After a lengthy absence from my blog, I’m pleased to a present this condensed version of my upcoming book ,Reclaiming Lives; Pursuing Justice for Six Innocent Men, which was published last week on The Reporter’s Inc. website. Special thanks to Mark Saxenmeyer for this promotion and for producing the documentary, Guilty Until Proven Innocent, which will highlight this specific case when completed (date TBD).
My book which will soon be published unveils new efforts to seek justice for the five remaining incarcerated Wisconsin men convicted in 1995 of murdering Tom Monfils. It lends insight into the devastation that followed these convictions especially for the family members also victimized by a sometimes unjust criminal justice system.
With an astounding 2.2 million prisoners in the U.S. and an alarming 4-10% (88,000 to 200,000) of them being potentially innocent, the book also begs for broader discussion on prison reform to include those wrongfully convicted–a conversation that many of us feel is long overdue.
I learned of the Monfils case in 2009 when I read another book called The Monfils Conspiracy; The Conviction of Six Innocent Men, coauthored by John Gaie and Denis Gullickson with the help of exoneree Michael ‘Pie’ Piaskowski. At the time, I knew nothing about being falsely accused or the possibility of being convicted for a crime I did not commit. Since then, the idea that everyone in prison claims to be innocent has taken on new meaning for me because the fact is; many in prison really are innocent.
In the meantime, legal efforts regarding this case continue in the court system. Recently, a petition for a writ of certiorari; a document asking the high court to review the decision of a lower court, was filed in the U.S. Supreme Court by Steven Z. Kaplan from the Minneapolis law firm of Fredrikson&Byron, PA, on behalf of Keith Kutska. This court is in recess until October so a ruling of whether or not the court will consider examining the case will not be announced before then.
The main points of this latest petition:
- The accuracy and conclusion of the coroner’s report
- Trial counsel’s failure to consult a forensic pathologist
- Post-conviction counsel’s failure to consult a forensic pathologist
- Defense counsel’s failures to investigate suicide
- Defense counsel’s deficient and prejudicial representation
- Due process violations and perjured testimony
Lastly, I wanted to share the Mother’s Day card my son, Jared, designed for me this year (2017). It contains a photo he took along with a poem he composed with words and phrases taken from my book. Best card ever!
Update: Book was published in June, 2017 and has won three book awards.
