Alec Klein reflects on new role as Director of the Medill Innocence Project

Alec Klein reflects on new role as Director of the Medill Innocence Project

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On Monday, Northwestern University announced the retirement of David Protess. He’s one of the more lauded and controversial professors at Northwestern.

He founded the Medill Innocence Project, and over the years he led student investigations into wrongful convictions. Their work contributed to 11 exonerations.

But Protess’ actions and practices recently came under fire, and he was removed from the class roster this spring.

Professor Alec Klein was tapped to take over the Medill Innocence Project. That gave him just days to find a case for his students to investigate, which he was able to accomplish.

To find out more Eight Forty-Eight was joined by Alec Kein and by Jared Hoffman, one of the six students who worked on the 10-week investigative project into the murder conviction of Donald Watkins.

Music Button: Rick Rizzo & Tara Key, “Rizzo Starts”, from  the CD Double Star, (Thrill Jockey)