Introduction
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The criminal
justice system typically makes mistakes of convicting innocent people and
letting them spend years in prison or being executed. There are many cases
where people are wrongfully convicted because of racism, prejudice, and
stereotyping (Saber et al., 2021).
Innocent people who are placed behind bars earn their freedom back after their
cases are revisited to prove their innocence. The paper will compare and
contrast any parallels between the case of Marvin Anderson and the movie
"CRASH," which was produced, directed, and co-written by Paul Haggis
in 2004. Marvin Anderson was wrongfully arrested, convicted, and sentenced to
sever a 210-year sentence when he was only 18 years old for a rape he did not
commit. However, the DNA testing, which was done after more than 16 years,
proved his innocence, leading to his release. On the other hand, CRASH is an
American drama film that features racial and social tensions in Los Angeles
between several families that unknowingly are profoundly connected.
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Innocent people
such as Marvin Anderson were exonerated. In July 1982, with the help of DNA
technology, eighteen-year-old Marvin Lamont Anderson was convicted of rape,
robbery, sodomy, and abduction. A young woman reported being raped by a black
man who "had a white girl." The officer reported it to know of
Anderson and knew he lived with a white woman. The officer went to Anderson's
employer to get his color employment identification card. Since Anderson was
never convicted, his color photo was placed next to black and white mug shots
of other potential suspects. The victim chose him as her assailant when she was
given the photo spread. Then during the lineup, "A Marvin Anderson was the
only person from the photo spread in the lineup whose picture was in the
original photo array shown to the victim, and the victim identified him in the
lineup.
Although the
victim had claimed Anderson was her assailant, people in the community knew it
was not him. The assailant stole a bicycle and was seen riding it. Anderson
tried to get his attorneys to speak with the owner of the bike and the person
who same the assailant riding it, but his counsel denied it. Anderson was
convicted by an all-white jury and sentenced to serve two hundred and ten years
in prison (Saber et al., 2021). After spending six years in prison, the actual
assailant John Otis Lincoln came forward and admitted it was him and tried to
clear Anderson of the charges. Lincoln testified in front of a court and
offered details of the crime under oath. Lincoln had the same judge as
Anderson. The judge refused to vacate the conviction, leaving Anderson behind
bars for a crime he did not commit.
However, the
victim utilized the technology of DNA testing which has become widely utilized
to prove if a person is innocence (Bjerk & Helland, 2018). He contacted his
lawyers, but they told him the rape kit and its contents had been destroyed.
Fortunately, he heard of the Innocence Project, and after years of trying to
get his case accepted, they were able to run a DNA test in 2001. The results
proved that Anderson was not the perpetrator, but he spent fifteen years in
prison and four years on parole trying to prove his innocence.
Wrongful
convictions happen for different reasons. The elements that may lead to
criminal convictions include false confessions, defense lawyers' incompetence,
and the suppression of exculpatory evidence (Braswell et al., 2012). The film
is based on themes of racism, prejudice, and stereotyping. It also connects
stories based on coincidence, fortuitousness, and luck, as the lives of the
characters crash against one another. The movie revolves around the feelings of
prejudice and antipathy most people have against members of other groups and
observes the consequences of those feelings.
Similarly,
Marvin Anderson was wrongfully convicted because he suppressed exculpatory evidence.
If the bicycle had been used as evidence, he could have had a fair trial. The
officer who put Anderson in the lineup used confirmatory bias. The officer was
focused on finding a black male who lived with a white woman and was positive
it was Anderson because it was the only person the officer knew who fit the
description. The officer did not interview any other potential suspects in the
area. The legal issue is an officer's failure to be unbiased and use their
ethics to make decisions. The officer also used only a color photo of Anderson
and no other suspect. This made it easier for the victim to identify him in the
lineup and on the photo spread. The judge who handled Anderson's case and
Lincoln's case was unethical. Although the actual assailant confessed, the
judge refused to vacate the conviction.
The crash is a film based on how people
collide with each other because of differences in aspects. Although there are
so many reasons why people collide with each other, racism is the primary
disease consuming people in the act. One unique element about the characters is
that they always feel guilty about their actions, making them all victims. The
film has various stereotypes that marry the film's main agenda. The story
involves conflicts between the whites, blacks, Latinos, Koreans, government
police and criminals, the rich and poor, and the powerful and powerless (Saber
et al., 2021). All are victims of the acts portrayed in the film racism is
shown in most parts. For instance, we see a white cop who takes his dying
father to the hospital, and in surprise, he finds a black woman who usually
attends to sick people. He is not given medical care making him judge that the
black woman is taking advantage of preferential racial treatment.
Unlike the case
of Anderson, the film "Crash" deals with various intertwine
experiences concerning racial relations and the levels of socioeconomic status
between the characters. However, it also highlights how humans contract with
actual life situations and tackle racial injustices and stereotypes that affect
our society. It also represents how racism can cause cultural, moral, and
economic stress. The crash is a film that hooks up the characters to each other
in a sequence of incidents that occur over two days in California. The word
"Crash" is shown in the movie's opening scene when a literal car
crash has just happened. Following this collision, a confrontation between the
drivers of the two cars develops. An argument between an Asian woman and a
Hispanic woman arises, in which many racial comments and ethnically demeaning
judgments are based on typical stereotypes. The racial comments made in the
fight may be humorous to the viewers since no one was physically hurt (Saber et
al., 2021). However, since audience members might laugh at this scene, it
proves dominant ideologies regarding race.
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Conclusion
In conclusion,
both cases demonstrate the lives of different individuals from diverse
socioeconomic classes who face life-changing situations in between their
conflicting prejudices and stereotypes. Anderson was wrongfully convicted
because of false confessions, defense lawyers' incompetence, and the
suppression of exculpatory evidence. Instead of labeling characters as victims
and offenders, victims of racism are often shown to be prejudiced in different
contexts and situations. The racist comments and biased actions are usually
caused by unawareness and fallacy instead of someone's evil nature.
Although Crash
focuses mainly on how individuals perpetuate racism and stereotypes, it also
portrays how structural or systemic racism and inequality impact our society. Similarly,
Marvin Lamont Anderson was convicted of rape, robbery, sodomy, and abduction.
The results show that the judge did not make an ethical decision. The results
proved that Anderson was not the perpetrator, but he spent fifteen years in
prison and four years on parole trying to prove his innocence.
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References
Bjerk, D., & Helland, E. (2018). What Can DNA
Exonerations Tell Us About Racial Differences in Wrongful Conviction Rates?.
SSRN Electronic Journal. https://doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.3261696
Braswell, M., Miller, L. S., & Pollock, J. M.
(2012). Case studies in criminal justice ethics(2nd ed.). Long Grove, IL:
Waveland Press.
Clow, K., & Leach, A. (2013). After innocence:
Perceptions of individuals who have been wrongfully convicted. Legal And
Criminological Psychology, 20(1), 147-164. https://doi.org/10.1111/lcrp.12018
Innocence Project. (2017). The Cases - Marvin
Anderson. Retrieved July 18, 2022, from
https://www.innocenceproject.org/cases/marvin-anderson/
Saber, M., Nodeland, B., & Wall, R. (2021).
Exonerating DNA Evidence in Overturned Convictions: Analysis of Data Obtained
From the National Registry of Exonerations. Criminal Justice Policy Review,
33(3), 256-272. https://doi.org/10.1177/08874034211033327
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