- Published: November 14, 2021
- Updated: November 14, 2021
- University / College: University of Leeds
- Level: Secondary School
- Language: English
- Downloads: 24
Introduction The video is based a story of four men who confessed for having gang-raped and murdered Moore Michelle in Norfolk Virginia in the year 1997. They were later convicted to serve different jail term using their recorded confessions as the main source of evidence. This video also indicates the manner, which the Virginia police department engaged in investigations to determine the involvement of the four men in the murder, basically describing their injustices in regard to this case. Moreover, the video delves into the awkward manner by, which the justice department specifically sentenced the four men in to long jail terms without relying on appropriate evidence and investigation from the police.
Injustices of the Justice System as indicated in the Video
The first mode of injustice is evident among the Virginia Police department that was undertaking investigations in relation to this case. It is evident that their investigations were conducted in a manner that coerced the four men to confess that they had committed the crime. To begin with, during the process of interrogation, the police claimed that they had evidence and could prove that the four men were responsible for the rape and the murder. In the video, various ways that were used to coerce the four men to admit that they had committed the crime are elaborated. The first mode used by the police investigators is through application of high level pressure interrogation methods for instance: Yelling at suspects and continuously calling them lairs.
Moreover, the police also kept the four men in custody and kept threatening them of death sentences as well as severe torture techniques like depriving them of sleep. In addition, the video explicit how the police interrogators used false accusations after undertaking polygraph tests insisting that the four accused persons were lying and had failed their polygraph tests. This made the suspects became emotionally and mentally worn-out thus leading to their false confessions. There is also information in the video in regard to the manner by, which police pressured interrogation confuses suspects and compels them to admit that they had committed crime and implicates other close friend for example: In the video, Dick one of the Norfolk four accepts that he was confused by the polices’ hypotheses and interrogations thus, was compelled to implicate his fellow sailor, Wilson, who confessed ultimately.
Another form of injustice the justice system is depicted by the manner by, which the police apply coerce guilty persons to confess that they had committed crime together with other people for instance: Ballard, who was guilty of the crime narrates the manner through, which the police applied to compel him to admit that the other four men committed the crime.
On the other hand, instances of extortion among individuals working within the justice department are also elaborated in the video. One the corrupt officials, who was charged for corruption on the 25th of February, 2011, is indicated as having been engaged in activities that entailed extortion of charges as well as providing false information to the Federal Bureau of Investigations.
Work Cited
” Video: The Confessions | Watch FRONTLINE Online | PBS Video.” PBS Video. N. p., n. d. Web. 23 Feb. 2014.