from his perspective about what life is like for these men who are still in prison and living in that environment. He also gives key insight to many of the activists about how unjust the original trial was. If you are looking for a book about wrongful convictions that is a thrilling read while also not being super “heady” and “wordy” about the criminal justice system, this book is for you!” – Sarah

5* A Must Read! “This book was a very good read about Joan’s journey through the Monfils case. From when she learned about the case to the end of the book, she advocates for the six innocent men in this case. I thought it was very powerful how she was fighting for these innocent people and miscarriages of justice within the criminal justice system. She did this from her personal challenges she had faced, and felt for them. She wanted to fight for their dignity and sense of self which really stood out to me. This book was very enticing in the sense that it pulled you into all the emotions of the book. I felt angry for them and at our broken system. Feeling all the whirlwinds of emotions as you read a book just shows how well written it is. I think it is good that people are writing and advocating for these people who get drug into the criminal justice system when they are innocent to shine a light on the issues and injustices that happen. Light needs to be shed on these injustices in order for change to be able to happen. If they are continuously overlooked, nothing will happen. It is great that Joan does so and is an advocate for this. I thought it was great how she shared her personal experiences in addition. Going into the depths of the case and through the stories of the six men who were wrongly convicted showed the prejudice and inequality that happens within our system. Overall, the book was great in putting a perspective on this issue within our system, and very insightful.”  – Emma

To view the reviews online.

Inspiring Young Minds Destined to Instill Change…

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“Sure. I’d love to visit your class!”

Máel Embser-Herbert; a good friend and sociology professor at Hamline University, contacted me about a Wrongful Conviction course they’d be teaching during the upcoming school year. Máel asked if I’d be available to share my story with the students in the fall, and offered to use my book as a learning tool for them.

A Hamline University campus building as viewed from Snelling Avenue in St. Paul, Minnesota.

“I’d like you to focus on the social aspects of this case such as why you became involved, who the men and their families are, things like that,” Máel explained.

I’ve spoken to high school students in the past and feel my book is likewise appropriate for use on the college/university level. Simply put, it’s written from my non-legal perspective and absent of the hardcore legalese, making it a suitable introduction to this less than desirable aspect of our criminal justice system. A must for those entering into the legal field.

“We’ll have ninety minutes,” Máel said, and suggested October 27th as a possible date for my visit. “Perfect!” I said. “That’s the day before October 28th; the historical date in 1995 when the six men were convicted!” (Due to the arrival of the COVID-19 Pandemic, this class was done virtually.)

Keith Kutska at the 2015 evidentiary hearing in Green Bay, Wisconsin

In preparation for the class, I wrote to Keith and asked if he’d be willing to divulge the personal traumas his family had endured back then. “I believe your words will have the greatest impact on the students,” I reasoned. Keith thoughtfully and eagerly assembled these thoughts:

Greetings Ladies and Gentlemen. Thank you for your interest in this miscarriage of justice. In a sincere effort to inspire and instill in you, insight into how our criminal justice system sometime works, I’ve written down just a fraction of my firsthand experiences and personal observations. I also want to acknowledge the significant impact you will have on the future of that system as attorneys, prosecutors, judges, etc.        

As this situation unfolded I was living in a small peaceful rural community in which my family still resides. All at once I was on the evening news being portrayed as the primary suspect in a high-profile homicide. I was overtly as well as covertly under surveillance for the next two years.

During this entire time I boldly stood behind my innocence while facing the questioning eyes of the people in our community. Those who knew me always offered their support along with their fear that the authorities were trying to frame me because I had hurt their pride (for obtaining and sharing the audio recording handed to me by an officer from the Green Bay Police Department).

I had lost my job and struggled to find employment. The monthly bills still had to be paid. On top of that I and my wife would also have to deal with mounting legal expenses. Needless to say, our financial assets quickly dwindled.

Family, friends, and neighbors watched with empathy as my wife and I struggled to retain and display confidence that the supportive facts of my innocence would prevail. Little did I know that the authorities would fabricate alternative facts and purposefully disregard the truth in order to obtain a conviction, thereby, repairing the tarnished image of the police department.

Until it’s been experienced firsthand, the psychological and stigmatizing trauma that I and my family have had to endure as a result of this travesty of injustice is beyond comprehension.

In addition, Keith offered these words of procured wisdom:

As future defenders of the law, it is imperative that you maintain a moral focus on the demanding principles required in the service to justice. Those principles, while sadly not always practiced, are well established within our criminal justice system:

  1. That accused citizens are actually presumed innocent and entitled to a defense that enforces the protection of the constitutional rights from prosecutorial overreach.
  2. That the state, while prosecuting its case with vigor, and not zealotry, be held to a high standard of proof to uncover and disclose every existing element of a crime beyond a reasonable doubt.
  3. Most importantly, that all hearings and trials be held in front of tribunals which are fair, objective, and impartial.

It is only under these governing principles that there can be any confidence of an outcome in which justice has been properly administered. Indeed, any failings in these principles will only ensure that innocent citizens will be victimized from a miscarriage of justice, guilty parties will maintain unwarranted liberties, the initial victims of crimes will be denied closure, and Lady Justice will be cheated out of her due rewards.

Below is a sampling of the outstanding, well-thought out questions Máel received from the students, some of which were addressed during my brief overview of more recent developments in the case. Unfortunately time ran out before we could get through all of them:

In the book, you touch on your personal struggles you have gone through in your life, as painful and hard to experience as they were, do you feel your experiences are part of why you felt so compelled to help these men?

What made you later publish a book about it?

What is your biggest struggle in advocating for people?

How did you begin your career as a social justice advocate? Was it this case that made you certain that this is what you should be doing in life?

From the book, I understood that this specific case impacted you unlike a lot of other cases. I wonder if there’s any other case that has moved or impacted you in the same way this has.

After this book was published and gained such recognition and awards, does that inspire you to write more books or get into wrongful convictions even more?

How did the public’s response to your book impact you? Did it help you open your eyes to new concepts or did it give you a new sense of empowerment since your words impacted so many other people?

Has anyone written to you saying you’ve encouraged them or gave them the motivation to also fight against wrongful convictions?

How do you feel the publication of your book has affected the way this case is looked at both publicly and in Green Bay? Has this collaboration of information and personal experience done anything to create change in both the case and the greater subject of wrongful convictions as a whole?

What is being done currently to help fully exonerate the six men? What is the state of their legal proceedings?   

How can university students become involved in wrongful conviction cases or even become involved in the Monfils case? 

I thoroughly enjoy listening to the innovative thinking of students, so after contributing more than ample time to the discussion, I wanted to give the students, 34 of them who were in attendance, a chance to voice their thoughts on what had motivated them to take this specific class, and to ask if they were aware of wrongful convictions prior to signing up for the class.

J.J. spoke up and said they didn’t know about wrongful convictions and that they wanted to learn more. J.J. is Black, so I pointed out the irony of not having been personally affected because of the overwhelming disparity of Blacks who are wrongfully convicted. They acknowledged this as a factor they are now aware of.

When I asked other students to explain what compelled them to take this class, E.M. shared that they’d like to become a police officer and felt it was necessary to learn about this problem to become a better enforcer of the law. I applauded the decision, saying they’re destined to become a great officer who will be armed with a valuable understanding of how our criminal justice system sometimes works. I compared this to how open-minded my former partner, Johnny, had been when I first told him about the Monfils case. “The expression on his face did not suggest he thought of me as some crazy person, rather it felt more like a look of genuine concern,” I contended.

Keith is an avid letter writer, so at the end of his message to the students he invited them to write to him and supplied them with his prison address. I encouraged them and Máel to consider reaching out to him. I also mentioned Keith’s upcoming parole hearing which will be scheduled in the early part of 2021. In response to the question of how they could help in the Monfils case directly, I proposed that a letter on Keith’s behalf to the Parole Commission would be most beneficial.

“Let me explain, I said. One thing I learned about the value of these letters is this. When people send in letters of support, it may not be acknowledged as positive support for the prisoner. But during one parole hearing in particular for one of our men, the commissioner assigned to his hearing made it a point to mention that not one letter of support had been received. It’s a way for them to intimidate, to manipulate, and to demean.”

The session ended. And while Máel directed the students to applaud their guest, I, in turn, applauded them for their interest, their motivation, and their willingness to be exposed to a topic that is extremely depressing, but one that they themselves could very well have a hand in changing…or at the very least, decreasing the likelihood of its recurrence!

As students left the session one by one, a brief and thoughtful message from H.A. appeared in the chat box. It read, “Thank you, Joan!”

Afterward, I realized I hadn’t asked the students for feedback regarding Keith’s letter. I reached out to one student who had friended me on FB after reading my book. I asked if they’d like to offer some. I was deeply touched by these inspiring words, filled with compassion:

“When I first got the news that Keith had written something for the class, I was shocked that one of the six wrongfully convicted men wanted to talk with the class about his story. I was also excited to read the letter, so I can learn a little bit more about the case as well as learn more about who Keith is. After reading the powerful letter that Keith wrote, I felt more educated about the struggles he faced before and during his incarceration. Keith also has inspired me to push even harder to fix the many issues that are currently occurring in the criminal justice system. My dream job has always been to be a part of the Innocence Project and Keith’s letter and story is also showing me that my dream job can become a reality because there is a need for people to fight for others when others cannot fight for themselves. I am also happy that Keith included his mailing address so I can write to him and keep up on the case as it still develops. I am extremely honored to have been part of the wrongful convictions class at Hamline University as well as had the honor to have talked to a person who has experienced the many injustices of the criminal justice system first hand. Sincerely, L.C.”

Pandemic: A Different Kind of Similar…

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For me October 2nd, International Wrongful Conviction Day is a reminder to stay vigilant in a personal mission that came to my attention in 2009—to join a growing movement to vindicate those wrongfully convicted for the tragic death of an employee inside a Green Bay, Wisconsin paper mill.

Front page article with verdicts in the Monfils case on October 29, 1995

Reclaiming Lives: Pursuing Justice For Six Innocent Men, the book I published in 2017, highlights this high-profile case from my non-legal perspective as it reenters the courts twenty years later, based on newly uncovered evidence of innocence. This story which addresses true events and real people whose lives were thrown into chaos when, in October of 1995, six murder convictions befell six of the victim’s coworkers, continues to this day to plague these men, their families, and the surrounding community–all of whom have never fully recovered from the fallout. The path of devastation that ensued following the guilty verdicts, despite a lack of credible evidence or eye witnesses, has become a disease without a cure.

Ten years ago, I committed to staying the course by advocating for these six men and their families. And while I have not been as outspoken lately in regard to this specific journey for justice, I’m still in the fight working hard behind the scenes toward eradicating the misinformation and doubt in the minds of those still unaware of the facts.

4-21-2018 presentation at the Neville Museum In Green Bay, Wisconsin

In the most recent years my colleagues and I were on a roll. We began to feel unstoppable. This mission to reach the public, to disseminate the real truth, and to rally against this injustice had gained more ground than we’d ever thought possible. Support for the six men had risen to proportions well beyond our expectations.

Press conference with local media, July 3, 2019

We were no longer grappling for attention from the media or from the public whose attendance at our local events was slowly on the rise. We were tapping into incredibly lucrative venues. We had a firm grasp on what we had worked so diligently to accomplish on behalf of these men.

This group of ordinary people intent on correcting this injustice, despite having limited resources, had touched a nerve within this community both with those who continued to deny an injustice had occurred as well as those fed up with the status quo who still felt troubled by its many unanswered questions.

3-7-2020 book signing with Michael Johnson at the Lion’s Mouth Bookstore in Green Bay, Wisconsin

I had begun to engage in incredibly well-attended book events with my special and willing guests—the men who had recently been paroled. Folks in the community were excited to meet them, to hear in their own words the long-standing simmering questions that still lingered and still demanded credibility. This was a rarity. And their answers were not the spoon-fed variety that has been reiterated by the Brown County authorities since 1992.

But then COVID-19 hit. And all of our efforts came to a screeching halt.

Judge John Zakowski; the former prosecutor in this case (now a district judge in the same county), recently expressed his belief that these men have everything to lose if they were to all of a sudden confess.

Michael Hirn, one of the six convicted men, wholeheartedly confronted that belief with this fiery reply while participating in one of our book events:

“My response is simple. Who has more to lose at this point? I served almost twenty-four years for a crime I have no knowledge of or participated in. If I came forward now I would probably lose some friends and their support, but that’s it. Now let’s put the shoe on the other foot. If Zakowski came forward and said he wrongly convicted us, what would happen? He currently serves as a judge for the Green Bay community; the same community he lied to all these years by saying we were guilty when, in fact, he wrongfully convicted us. The ripple effect would be huge on this community and career suicide for John Zakowski. So who really has more to lose by actually telling the truth in this case?”

In twenty-eight years, this case has never completely gone away and it never will, for good reason. Most who delve deep into the details come away with searing doubts about the validity of the so-called facts presented by the former prosecutor. The plausibility that six mill workers could turn on a coworker so brutally and so vile, to then continue to lie about it, deny their involvement, and go to great lengths to convince the world that a murder had never even taken place, is highly improbable.

As long as we as citizens refuse to embrace the serious flaws of this “best system in the world” and as long as the authorities who perpetrate these injustices ignore the rules and/or avoid taking the necessary steps to correct past mistakes, we will never fully obliterate this wrongful conviction affliction within our society.

Rest assured we are in uncertain times. But when the opportunities once again present themselves to continue on with this mission, it will be full steam ahead for this crusader with more determination than ever before. Please stay tuned for future activities and updates…

Until then, take care and stay safe!