Miscarriage of justice - what are the worst examples?

[anonymous-user]

Was watching the making a murderer series on Netflix, and hadn't heard of the case before. The first conviction of Avery was obviously appalling, if it turned out his second conviction was also false, then would there be anyone more fked over by the justice system than Steven Avery?

Oddly, on the day of the recent rape case being announced as a false conviction. A mate said "have you heard about that guy wrongly jailed for 18 years", i said "yeah, just watching it on netflix, the American chap?" (Avery also did 18 years). A coincidence on the same day, but It made me wonder how accurate the justice system is.

What do you think are some of the worst examples?

[vroomtshh]

You should watch the rebuttal documentaries on Making a murderer. You'll change your mind multiple times

[anonymous-user]

I'm on the fence on the second conviction. But his first conviction was a major miscarriage of justice. That Colborn even sat on evidence that would've helped release him 8 years earlier.

[anonymous-user]

Regardless of whether they did or not, and I'm inclined to believe the conviction is safe at least in Avery's case.

The fact that 2 people have been convicted of the same crime with a completely different narrative in each case has to make you worried about the fitness for purpose of the legal system that considers acceptable, and also somehow beyond reasonable doubt!!

[Glassman]

Derek Bentley

[budgie smuggler]

Timothy Evans

[DIW35]

budgie smuggler said:

Timothy Evans

Agree.

[Earthdweller]

It is fortunate that we don’t have the death penalty as unfortunately oops we got that wrong isn’t much of a comfort to a corpse

[Mortarboard]

fs916 said:

Was watching the making a murderer series on Netflix, and hadn't heard of the case before. The first conviction of Avery was obviously appalling, if it turned out his second conviction was also false, then would there be anyone more fked over by the justice system than Steven Avery?

Oddly, on the day of the recent rape case being announced as a false conviction. A mate said "have you heard about that guy wrongly jailed for 18 years", i said "yeah, just watching it on netflix, the American chap?" (Avery also did 18 years). A coincidence on the same day, but It made me wonder how accurate the justice system is.

What do you think are some of the worst examples?

Same case - Brendan Dassey (Avery's nephew)

If Avery is innocent, Dassey could still have to serve his full term, assisting in a murder that didn't take place! (he was originally fked over by his defense laywer, then exhausted all his available appeals)

A more heinous case (IMO, and it's just as polarizing in the US) is the West Memphis Three. Multiple documentaries on it. And the killer(s) of three children are still free. Oldest of the original accused spent 18 years on Death Row. The other accused took an alford plea, essentially to save his life.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alford_plea)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Memphis_Three)

The US has a particular problem with cases like these, as prosecutions are sought on direction from a District Attorney, which is an elected position, and usually used as a stepping stone for further political posts. So pressure to get a conviction can be extreme.

M.

[Jayho]

From a celebrity point of view, wasn't Hurricane Carter convicted of a robbery and murder which he didn't commit? And all that was down to racial profiling.

[PlywoodPascal]

FIA WDC 2021

[C5_Steve]

PlywoodPascal said:

FIA WDC 2021

Came here to post this

[anonymous-user]

Mortarboard said:

A more heinous case (IMO, and it's just as polarizing in the US) is the West Memphis Three. Multiple documentaries on it. And the killer(s) of three children are still free. Oldest of the original accused spent 18 years on Death Row. The other accused took an alford plea, essentially to save his life.

(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Alford_plea)
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/West_Memphis_Three)

The US has a particular problem with cases like these, as prosecutions are sought on direction from a District Attorney, which is an elected position, and usually used as a stepping stone for further political posts. So pressure to get a conviction can be extreme.

M.

I just read that Wiki link to the Memphis Three. Jesus titty Christ! How on earth the US functions with blatant dishonesty and corruption like that on plain view somewhere as important as a murder trial is baffling, what a place. Makes you shudder thinking about ending up on the wrong side of that ‘system’.

[Wafu7]

fs916 said:

What do you think are some of the worst examples?

You’ll be hard pushed to find one that’s worse than the case of Stefan Kiszko:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lesley_Mol...

[Steve H]

Convicted and executed for rape and murder, very likely not guilty -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteen_Days_in_May

The documentary was shown to me as a law student, probably as a reminder of how serious the job is………

[rigga]

Lynnette White murder in Cardiff.

BBC did a very good set of programs on this case, young girl found murdered and mutilated, witnesses testified a white male was seen near the scene, looking distressed, and covered in blood.

Police Wales pursued, 5 local black men, and 3 were convicted, and wrongly sent to jail.

https://www.nationalworld.com/news/crime/who-kille...

https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lynette_...

Edited by rigga on Wednesday 2nd August 21:46

Edited by rigga on Monday 7th August 07:55

[anonymous-user]

AHarrison said:

Wafu7 said:

You’ll be hard pushed to find one that’s worse than the case of Stefan Kiszko:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lesley_Mol...

I would wholeheartedly agree - a shameful example of "we've got our man" policework.

Also a pretty shameful example of no less than four grown women chosing to remain silent in adulthood despite knowing they’d dishonestly contributed to an innocent man rotting in prison. One of them is quoted in the Wiki article as stating that she felt they were “foolish - but we were young”. I’m not sure how that defends the failure to address the matter as a group of four adults well into their 20s and 30s by that stage. Another is quoted as offering the defence that they had lied “for a laugh”, and that “at the time it was funny.” You have to wonder how funny it still was over a decade later to justify to yourself doing nothing to put it right.

Edited by anonymous-user on Wednesday 2nd August 21:18

[N111BJG]

AHarrison said:

Wafu7 said:

You’ll be hard pushed to find one that’s worse than the case of Stefan Kiszko:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Murder_of_Lesley_Mol...

I would wholeheartedly agree - a shameful example of "we've got our man" policework.

This is the case that always comes to my mind when miscarriage of justice is mentioned

[TurboTerrific9]

Steve H said:

Convicted and executed for rape and murder, very likely not guilty -

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fourteen_Days_in_May

The documentary was shown to me as a law student, probably as a reminder of how serious the job is………

An amazing documentary, i go back to it every five years or so

[PurpleTurtle]

Likewise I think Stefan Kiszko. Utterly appalling what happened to that poor man and tragic that he and his mother had so little time together after his release.