• Age: 13 to 17
• Grade: 8 to 12
• Reading age: 13 to 17

At twenty-five, Rob Baltovich lost the love of his life, Elizabeth Bain. That was bad enough. Then he was arrested, jailed, sent to trial for murder, convicted, and sent to prison -- for life.

Throughout his years in prison, Rob maintained that he was innocent, refusing to admit to a crime he didn't commit. The result was he was never granted parole. Finally, his luck began to turn when he hired new lawyers who believed in him. Not only did they get Rob acquitted, they also made a strong case that the real murderer was the infamous serial killer Paul Bernardo.

Author Jeff Mitchell tells much of the story in Baltovich's own words. In this book, young readers will discover how tthis tragic miscarriage of justice happened -- and how the legal system can right its own wrongs when lawyers and judges are willing to re-examine a case with fresh eyes.

JEFF MITCHELL is an award-winning journalist with more than twenty-five years experience covering crime and justice issues. His honours include being named Reporter of the Year for 2005 by the Ontario Community Newspaper Association and runner-up for Journalist of the Year in 2010 by the Suburban Newspapers Association of America. He lives in the village of Bethany, Ontario with his family.

Real Justice: Young, Innocent and In Prison – The Story of Robert Baltovich (Real Justice)

The next two books are from the Real Justice series and tell the true stories of Steven Truscott and Robert Baltovich. They take readers through the events that led these two young men to be accused and eventually imprisoned for crimes they did not commit. Both books are written at a Grade 4 to 5 reading level but the content is definitely intended for young adults.

The first book in the series is Real Justice: Fourteen and Sentenced to Death – The Story of Steven Truscott. Truscott was a typical teenager living in rural Ontario in the 1950s. One evening he gave his 12-year-old classmate, Lynne Harper, a lift to a nearby highway on his bicycle and ended up being the last person to see her alive. He was eventually arrested and convicted for her murder and sentenced to hang. Although his sentence was changed to life in prison, Steven spent many years in jail for a murder he didn’t commit. He was granted parole in 1969 but was not acquitted until 2007. It took 47 years before his name was officially cleared and he received an apology and compensation for the mistake.

The second book is Real Justice: Young, Innocent and In Prison – The Story of Robert Baltovich. It is a similar story to that of Steven Truscott but Robert was older and was accused of killing his girlfriend, Elizabeth Bain in the early 1990s. Rob was arrested, convicted and sent to prison for life all the while maintaining his innocence. It took eight long years before Rob hired new lawyers who believed in his innocence and were able to get him acquitted. They also made a strong case that the real murderer was the infamous serial killer Paul Bernardo, but that was never proven. Rob has started a lawsuit, hoping the courts will award him payment for a wrongful conviction, but that will not give him back the years he lost or the girl he loved.

Both of these books show how the justice system can get things wrong and how innocent people can be sentenced to prison for crimes they did not commit. They are quick and simple reads but will keep reluctant young adult readers flipping the pages to see how the stories turn out. Both books contain a glossary of legal terms used in the book and the Robert Baltovich story also includes a timeline and “Where are they now?” section that explains where they key characters in the story have ended up. These books could be used in English classrooms to encourage reluctant readers as they are considered high interest books written at a lower reading level, but they could also be used in courses that discuss the legal or judicial system. They would make good material for debate and discussion.

Real Justice: Young, Innocent and in Prison — The Story of Robert Baltovich (Real Justice)

At 25, Robert Baltovich was convicted of the murder of Elizabeth Bain and sentenced to life. During his eight years in jail, he always maintained his innocence and after hiring new lawyers who believed in him, he was eventually acquitted. Discover how this tragic miscarriage of justice happened — and how the legal system can right its own wrongs when it’s willing to re-examine a case with fresh eyes.