I'm Julie Balmer, and in 2003, my sister gave birth to, it was an unplanned pregnancy,

and she gave birth to a little boy after he was born.

He had a collapse, took him into the ER.

They immediately diagnosed it as child abuse.

And because I was being the primary caretaker,

I turned myself in at their request. But in 2005, I was convicted, and I was sentenced 10 to 15 years. Actual Innocence is a podcast that tells the story of people who serve time for crimes they did not commit.

Hear the heartbreaking true accounts of those who have been wrongly convicted and then are proven innocent.

Thanks for joining us.

The criminal justice system works to keep people safe and they and then are proven innocent. Thanks for joining us.

The criminal justice system works to keep people safe and make sure the bad guys go to prison.

But what if someone who has been convicted of a crime

isn't actually guilty?

It's why shows like making a murderer have been such a hit with audiences lately,

and sadly false convictions happen more than you'd think.

Like from Julie Balmer from Warren julie adopted her baby nephew out of the goodness of her heart back in 2003

after taking him to the hospital when he wouldn't eat julie was accused of child abuse of shaking

the baby she was later convicted of that crime and started serving 15 years in prison.

Stories like Julie's bringing to question what we thought we knew about the criminal justice system.

Julie Bomber thought she was doing the right thing when she agreed to adopt her nephew Philip.

His mother, her sister, was unable to care for him because of a substance abuse issue. That was a very responsible and noble choice for Julie to make.

And I told her as much.

When you say that, it's real foreign.

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