The Jury's Guilty

A broken; crooked Justice System is a sad but unforgotten tale of our nation. “Just Mercy” tells the everyday motif of an innocent person wrongfully convicted to death until new DNA evidence has been brought up. Even the states that still sentence people to capital punishment have botched people’s lives and cleared them of all charges years after their execution. “Just Mercy,” personalizes the struggle and hardship minorities face every day while dealing with injustice in the story of one lawyer Bryan Stevenson.

December 29 2298, I Lebron James is accused of murder of the first degree. I don’t know how I got here or when I got here, all I know is whatever the Indictment I was accused of the situation seemed grim. I was basically dressed in what seemed like upholstery. The hems that hung down from my shirt were mildly tattered and were stained with ketchup. No one realized it at first, but then it happened, I was famous again in a matter of seconds. Everyone who was scolding me rapidly took back there hateful accusations. I was then given a full amnesty of my apparent crimes by the judge. When I asked what I did the jury, as well as the judge they became extremely cagey to give an answer. One year later of complete unknowingness I succumbed to very

Throughout one’s life many are prone to being in one of America’s many courtrooms at least once in their life. Whether it is for a parking ticket, a petty larceny charge, or simply jury duty most citizens have been in a courtroom once or twice. However, it is rare that one knows the many steps and processes that take place when a crime has been convicted. There is an excess number of elements that are introduced and just to name a few it all starts with the occurrence of the crime, then follows the arrest, proceeded by an arraignment, bail hearing and any more steps before finally reaching the final verdict that lands one with guilt or innocence (Neubrauer, Fadella 2013). Based on the laws in place by the United States and the Constitution one must be able to prove guilt beyond a reasonable doubt. If there is doubt at all in the jurors minds, they cannot convict the individual of being guilty and lately this has created a lot of controversy in the United States with many cases being tried. For example, the Casey Anthony case that took place in Florida was one of the most recent states where Common Law and the Constitution were unable to be reconcilable to prove one’s guilt.

Zane Umsted is a licensed attorney and law clerk in the United States District Court for the Northern District of Iowa. He has witnessed the disparities of our judicial system first hand. His work will help us prove that race is an unfortunate label that depicts the sentence of an individual, bringing it to light from within the system itself. However the jurors do play a role in this.  Mike Morrison, Amanda DeVaul-Fetters, and Bertram Gawronski’s “ Stacking the Jury: Legal Professionals’ Peremptory Challenges Reflect Jurors’ Levels of Implicit Race Bias” will give us a better understanding of the sociological,psychological enigmas regarding the role of race of one’s implication in a crime that are found within the juros.

So for the first time in my life I set foot in a courtroom. Immediately I see a lady at a desk documenting papers next to the throne of which the judge sits in, followed by the opposing sides of the district prosecutor representing the “People”. On the opposing side of the courtroom there is the

The American judicial system is one that convicts and incarcerate prisoners for various crimes. When someone commits a crime, it is the judicial system’s responsibility to enforce and apply the laws. Under United States legislation, criminals are innocent until proven guilty in a court trial, but the judicial system during the twentieth-century did not properly give them fair trials. Instead, the court system convicted many prisoners guilty of crimes they “supposedly” committed. This situation created the start of a new and corrupt judicial system because prisoners could not plead their case in court. Kate O’Hare, Jack London, and Assata Shakur provide an accurate and historical view of the American judicial system as unethical because many

Everyone around saw me as a grateful creature, a frank-hearted, happy, and gentle person. Is that why I was taken advantage of? Is that why the murderer did not come forward? I feel that I had given the opportunity in the murderer’s hand to take advantage of me. My kindness in the world has betrayed me. My love and support toward people is what has led me to stand in this trial. I feel no guilt inside. Only innocence stands. The only sorrow I feel is

I leave this message here so the few that read it know that I was innocent of all the crimes I have been convicted of. I know that no one believes me, but I feel that there should be documentation of my side of the story somewhere. As I wait for the state to murder me I have reflected on what has happened and have come to the conclusion that I was royally screwed from the beginning. First by the incompetent legal aid lawyer, secondly by the so called witnesses of my crimes, and finally by the twelve peers who were

On Wednesday, February 23, of 2016, from 9am to 11am, I observed a jury charge. A jury charge is a component of the jury process dedicated to instructing the jury of the law to reach a verdict. The instructions are repeated and paraphrased to prevent ambiguity by creating precision to tackle each individual jurors understanding of the law. Rather than observing other courts such as traffic or civil court, I choose to observe the Albany County Judicial Center, criminal court with Judge Herrick. Criminal courts portray a wider view of the court processes. That is, in more serious offenses the role of each member of the court is explicit. Whereas, in other courts, traffic for instance, cases are usually in and out at a rapid pace with limited interaction of court

I finally got out after eighteen years, for something I didn't do. When I walked outside of the gate I finally felt free after eighteen years. Everyday I had to sit in a small celle for something I didn't do. I would watch other people getting out of jail for something they did do. In my mind I knew I was innocent. I knew I was not the one who killed Martha. How do I explain to everybody that I'm innocent.

When a case makes it to the courts the law requires honest and a fare trail. The judge and jury expect criminals to be convicted and the innocent to be let go. In Harper Lee’s book to kill a mocking bird Atticus tells a jury “out courts are the great levers, and in our courts all men are created equal”. Through racial discrimination and the view point of young children Lee proves to readers that many are effected by racial prejudice.

The five a.m. cool air surrounded Andrew as if Boreas touched me with his finger. The Luke-warm breeze blew all Andrew’s worries out of his brain as he reached for the make-shift bat Joseph made in the baseball game Andrew is playing. Jonathan stretched his arm and hurtles the ball at Andrew. Andrew felt the ball zooming bigger as it came into view and shots past him.

Can anyone imagine the life of an individual suffering in prison knowing they are actually innocent from the very beginning of trial, but the judge still sentences them to twenty years in prison or the death penalty? The teenage years and mid-twenties heading into the thirties are supposed to be the best time in life for any individual, but also imagine all of those years taken away because the time spent in prison. No marriage, no more activities with kids or watching them grow up, can’t travel anywhere for vacation, all the holidays with family will disappear and other lifetime activities are gone as well. Wrongful conviction has been a huge issue for centuries now and the criminal justice system has not changed anything to help improve the innocent people walking away free. This paper will be addressing the problems of wrongful conviction in America such as wrongful convicts not receiving their compensation, capital punishment, the innocence movement, and cases that involve wrongful conviction, although, there are many cases that still have been unsolved with innocent people suffering in prison. Today in the United States, there are wrongful conviction reforms to help free innocent people who are behind bars and those who are standing against the death penalty.

My trial was hard and brutal. The hardest thing was to see that people, that I didn’t even know, want me dead for something that I am physically not capable of doing. You all know me, and who I really am. Most of you probably don’t care about what I have to say, and most of you don’t care what happens to me, but I know some of you do truly believe me. I was framed, and the evidence even proves that I didn’t do it, but no one believes a black man .I mean how could I choke a strong woman like Mayella, and keep her down to where she can’t get up, with my crippled arm. I would never do such a thing to anyone, and I hope you all know that. This justice system is not fair, and I knew there would be no way out of this mess.

Sentence was passed and in that moment my whole life completely changed. In the background, you could hear the people chant, “Justice has finally been served!” They don’t know me I thought. Everybody makes mistakes, right? But, where was my second chance in life. My luck, the death penalty became legal again and eagerly waiting for me to become its newest member. My palms grew sweaty as always when I grew nervous and scared. There was nothing I could do. These people wanted me to pay for what I put them through.