Western Michigan University Cooley Law School will present Dr. James M. Binnall who will discuss his book, "Twenty Million Angry Men: The Case for Including Convicted Felons in Our Jury System," during an online event Thursday, May 13, beginning at 1 p.m. via Webex.
Binnall is an associate professor of law, Criminology, and Criminal Justice, at California State University, Long Beach. He is also a practicing attorney and a formerly incarcerated person who spent just over 4 years in prison for a DUI homicide that claimed the life of his close friend. While incarcerated, Binnall took his LSATs and was accepted to law school. Once released, he earned his law degrees, was admitted to the State Bar of California, and received his Ph.D. in Criminology, Law and Society from University of California, Irvine.
In his research, Binnall explores the statutory exclusion of individuals with a felony conviction from the jury process. "Twenty Million Angry Men: The Case for Including Convicted Felons in Our Jury System" reveals the flaws inherent in the justifications for felon-juror exclusion, as well as the negative impacts of the practice on jury deliberations and on the reintegration of those who have been convicted of a felony. The book's primary thesis is that prospective jurors with a felony criminal history enhance, rather than detract from our jury system. In this way, felon-juror exclusion is both unnecessary and potentially damaging to the majority of U.S. jurisdictions that enforce this prevalent and severe collateral sanction.
The online event is sponsored by the Innocence Project and the Career and Professional Development Office. For additional information or to register, visit www.cooley.edu/events.
