Across California and beyond, normal standards of fairness and reasoned skepticism were routinely thrown to the wind, with news gatherers scrambling to outdo one another in finding purported examples of monstrous behavior” (Haberman 7). With this pack mentality taking effect after the McMartin case it led to mass hysteria taking set in the minds of Americans. This is much like what was seen during the Salem Witch Trials simply because how easily this pack mentality took effect on people’s minds. Parents feared for their children even when they were not involved in the case simply because the parent's who were involved were fearful. This led to a mass child care scare which in the end led to many child care workers losing their customers and even their jobs.
In the book Just Mercy: A story of Justice and Redemption Bryan Stevenson details his story of his experiences as a lawyer fighting for justice. This story encompasses over twenty-five years worth of impactful cases and how policy changes, due to major Supreme Court cases, were dealt with locally. The main issue that he was dealing with was the death penalty, and how it was systematically being misused. The main focus of the book to showcase this was on the case of Walter McMillian. After the murder of Ronda Morrison, a well known white woman in the area, there was a lot of pressure exerted by the community on the sheriff to make an arrest on the case.
Our book was Just Mercy and our book shows that one person can make a difference. One example of Bryan Stevenson making making a difference is when he goes out to Atlanta and makes an organization calls EJI for short. This organization that he makes helps people who are imprisoned. Along the way he finds other lawyers wanting to help the imprisoned people as well so it grows his organization making it so they can help more people. Stevenson uses in saddening imagery, dialogue, and secondary sources to make the reader connect with the stories of the victims he helps.
Additionally, familial dynamics also played a role in shaping public perception of this case. The documentary illustrates how deeply rooted social hierarchies and power structures within small towns can impact how people view crimes committed by those in positions of privilege. The victims' families felt that they were not receiving justice because of these power structures, which favored those with connections and money. However, it is important to note that not all families react similarly when faced with tragedy or crime. Some may become more united while others may crumble under pressure.
Having the media take over and “become” the judicial system of this case was the number one mistake that was made during this trial. There is not much that anyone can do to stop the media from covering the story but there was something the court system to do to protect the jury, all the officials, and even Dr. Sheppard himself. The media was such an influence; they were pressuring the police and the court system to arrest and convict
If there is one thing that the humans are historically bad at doing it's admitting their own faults. Hubris blinds us from seeing the bigger issues That, I believe, is the sole reason why the world that we live in is unjust. It's full of people who are misusing their power positions like Kim Davis, a disgruntled county clerk. There are also people prosecuted for crimes they never committed just because they are in poverty as Bryan Stevenson teaches us. People are also judged because of their skin color and not by their personalities like Ahmed Mohamed, a freshman apprehended for building clock .
Brock Turner’s case has caused a social outlash since 2015. The details of Brock Turner’s case
In society, interaction is mainly conveyed through the use of media. In an ideal world, broadcasting is done with no biases and consumers are able to digest the authentic picture, although, in reality, the media implements its own beliefs and values. The Bill Cosby case is a controversial incident that has been reoccurring for the past few decades. Cosby is known in America as the ideal family man, he was idolized and a role model for many. However, Cosby is allegedly accused of drugging and raping dozens of women, and the victims are filing lawsuits against him.
For instance, Simpson’s case was greatly influenced by the media coverage, which compromised the capabilities of the criminal justice
Because of the mass media coverage and the societal biases regarding the case, the jury found the teenagers guilty on account of limited and biased evidence. The defense was unable to effectively challenge the jury due to these preconceived notions and ideas, despite the jury itself being unable to prove beyond a reasonable doubt that the defendants committed the crime described in the
Zachary Shemtob, a teacher of criminal justice at Central Connecticut State University, and David Lat, a former federal prosecutor, in their essay “Executions Should Be Televised” (2011), discourse the issue whether the criminal execution process should be videotaped and televised or to be privately disclosed among the press and selected witnesses, in which both Shemtob and Lat affirm to broadcasting. Shemtob and Lat construct their claim by defining the transparency that arises when the public is notified of executions through the media and analysing concerns that may arise from misguided illustrations of broadcasting executions, such as relating them to a pet euthanization or obtaining a sympathetic feeling towards the executed felon who
In Bryan Stevenson’s Just Mercy, he writes to illustrate the injustices of the judicial system to its readers. To do so, Stevenson utilizes multiple writing styles that provide variety and helps keep the reader engaged in the topic. Such methods of his include the use of anecdotes from his personal experiences, statistics, and specific facts that apply to cases Stevenson had worked on as well as specific facts that pertain to particular states. The most prominent writing tool that Stevenson included in Just Mercy is the incorporation of anecdotes from cases that he himself had worked on as a nonprofit lawyer defending those who were unrightfully sentenced to die in prison.
The defendant is not guilty, but somebody in this courtroom is" (Harper 203). This
The victims can never be understood by the non-victimized. This resonates with modern America in a specific way. While Americans have become interconnected by way of the internet and social media, our representatives and government leaders remain distant, and on the backdrop of hyperconnectivity, this only broadens the distance. The polarization of the American
With mass media being geared more towards entertainment in today's society, their focus is more on interesting, fear evoking stories that will get them a larger audience. The combination of all of these lead to a misinformed public who’s fears of crime has stayed high while crime rates have reached an all-time low. The media must go through a very long and complex process before they are finally ready to present their story to the public. This process includes prioritization before it is passed through the working conditions and environments of journalists and editors. Since the media is a business, the process must be cost effective.
