I am INNOCENT - but how do I prove it? How do I unravel the devil's knot that has become my life?

To attempt to understand the sudden change that had ripped me away from my familiar world, and plunged me into the darkest saga of my life, is to realize the enormity of what has happened to me. 

At times I feel overwhelmed by a sense of adversity and intense powerlessness. I am far from happy with the suffering forced upon me, but I refuse to be defeated by it. I had always believed that if you did nothing wrong you could never get in trouble with the law. However, this experience has proven that perspective to be naive - what has happened to me could easily happen to anyone. In this regard, my story is a cautionary tale - one that has the potential to expose the systemic abuse of the justice system in America.

No matter how insurmountable a task it may seem, I can not for one moment fall silent about the truth. Silence in the face of evil, is evil itself. I know my innocence can not be suppressed forever. One day the truth will set me free. Logic dictates that only a fool could be so bold and expose himself to such scrutiny and expect to survive if he was guilty - but I am no fool. I can (and indeed must) do this because I am actually innocent. The only thing that allows me to be held captive for a crime that never occurred is the suppression of truth. Since the U.S. Courthouse doors have been slammed in my face, I shall instead seek justice in the court that essentially sealed my fate - The Court of Public Opinion...

It is not my intent to try to venerate myself by demonizing others. My intent is simply to shine light on facts that (until now) have been hidden from public scrutiny. If, after reviewing all the evidence in my eBook, someone draws the conclusion that they can not support my innocence then that's their prerogative. At least their opinion was formed upon inquiry and not based upon pure speculation (which is what most people do).

But I am confident that if you approach my case honestly and without any predisposed opinions, you will realize beyond a shadow of doubt that I am innocent. In the end YOU are the Grand Jury of the Court of Public Opinion - and it is your duty to demand justice when the innocent are convicted. You are the ultimate vanguard against a government that neglects its divine duty to do what is right. 

 The American judicial system is faced with a serious epidemic - the reincarnation of the Salem Witch Trials! A chapter in history that good people vowed would never raise its ugly head. I am the first to admit that if I was on the outside looking in on my situation, I would likely do what everyone else has - impulsively decide I know what happened while ignoring or discounting evidence that contradicted it - And I'd be wrong. To presume that someone is guilty upon mere allegation is to license conclusions that belie the need for proof. The presumption of innocence allows for a moment of hesitation before we indulge the voices in our heads. This is the safeguard that was implemented to protect the innocent from the seemingly incomprehensible phenomenon called "cognitive bias" - the tendency to interpret events to confirm existing preconceptions. How many times have you seen the mugshot of an accused child molester on the evening news NOT assumed his guilt? That's cognitive bias. In such situations, it is inevitable that the accused will fall victim to prejudice and bias simply because the allegation has been made and the accused has been arrested, indicted, and brought before a court. Because of cognitive bias, the burden bore by the accused in order to overcome the automatic mark of guilt for allegations of child sexual abuse is seemingly insurmountable.
 

I am far from advocating that everyone accused of such a crime is innocent - that isn't the case. That which is false of me is undoubtedly true of many others. What I am advocating is that we need to develop the ability to stay neutral in the face of such allegations so that we can assess the facts and respond with insight and conscious action rather than from mere emotional reactivity. Acts of child sexual abuse leave a vile taste in our mouths and are infused with such intense emotion that we often lose all sense of reason and logic. It is this emotional reactivity that convicts the innocent. But if we honestly want to prevent wrongful convictions while protecting children from predators, this undesirable conversation must be had. We simply do not protect children when we convict innocent people. 

In my situation, there is considerable cognitive bias to overcome. I was falsely accused, coerced into signing a false statement, and was subsequently wrongfully convicted in a foreign country after giving a 'cold plea' of guilty. I want to use my situation to help prevent this from happening to other innocent people. With reason, logic, and scientific studies, I will unravel this devil's knot so that you can clearly see how easily an innocent event can be taken so drastically out of context and proportion - and the life-changing consequences it has on both sides. 

- Scott Zirus -  

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