Resume

Maurice Possley
mauricepossley@gmail.com
949-715-2564 (O)
312-208-0357 (C)
Laguna Beach, CA 92651

(download a PDF of Maurice’s resume HERE)

EXPERIENCE

• National Registry of Exonerations-December 2011-present

Writer and researcher for the Registry, a joint project of Northwestern University Law School’s Center on Wrongful Convictions and University of Michigan Law School. (ExonerationRegistry.org)

• John Jay College of Criminal Justice-November 2011-February 2012

Project coordinator for Center on Media, Crime and Justice. In this part-time position, I was responsible for creating and producing a two-day seminar in New Orleans for about 25 journalists on the issue of pre-trial detention and providing direction and assistance to the journalists thereafter.

• Bloomberg News-November 2011-present

Freelance reporter.

• Santa Clara University-Northern California Innocence Project August 2009-November 2011

Investigator/Researcher—At the Innocence Project at the University’s law school, I conducted statewide investigation of prosecutorial misconduct and helped create The Veritas Initiative, a research and advocacy center devoted to prosecutorial misconduct and other criminal justice issues in California. Co-authored two reports on prosecutorial misconduct: “Preventable Error: Prosecutorial Misconduct in California 1997-2009” and “Prosecutorial Misconduct in California 2010.”

• John Jay College of Criminal Justice July 2009-June 2010

Project coordinator for Center on Media, Crime and Justice. In this part-time position, I oversaw and worked directly with journalists from Chicago Sun-Times, Chicago News Cooperative, Chicago Reporter, Minnesota National Public Radio, Chicago Public Radio, Grand Rapids Press and Columbus Dispatch in producing investigative reports on gun violence in the Midwest.

• University of Michigan Law School January-May 2009

Co-taught course entitled “The Prosecution, Conviction and Exoneration of Innocent Defendants.”

• Chicago Tribune 1984 to 2008

Reporter 1984 to 1989
Covered U.S. District Court and was a member of the investigative unit.
Editor 1989 to 1995
Worked as assistant city editor, night city editor and deputy metro editor (oversaw staff of 75 reporters).
Reporter 1995 to 1998
Covered trials, including that of Timothy McVeigh, and wrote extensively about criminal justice.
Investigative reporter 1998 to 2008
Investigated cases of innocence as well as systemic problems in criminal justice system, including death penalty. Also investigated hazardous children’s products.

• Chicago Sun-Times 1977 to 1984

Reporter 1977 to 1984
General assignment reporter and covered U.S. District Court.

• Rock Island Argus 1976 to 1977

Reporter and assistant city editor.
Duties were divided equally with half day as a reporter and half day as assistant city editor.

• City News Bureau of Chicago

Reporter 1972 to 1976
Covered police, education, courts and city hall. Also worked as assistant city editor.

EDUCATION    

• B.A. in Communications,  1972.

Loyola University, Chicago, Ill.

• Honorary Doctorate of Law, Colby College, 2003

AWARDS/HONORS

• 2008 – Pulitzer Prize for Investigative Reporting
• 2008 – Casey Medal for Meritorious Journalism
• 2008 – George Polk Award for Consumer Reporting
• 2008 – Scripps Howard (Public Service)
• 2008 – Gerald Loeb Distinguished Business and Financial Journalism Finalist
• 2007 – Thurgood Marshall Award (Death Penalty Information Center)
• 2007 – Pulitzer Prize Finalist for National Reporting
• 2005 – Thurgood Marshall Award (Death Penalty Information Center)
• 2005 – Silver Gavel Award (American Bar Association)
• 2005 – Champions of Justice Award (National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys)
• 2004 – Thurgood Marshall Award (Death Penalty Information Center)
• 2003 – Elijah Parish Lovejoy Award
• 2001 – Worth Bingham Prize
• 2001 – Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Investigative Reporting
• 2000 – Champion of Justice Award (National Association of Criminal Defense Attorneys)
• 2000 – Scripps Howard (Public Service)
• 2000 – Pulitzer Prize Finalist for Public Service

BOOKS
Hitler in the Crosshairs: A GI’s Story of Courage and Faith (Zondervan 2011)
The Brown’s Chicken Massacre (Berkley 2003)
Everybody Pays: Two Men, One Murder and the Price of Truth (Putnam-Penguin 2001)

ADDITIONAL PROFESSIONAL EXPERIENCE
Adjunct professor of journalism at:

• Northwestern University
• Columbia College in Chicago
• Roosevelt University in ChicagoUniversity of Montana