Bob Rahn and Kim Anklin, principals of Management Resources LTD of New York, have been invited by Penn State University to participate in their online course, Presumed Innocent? The Social Science of Wrongful Conviction which runs from June 25, 2014-August 13, 2104.  The instructor for the course is Tim Robicheaux who teaches a broad range of courses including Organized Crime; Race, Crime, & Justice; and the Sociology of Deviance and Forensic Psychology.

Offered through Coursera, Penn State University and other top universities, offer classes to the public and students for free or a small cost for certification. The course on wrongful conviction consists of written text and approximately 10-12 minutes of video content. The video content will include both lecture by the instructor (Tim Robicheaux) and interviews with social scientists, legal scholars, and individuals active in the criminal justice system.

Bob Rahn and Kim Anklin have become known for their efforts into the recent exoneration of Johnathan Fleming. They uncovered key evidence and convinced the Brooklyn District Attorney‘s Conviction Integrity Unit to reopen the case, which ultimately resulted in Fleming’s exoneration on April 8, 2014 after serving almost 25 years in prison. The case grabbed headlines worldwide. Fleming is now suing the city of New York for $162 million as compensation. In addition to their work that led to the recent exoneration of Jonathan Fleming, Rahn and Anklin will be discussing their view of how and why people are wrongfully convicted.

Presumed Innocent? The Social Science of Wrongful Conviction Course 

The course consists of text, video, interviews, and lectures from notables in the fields of anthropology, psychology, political science, criminology, and sociology, as well as a district court judge, a defense attorney, and the Executive Director of the Florida Innocence Project, Seth Miller. The recorded interviews will be available in their entirety for students to view.

Presumed Innocent? The Social Science of Wrongful Conviction will explore wrongful convictions answering several key questions:

• What do we mean by “wrongfully convicted,” and how common are wrongful convictions?
• Who are wrongfully convicted?
• Where in the criminal justice system do things go wrong to lead to wrongful convictions?
• Why do wrongful convictions occur?
• How can social science contribute to understanding, and preventing wrongful convictions?

This course will also be offered for Penn State credit at a reduced tuition rate. This course option will require a heavier workload and offer instructor and TA feedback and assessment on completed work.

Bob Rahn and Kim Anklin bring their experience, higher education, and investigative skills to the course study along with what they have learned during the past year about wrongful convictions. They have recently been awarded NJ Investigators of the Year and are members of the New Jersey Licensed Private Investigators Association, New York State Association of Criminal Defense Lawyers,  Associated Licensed Detectives of New York, and Founding Members and Regional Directors of Investigating Innocence.

To enroll in the course, or for detailed information, please refer to Coursera  Presumed Innocent? The Social Science of Wrongful Conviction.

Bob Rahn & Kim Anklin Invited to Participate in Penn State Online Course