ipl-logo

The Central Park 5, 12 Angry Men And The Case Of Archie Williams

1667 Words7 Pages

“If you are neutral in situations of injustice, you have chosen the side of the oppressor.” - Desmond Tutu

The Judicial system is unfair as personal biases within the system can largely affect the outcome of any case, as seen in “The Central Park 5”, “12 Angry Men”, and The case of Archie Williams. These instances of prejudice and bias are the reason why many individuals are falsely convicted in the courtroom. There is estimated to be around 1000 wrongful convictions happening every year in the United States. While some may argue that these wrongful convictions only account for 5% of convictions, the Justice system still imprisons innocent people and shames them for crimes they didn’t commit.

The Justice system can be continued to be seen …show more content…

In 1983, Archie Williams was sent to prison after being accused of rape and attempted murder in Louisiana. At the time of his accusation, he was struggling with his economic stance as a 22 year old. During his trial, multiple pieces of evidence were presented that should’ve proved his innocence. The police had found fingerprints at the scene of the crime, but when they ran them, they didn’t match Mr. Williams’. Along with the Victim never identifying Williams (Only did after police forced her to), and multiple witnesses attesting for Archie being in his bed when the crime was committed. Even though these pieces of evidence prove his innocence he was still sentenced to life in prison without the possibility of parole. An innocent man was forced to live the rest of his life in prison. The force from the police during lineups was the only reason the victim pointed out Archie. Later on many attorneys with the Innocence Project would step forward in order to help prove Archie's innocence. The selfishness of the police officers and the biases against him caused the forced point out, and eventually his conviction. If biases, selfishness, and prejudice didn’t exist in the justice system, where wouldn’t be a need for an Innocence Project to fight the justice system after fully innocent people go to jail without substantial evidence, these . When the …show more content…

Thankfully all of these cases ended with them being exonerated, but that's not the case for all. Some innocent people are still behind bars or have been executed for someone else’s crimes. To hep support organizations like the Innocence Project visit: Innocence Project - National Association for Civilian Oversight of Law Enforcement so you can have a part in making sure this injustice is stopped and innocent people get a chance to live their lives as everyone else.

Sources: Quote by Desmond Tutu (Foreword): “If you are neutral in situations of injustice, ...”

William Friedkin, Kenyon Hopkins, and Richard S. Kaufman. 12 ANGRY MEN. USA,

Show More
Related

  • The Innocence Project By Peter Neufeld And Barry Scheck

    939 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Innocence Project, founded in 1992 by Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck, absolves ones who were wrongly convicted through DNA testing and improves the criminal justice system to prevent future injustices. Their mission is to free the overwhelming amount of innocent people who remain incarcerated, and bring amends to the system responsible for their unjust imprisonment. The Innocence Project aims to exonerate, improve, reform, and support. In 1978, Kenneth Adams and three other men, all together known as the “Ford Heights Four”, were wrongly convicted of rape and double murder.

    Read More

  • Korey Wise Case Summary

    552 Words  | 3 Pages

    This is a case study about a young man by the name of Korey Wise who was wrongly incarcerated in the Central Park Jogger case of 1989. Due to being the age of sixteen he was the only one out of the five boys wrongly accused to be sent to an adult prison. In this prison Korey was victim to many forms of abuse, physical and mental to name a few. He was found guilty despite the lack of evidence. None of the DNA samples or Semen matched up with Korey.

    Read More

  • The Trial Of Ozie Powell And The Scottsboro Boys

    509 Words  | 3 Pages

    How would you feel if you were falsely accused of a terrible crime? That’s right, Ozie Powell and the Scottsboro Boys were accused of rape and sent to jail for many years, a crime of which they didn't even commit. In the case of Scottsboro, Ozie Powell was clearly innocent of rape. Ozie wasn’t on the same car as the woman who accused the boys of raping them, and Ozie didn't even know the other men on the train until the day of the accusations. The woman who accused the boys of the crime were prostitutes, and had had intercourse only a little while before entering the train, explaining why the sperm found in their system was dead.

    Read More

  • Morris Kent Case

    840 Words  | 4 Pages

    The verdict was not found to be guilty with the counts of rape due to reason of insanity. Morris Kent was sentenced 30 to 90 years in prison and also some time in Saint Elizabeth's Hospital. Kent’s lawyer believed that the investigation was not thoroughly completed and that the indictment should be dismissed. Due to the findings of Kent’s mental issues they concluded that the waive was inappropriate. He said that Kent was denied his constitutional rights due to the fact he was a minor.

    Read More

  • Furman V. Gerogia Case Analysis

    1766 Words  | 8 Pages

    This racial discrimination has led to a discriminatory manner that punishes blacks who victimized whites more severely compared to whites who victimize blacks. Even though race has been abolished as a legally relevant factor in capital sentencings, there are still variations in capital sentencing patterns along racial lines. The author tries to answer the question of how a system that tries to design itself as a racially neutral system can still have racial variations in capital sentencing. The author argues that there is a link between race and empathy in mitigation. The author conducted a study that focused on juror race and receptivity to mitigation and defendant race.

    Read More

  • Comparing The Red Scare And West Memphis Three

    1167 Words  | 5 Pages

    In order to be convicted of a crime in the United States, one must be proven guilty beyond a reasonable doubt. In the case of the West Memphis Three, there was excessive doubt as to the guilt of the boys, but they were still incarcerated. This is another example in the history of this country of how people will make rash decisions contrary to morality and legality in response to

    Read More

  • Why Is Lamar Johnson A Wrongful Conviction

    1118 Words  | 5 Pages

    The case highlights the problems associated with flawed eyewitness identification, prosecutorial misconduct, and inadequate legal representation. By addressing these issues through comprehensive reforms, such as improving eyewitness identification procedures, increasing accountability for prosecutors, and providing adequate resources for public defenders, we can work towards a more just and equitable system. The case of Lamar Johnson not only underscores the importance of rectifying individual wrongful convictions but also emphasizes the broader implications for our society and the urgent need for criminal justice

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Halfway Houses

    876 Words  | 4 Pages

    victim and the defendant may be influential without clear guidance about the deliberation rules. Black suspects and White victims; blacks were more likely to receive a death sentence vs White suspects and black victims “Not only did killing a White person rather than a Black person increase the likelihood of being sentenced to death, but also Black defendants were more likely than White defendants to be sentenced to death” (Eberhaedt, 2006). Peter Neufeld and Barry Scheck founded The innocence Project, in 1992, their mission was to free those who were wrongly convicted of crimes through DNA. To date. there are approximately 350 people exonerated of crimes they didn’t commit through the Innocence project.

    Read More

  • The Outcome Of Eroy Brown's Trial

    1493 Words  | 6 Pages

    Eroy Brown was a convicted murderer who faced several trials throughout his life. The outcome of his trials was influenced by several factors, including the evidence presented in court, the jurors’ biases, and the actions of the prosecution and defense. One of the most significant factors that influenced the outcome of Eroy Brown’s trials was the evidence presented in court. In some cases, the evidence was conclusive and left no doubt as to Brown’s guilt or innocence. For example, in one of his trials, Brown was convicted of murdering a fellow inmate based on eyewitness testimony and physical evidence found at the scene of the crime.

    Read More

  • Guilty But Innocent: Wrongful Conviction And Public Policy

    329 Words  | 2 Pages

    When one thinks about the court systems and the way justice is served they see a system that is fair and just. A system that correctly provides punishment to the guilty party, and one that can discover the truth within the innocent party. On the surface level this appears to be true. Hundreds of thousands of people are incarcerated each year in the United States, which in reality provides a false sense of safety to citizens. While a large percentage of incarcerations are of guilty parties, according to a study in C. Ronald Huff’s book, Convicted But Innocent: Wrongful Conviction and Public Policy, approximately 100,000 innocent people are convicted every year.

    Read More

  • Research Paper On Gary Dotson Trial

    765 Words  | 4 Pages

    Many innocent people are wrongfully convicted due to False DNA, False confession, bad expert opinions. By looking at these separate cases where people sent to several years in prison. until their sentence is overturned because they were found innocent. this was the exact reason the innocent project foundation is here. To look out for those who were not trialed fairly, and stripped away from their freedom.

    Read More

  • What Is The Theme Of Just Mercy

    1018 Words  | 5 Pages

    He argues that it is not enough simply to be aware of the problems within the justice system; we must also be willing to take action to address them. This can involve advocating for change within the system, supporting organizations that work to promote justice and equality, and simply being willing to stand up and speak out against injustice when we encounter it. This emphasis on individual

    Read More

  • Innocence Project Thesis

    1227 Words  | 5 Pages

    Out of the 337 cases where innocent men and women were wrongfully imprisoned nearly half of the true suspects were identified and convicted. The racial heritage of those who have been exonerated is fairly diverse, consisting of “206 African Americans, 104 Caucasians, 25 Latinos, and 2 Asian Americans” (The Innocence Project). (Transition) Although The Innocence Project has changed the lives of many who others would not afford them the opportunity to prove their innocence, they would not have been able to do so without the recent

    Read More

  • 12 Angry Men Rhetorical Analysis

    1186 Words  | 5 Pages

    Twelve Angry Men is in many ways a love letter to the American legal justice system. We find here eleven men, swayed to conclusions by prejudices, past experience, and short-sightedness, challenged by one man who holds himself and his peers to a higher standard of justice, demanding that this marginalized member of society be given his due process. We see the jurors struggle between the two, seemingly conflicting, purposes of a jury, to punish the guilty and to protect the innocent. It proves, however, that the logic of the American trial-by-jury system does work.

    Read More

  • The Pros And Cons Of Wrongful Conviction

    949 Words  | 4 Pages

    With millions of criminal convictions a year, more than two million people may end up behind bars(Gross). According to Samuel Gross reporter for The Washington Post, writes that also “even one percent amounts to tens of thousands of tragic [wrongful conviction] errors”(Gross). Citizens who are wrongfully convicted are incarcerated for a crime he or she did not commit. Many police officers, prosecutors, and judges are responsible for the verdict that puts innocents into prison. To be able to get exonerated many wait over a decade just to get there case looked at, not many are able to have the opportunity of getting out.

    Read More

More about The Central Park 5, 12 Angry Men And The Case Of Archie Williams

Open Document