For the Innocent

Legal Talk Network

Hosted by Michael Semanchik, For the Innocent exposes the shocking reality of wrongful convictions through raw, first-person stories from the exonerated. Season 3 returns September 9th featuring powerful accounts from Amanda Knox, JJ Velasquez, Bruce Lisker— three exonerees whose names have become synonymous with injustice— and more. Through their voices, uncover how the justice system failed them, what it took to win back their freedom, and the lifelong impact of being branded guilty while innocent. Plus, hear legal and criminal experts break down the systemic flaws from false confessions and eyewitness misidentifications to flawed forensic science and corrupt police officers. This season uncovers the truth behind America’s most haunting wrongful convictions. Season One and Two are now available. 

  1. Why Being Right Won’t Set You Free — Hard Knox with Amanda Knox

    JAN 27

    Why Being Right Won’t Set You Free — Hard Knox with Amanda Knox

    In this episode of Hard Knox, now airing on For the Innocent, Amanda Knox sits down with Michael Semanchik and exoneree Scott McMahon. Scott is an American who endured more than five years of imprisonment in the Philippines for a crime he did not commit. Together, Amanda, Mike, and Scott confront the deep flaws of the Philippine justice system, examining how delay and corruption turned an unfounded accusation into a years-long, life-altering ordeal for Scott and his family.   Listen to more of Amanda’s episodes: Hard Knox with Amanda Knox Learn more about Scott's case: Scott McMahon - The Innocence Center

    1h 14m
  2. Presumed Guilty: The Framing of William Michael Dillon

    JAN 13

    Presumed Guilty: The Framing of William Michael Dillon

    We trust the justice system to protect the innocent and prosecute the guilty, but what happens when it gets things catastrophically wrong? In 1981, 21-year-old William Michael Dillon became the focus of a murder investigation in Canova Beach, Florida. Though Dillon maintained his innocence, police coercion and unreliable witnesses rapidly steered the case toward what appeared to be a predetermined outcome. Dillon was arrested, convicted, and sent to prison for a crime he did not commit. More than 27 years later, DNA testing finally proved his innocence and set him free. In this episode, Dillon explains how he was swept into the murder investigation, how coercive interrogations and untrustworthy testimony shaped the verdict—and how his love of music helped him survive the darkest years of his incarceration. Be sure to read the full account of Dillon’s story in FRAMED, written by his wife, Ellen Moscovitz. And, listen to his album on YouTube: Black Robes and Lawyers.

    58 min
  3. Survivors Guide to Prison: Examining a Broken System with Matthew Cooke

    12/17/2025

    Survivors Guide to Prison: Examining a Broken System with Matthew Cooke

    The failure rate of our prison systems is staggering, with recidivism exceeding 70% in nearly every state. What should this tell us about the success—or lack thereof—of our criminal justice system? And, how can those who are incarcerated survive the harshness of prison and avoid becoming part of the large percentage who seem to inevitably return?  This time on For the Innocent, Michael Semanchik welcomes Matthew Cooke, writer and director of Survivors Guide to Prison, a documentary exploring life in United States prisons from the perspectives of two wrongfully convicted men, Bruce Lisker and Reggie Cole. Drawing from his extensive research, Matthew reveals a system plagued with fundamentally misaligned incentives that do little to create pathways for inmates to succeed on the outside.  Michael and Matthew discuss new shifts in criminal justice reform and offer their thoughts on how to continue to bring this issue to the forefront of public discourse. The system is broken, but change is possible.  Listen to our episode about Bruce Lisker’s story:  A Deceitful Detective & Manipulated Evidence – The Wrongful Conviction of Bruce Lisker. Learn more about Matthew Cooke and his film projects on IMDB: Matthew Cooke - IMDb

    1h 1m
  4. From Prison to the Oscars: The True Story Behind Sing Sing and Rehabilitation Through the Arts

    11/18/2025

    From Prison to the Oscars: The True Story Behind Sing Sing and Rehabilitation Through the Arts

    A maximum-security prison may not seem like the natural setting for a homegrown theater program. But at Sing Sing Prison in New York, just such a project has inspired scores of incarcerated men to learn and grow through the stories they step into—offering them the chance to be part of a supportive community and equipping them with life skills to carry home when they return to the world outside. People in prison are more than just prisoners, and the Rehabilitation Through the Arts (RTA) program continues to help participants discover new strengths through creative expression. In today’s episode, Michael Semanchik welcomes John “Divine G” Whitfield and Clarence “Divine Eye” Maclin—both former inmates, RTA members, and actors in the Oscar-nominated film Sing Sing—to talk about their experiences on the inside. They discuss the film project and its ability to teach the outside world about the transformative power of community, art, vulnerability, and purpose. Creativity and storytelling can restore dignity, bridge divides, and reveal the humanity that is too often overlooked within the prison system.  Please visit www.FreeDivineG.org to learn the details of John “Divine G" Whitfield’s fight for exoneration. John “Divine G" Whitfield is an Oscar-nominated adapted screenplay writer, executive producer, and the compelling inspiration behind the critically acclaimed, multiple Oscar-nominated film, Sing Sing.  Oscar Nominee Clarence Maclin starred in the feature film Sing Sing, inspired by his life story as a graduate of Sing Sing’s Rehabilitation Through the Arts program. Divine G and Clarence are friends to another former Sing Sing and RTA-involved inmate, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, whose long and arduous exoneration was shared in our last episode. Listen to JJ’s story here: A Murdered Cop and a Mishandled Mugshot – JJ Velazquez’s Wrongful Conviction

    59 min
  5. A Murdered Cop and a Mishandled Mugshot – JJ Velazquez’s Wrongful Conviction

    11/04/2025

    A Murdered Cop and a Mishandled Mugshot – JJ Velazquez’s Wrongful Conviction

    In 1998, a retired NYPD officer was shot and killed inside an illegal gambling parlor. Angry cops wanted speedy justice for one of their own, and an overzealous, incautious investigation ensued. A witness to the shooting with a criminal past was put under intense pressure to deliver a suspect. After hours of questioning and over 1800 mugshots, he picked one at random—one that should never have been on the table in front of him. The man in the photo, Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez, was accused, arrested, and labeled a cop killer—despite the fact that there was a complete lack of physical evidence linking him to this terrible incident. JJ was convicted of murder and sentenced to life in prison for a crime of which he had no knowledge or connection.  JJ, along with friend and investigative journalist Dan Slepian, tells the story of his 27-year fight to gain his freedom and clear his name. They dig into the failures of the system that led to JJ’s conviction and how his tenacious advocacy finally led to his exoneration.    Jon-Adrian “JJ” Velazquez is an American actor and activist who exemplifies resilience and dedication to legal reform. JJ is the founder of MONUMENTAL MEDIA based in NYC, a mission-driven creative agency and talent incubator dedicated to reshaping the narrative around incarceration and social justice issues. JJ now serves his community locally as the Co-founder and Executive Director of Voices from Within based in New York, and nationally as the Program Director at the Frederick Douglass Project for Justice. Dan Slepian is a Pulitzer Prize finalist and Emmy winning investigative journalist at NBC News whose reporting has helped solve cold cases, exonerate the innocent, and spark legal reform.

    50 min
  6. The Collapse of a Conviction: How an LAPD Cop and Two Journalists Unraveled the Case Against Bruce Lisker

    10/21/2025

    The Collapse of a Conviction: How an LAPD Cop and Two Journalists Unraveled the Case Against Bruce Lisker

    At just 17 years old, Bruce Lisker was branded a murderer after being accused and convicted of the violent killing of his mother. He would go on to spend the next 26 years of his life in prison, until a federal judge finally overturned his conviction in 2009. Bruce’s exoneration might never have happened without the investigative efforts of LA Times journalists Scott Glover and Matt Lait and LAPD officer Jim Gavin. In this episode, Michael Semanchik speaks with this trio of truth-seekers about their involvement in the Lisker case. Initially skeptical, each of them set out to poke holes in Bruce’s claims, but as their investigations progressed, the evidence increasingly pointed to his innocence. They share details of their research, explaining how discoveries of both ignored and manipulated evidence in the decades-old case raised red flags in the original investigation, ultimately bringing the truth to light. Matt Lait is Vice President of CNN’s investigative team. Previously, he worked at the Los Angeles Times where he was an investigative reporter, city editor and ran the local investigations team.  Scott Glover is a reporter on the CNN Investigates team. Glover came to CNN with 20 years of experience at the Los Angeles Times where he covered the LAPD, federal courts and law enforcement agencies. Jim Gavin retired from the Los Angeles Police Department in August 2020, as the head of Operations Valley Bureau Homicide. He served 32 years with the LAPD in a wide variety of assignments.

    1 hr
  7. A Deceitful Detective & Manipulated Evidence – The Wrongful Conviction of Bruce Lisker

    10/07/2025

    A Deceitful Detective & Manipulated Evidence – The Wrongful Conviction of Bruce Lisker

    In 1983, Bruce Lisker’s mother was violently attacked in their family home. After responding to his frantic 911 call, police quickly drew assumptions from the chaotic crime scene. Dorka Lisker was bludgeoned, stabbed several times, and near death in her Sherman Oaks home. Seventeen year-old Bruce embodied the era’s “stoner” look, he was highly agitated, and his hands were covered in his mother’s blood. The distraught teen, rather than being allowed to accompany his mother to the hospital where she died, was arrested and interrogated as the prime suspect in her murder.  Bruce Lisker tells the story of how presumptions, the actions of a dishonest detective, and failures to examine critical evidence led to his wrongful conviction. After years seeking justice through every conceivable avenue, Bruce was finally exonerated through the determined efforts of LAPD Sgt. Jim Gavin and LA Times articles by Matt Lait and Scott Glover that shed light on the mistakes and manipulations that led to his false conviction.

    53 min
  8. Breaking Down the Amanda Knox Case: Facts vs. Frenzy

    09/23/2025

    Breaking Down the Amanda Knox Case: Facts vs. Frenzy

    To this day, some still believe Amanda Knox is guilty of the horrific murder of Meredith Kercher in 2007. However, this belief appears to stem entirely from the wildly sensational media coverage surrounding her supposed involvement. Thorough examination of the facts of the case have clearly shown that Amanda was wrongfully convicted of this terrible crime. This time on For the Innocent, Michael Semanchik welcomes a panel of experts to explore how Amanda Knox’s case gained such incredible notoriety and how the truth was obscured by a series of mistakes, assumptions, and media distortion. Michael is joined by Martina Cagossi, Justin Brooks, and Mark Olshaker to walk listeners through the facts of the case, explain the prevalence of false confessions in high-stress situations, and discuss how Amanda’s “trial by media” ultimately overshadowed clear evidence that should have set her free. Martina Cagossi is a criminal lawyer based in Milan, Italy. She is the co-founder and Program Manager of the Italy Innocence Project. Justin Brooks is a Professor at University of San Diego School of Law. He is a board member of The Innocence Center and co-founder of the California Innocence Project. Mark Olshaker is a writer and Emmy-award winning filmmaker. He authored the international bestseller MINDHUNTER, the basis for the acclaimed Netflix series.   🎧 Listen Amanda’s Story on Apple, Spotify, Youtube, or your favorite podcast app.

    57 min
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Hosted by Michael Semanchik, For the Innocent exposes the shocking reality of wrongful convictions through raw, first-person stories from the exonerated. Season 3 returns September 9th featuring powerful accounts from Amanda Knox, JJ Velasquez, Bruce Lisker— three exonerees whose names have become synonymous with injustice— and more. Through their voices, uncover how the justice system failed them, what it took to win back their freedom, and the lifelong impact of being branded guilty while innocent. Plus, hear legal and criminal experts break down the systemic flaws from false confessions and eyewitness misidentifications to flawed forensic science and corrupt police officers. This season uncovers the truth behind America’s most haunting wrongful convictions. Season One and Two are now available. 

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