Lois and Richard Rosenthal Institute for Justice

Ohio Innocence Project

Explore the Ohio Innocence Project and learn how it is changing lives.

Reports

View PDF files of RIJ Reports.

Media

View media coverage of RIJ.

Additional Resources

Guidelines for Assistance (View Guidelines)

Staff

Mark A. Godsey (Faculty Director & Professor of Law)

Contact Information

Education

  • BS, Northwestern University
  • JD, The Ohio State University
Mark A. Godsey

Following his graduation from The Moritz College of Law at the Ohio State University, where he served as an articles editor of the Law Review and graduated Order of the Coif, summa cum laude and 2nd in his class, Professor Godsey clerked for Chief Judge Monroe G. McKay of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Tenth Circuit in Salt Lake City, Utah. He then practiced civil litigation and white collar-criminal defense at Jones, Day, Reavis and Pogue in Chicago and New York City, where he performed significant pro bono work for the Federal Public Defenders. Professor Godsey then joined the Department of Justice as an Assistant United States Attorney for the Southern District of New York, where he prosecuted federal crimes ranging from political corruption to hijacking to organized crime. As a federal prosecutor, Professor Godsey supervised FBI investigations, presented cases to federal grand juries, conducted jury and bench trials, and argued numerous appeals before the United States Court of Appeals for the Second Circuit. He prosecuted several cases that received national media attention, and received several awards for his performance as an AUSA, including the Director's Award for Superior Performance, presented to him by then Attorney General Janet Reno, and a major award from the FBI.

Professor Godsey then joined the faculty at the Salmon P. Chase College of Law at Northern Kentucky University, where he was a Faculty Supervisor to the Kentucky Innocence Project. At Chase, Professor Godsey was awarded the Lukowsky Award for teaching excellence by vote of the graduating class of 2003. In 2004, his first year at UC Law, Professor Godsey was a recipient of the Goldman Prize for Excellence in Teaching. Professor Godsey also is the editor of CrimProf Blog, a blog for law professors, students and practitioners of criminal law and procedure.

Jenny Carroll (OIP Academic Director)

Contact Information

Education

  • AB, Duke University
  • JD, The University of Texas School of Law
  • LLM, Georgetown University
Mark A. Godsey

As the Academic Director for the Ohio Innocence Project/Rosenthal Institute for Justice, Ms. Carroll supervises 20 second and third year law students’ work on post-conviction petitions based on actual innocence claims in state and federal court. She also litigates post conviction innocence claims in state and federal court.

Prior to this position, she worked as a Juvenile and Felony Staff Attorney for The Defender Association in Seattle, Washington. There, she represented indigent defendants in criminal and mental health matters in adult and juvenile court. Additionally, she served as a Prettyman Fellow at the Criminal Justice Clinic at Georgetown University Law Center, co-teaching a clinical course for third-year law students, as well as supervising students in representing indigent defendants on a variety of criminal matters.

Ms Carroll has been an invited speaker at conferences across the country. An accomplished writer, she is published in the Texas Law Review and the ABA Juvenile Law Publication

Jennifer Paschen Bergeron (Attorney)

Attorney, Ohio Innocence Project

p: 513-556-4274

e-mail: jennifer.bergeron@uc.edu

BA in International Relations and French, Centre College, Phi Beta Kappa

MA in Foreign Affairs, University of Virginia

JD, University of Cincinnati

Following her graduation from University of Cincinnati College of Law, where she was a member of Law Review and a Fellow with the Urban Morgan Institute for Human Rights, Jennifer Paschen Bergeron worked in general litigation at Vorys, Sater, Seymour and Pease LLP.

She later joined Ulmer & Berne LLP in the Labor and Employment Group before serving in her current position as attorney for the Ohio Innocence Project

Karla Markley Hall (Attorney)

Attorney, Ohio Innocence Project

p: 513-556-4273

e-mail: khall6@cinci.rr.com

BS, Miami University

JD, Ohio Northern University

Following her graduation from Ohio Northern University College of Law, where she was editor-in-chief of the Law Review and graduated second in her class, Karla Markley Hall clerked for the Honorable S. Arthur Spiegel of the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio.

Hall then worked as a civil litigation attorney for Helmer, Lugbill, Martins & Neff before becoming chief clerk for the Honorable William O. Bertelsman of the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Kentucky.

In addition to her work as an attorney for the Ohio Innocence Project, Hall volunteers as a court-appointed special advocate and guardian ad litem for ProKids, an organization dedicated to protecting foster children.

David M. Laing (Attorney)

Attorney, Ohio Innocence Project

p: 513-556-4276

e-mail: david.laing@uc.edu

BA,Western Kentucky University

JD, University of Cincinnati

As a Fellow on the Ohio Innocence Project, David worked on the Clarence Elkins case.  Following graduation from the University of Cincinnati’s law school, David worked as a legislative aide to Cincinnati Councilmember and Ohio Innocence Project co-founder John Cranley.

Katie Gallagher

Katie GallagherAdministrative and Policy Coordinator, Ohio Innocence Project

p: 513-556-0752

e-mail: gallagkn@ucmail.uc.edu

BA, American University

MS, American University

Following receipt of her master’s degree in Justice, Law and Society, Katie Gallagher worked as a paralegal in the Washington, D.C., office of Latham & Watkins, LLP. She later served as manager of the Crime Prevention Coalition of America, a non-profit organization that provides crime prevention resources to law enforcement and community groups.

Gallagher then worked as a crime analyst for the police department of Alexandria, Va., where she trained law enforcement officers on crime analysis and prevention strategies, before becoming administrative and policy coordinator for the Ohio Innocence Project.