Amanda Cross - Say Her Name: The Life & Death of Sandra Bland TV - Marie Staunton - Richard Dawkins - Adam Curtis TV - Catching Britain’s Killers: The Crimes that Changed Us TV - Abused by the Police? TV - Penn & Teller TV - The Hurricane 1999 - The Long Memory 1952 - After Innocence 2005 - Spitting Image TV - Alastair Logan - Retrial by TV: The Rise and Fall of Rough Justice TV - The Night Of TV - Long Shot 2017 - BBC news online - Texas Tribune - Exhibit A 2019 - How to Fix a Drug Scandal - Call Northside 777 - Panorama: Scandal at the Post Office TV - Crimes that Shook the Britain TV - Ludicrous Diversion: 7/7 Bombings -
77,319. In former days, everyone found the assumption of innocence so easy; today we find fatally easy the assumption of guilt. (Innocence & Guilt & Miscarriages of Justice) Amanda Cross, Poetic Justice 1970
134,833. Cell 95: ‘Where she was didn’t have cameras … You have a thirty-gallon trash can in the inmates’ cell that gives her access to a plastic bag. If she was in as much pain as she said she was in, I just don’t see how she could have tied that perfect – very perfect – noose.’ (Murder & Suicide & Police & Protest & Hanging & Arrest & Black Culture & Activism & Texas & Miscarriages of Justice & Racism & Prison & Care) Say Her Name: The Life & Death of Sandra Bland ***** HBO/Sky Documentaries 2020, family
71,217. We’re very worried that the government haven’t disclosed plans for the next round of emergency legislation which they may introduce. Because it is now that parliament ought to be saying, Well is this really the best way of going about it? And it’s now that we ought to be debating it. Because during the Second World War a lot of miscarriages of justice happened to a lot of innocent people. (Emergency & Miscarriages of Justice) Marie Staunton, National Council for Civil Liberties
75,800. In Texas alone, thirty-five condemned people have been exonerated since DNA evidence became admissible in court. (DNA & Texas & Miscarriages of Justice) Richard Dawkins, The Greatest Show on Earth
138,604. Ghosts of the past were returning at the margins in England too. In August 1999 a farmed in Norfolk called Tony Martin shot two burglars who were travellers; he killed one of them called Fred Barras … Martin was found guilty of murder and sentenced to life in prison. His conviction touched off a wave of protest. On the surface it was about Martin’s right to defend himself. But it also expressed a much wider feeling that was simmering under the surface. That the very institutions that were supposed to protect the people – the law, the police and the politicians – were now being turned against them. A growing sense that you couldn’t trust those in power any longer. (Power & Elite & Paranoia & Individual & Trust & Miscarriages of Justice: Martin) Adam Curtis, Can’t Get You Out of My Head IV: But What if the People are Stupid? BBC 2021
138,624. In Britain a series of scandals revealed that dozens of innocent people had been held in jail. Some for over 15 years: they included the Guildford 4 and the Birmingham 6. Most of them were Irishmen who had been accused of being members of the IRA and planting bombs in English cities. Every time they had tried to prove their innocence, they had been blocked by some of the most senior figures in the British establishment despite overwhelming evidence of false confessions and fake evidence. (Power & Elite & Paranoia & Individual & Miscarriages of Justice & Scandal & Injustice) Adam Curtis, Can’t Get You Out of My Head V: The Lordly Ones *****
131,579. The confession was king and police were a law unto themselves. (Kill & Police & Justice & Miscarriages of Justice & Rights & Civil Liberties & Arrest & Confession & Murder Cases) Catching Britain’s Killers: The Crimes that Changed Us III, introduction
131,580. A miscarriage of justice so shocking it exposes the dark secrets of the police interrogation room and transforms the rights of us all. (Kill & Police & Justice & Miscarriages of Justice & Rights & Civil Liberties & Arrest & Confession & Murder Cases) ibid.
131,581. ‘Establishing time of death is terribly important: it is absolutely vital to get it right or the wrong people could finish up begin conviction.’ (Kill & Police & Justice & Miscarriages of Justice & Rights & Civil Liberties & Arrest & Confession & Murder Cases) ibid. Dr Cameron
131,582. Radio Times: After the body of Maxwell Confait was found in his south London bedsit in April 1972, three boys were quickly arrested and questioned. Confait had been strangled, and the trio – Colin Lattimore (18) who had learning difficulties, Ronnie Leighton, 15, and Ahmet Salih, 14 – confessed their supposed involvement to police. (Kill & Police & Justice & Miscarriages of Justice & Rights & Civil Liberties & Arrest & Confession & Murder Cases) ibid.
131,583. In the early 1970s the questioning of a suspect often took place in a cellblock, and with no independent witness, the only version of what was said came from the police themselves. The three boys were taken to Lewisham police station. (Kill & Police & Justice & Miscarriages of Justice & Rights & Civil Liberties & Arrest & Confession & Murder Cases) ibid.
131,584. All three boys were being tried for arson, but Colin and Ronnie were also standing trial for the murder. They all pleaded their not guilty and protested their innocence. (Kill & Police & Justice & Miscarriages of Justice & Rights & Civil Liberties & Arrest & Confession & Murder Cases) ibid.
131,585. ‘The confession had been obtained under threats, duress without strong strong evidence … The police behaved badly.’ (Kill & Police & Justice & Miscarriages of Justice & Rights & Civil Liberties & Arrest & Confession & Murder Cases) ibid. brief
131,586. ‘Colin’s alibi was absolutely superb.’ (Kill & Police & Justice & Miscarriages of Justice & Rights & Civil Liberties & Arrest & Confession & Murder Cases) ibid.
131,587. Life sentences with no time limit. (Kill & Police & Justice & Miscarriages of Justice & Rights & Civil Liberties & Arrest & Confession & Murder Cases) ibid.
130,577. In 2017 an 18 year old went public with allegations that shook the country. Anna Chambers polarized opinion and seemed to draw attention to an under reported problem: police sex crime. For two years she turned down many interview offers. (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & Law) Abused by the Police? ***** BBC 2019
130,578. She was brought up in this working-class neighbourhood near Coney Island. The park where the alleged attack happened is just around the corner. (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & Law) ibid.
130,579. ‘He pulled my head to his dick and just making me blow him … and just shoved it inside of me. I was just screaming … The black guy … was just looking in the mirror … like it was nothing … They just left me there.’ (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & Law) ibid.
130,580. Back home her dad sent her to hospital to do a rape test. A nurse alerted the police. (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & New York & Law) ibid.
130,581. DNA was found on Anna’s body. A DNA test confirmed a positive match with the semen of NYD detectives Richard Hall and Eddie Martins. (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & Law) ibid.
130,582. After two weeks no arrests have been made. (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & Law) ibid.
130,583. ‘The case of a women who says she was raped in the back of a police van is drawing attention to an apparent loop-hole in some state laws that may allow police to escape sexual assault charges by claiming sex acts were consensual.’ (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & Law) ibid. television news
130,584. One case in particular catches my attention: I found another case with a woman in Chicago. She says she was raped by two police officers after a night out drinking. It seems to have striking similarities to Anna Chambers. Two on duty police officers and a DNA match. (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & Law) ibid.
130,585. The investigation went on for three years … Eventually, the officers were offered a plea deal: they accepted one count of official misconduct in exchange for two years probation and dropping the sexual assault charges. (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & Law) ibid.
130,586. In 2016 more than a dozen Oakland police officers for sexual misconduct involving an under-age girl. (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & Law) ibid.
130,587. ‘You run the risk of being exiled. They vandalised your car, your home. You may receive physical threats … We had cops who had 20 or 30 complaints against them for brutality, for stealing, for planing evidence, and nothing ever happens to them. And they’re not afraid; they’re not afraid of Internal Affairs … I can recall complaints where sex workers were coerced into performing sex acts on an officer to avoid going to jail. There were some sex workers who complained that officers harassed them. There were cases where sex workers were sexually assaulted, raped, robbed, and officers and detectives wouldn’t take their complaint seriously. Or would threaten them with jail.’ (Abuse & Police & Miscarriages of Justice & Rape & Law) ibid. Internal affairs insider
19,984. DNA exonerations have been responsible for releasing over 250 innocent people from prison. And it has helped expose case of prosecutorial misconduct all over the country. (Crime & Prison & Innocence & DNA & Justice & Miscarriages of Justice) Penn & Teller: Bullshit! Criminal Justice s8e7
96,610. Rozzer: I’m looking for two Negroes in a white car.
Washington: Any two will do? (GBH Films & Black Culture & Miscarriages of Justice) The Hurricane 1999 starring Denzel Washington & Vicellous Reon Shannon & Deborah Kara Unger & Live Schreiber & John Hannah & Dan Hedaya & Debbi Morgan & Clancy Brown & David Paymer & Harris Yulin & Rob Steiger & Vincent Pastore & Beatrice Winde et al, director Norman Jewison, Washington and driver
96,707. What can I say … Boyd killed the other man with a poker. The Long Memory 1952 starring John Mills & John McCallum & Elizabeth Sellars & Eva Bergh & Geoffrey Keen & Michael Martin-Harvey & John Chandos & John Slater & Thora Hurd & Vida Hope & Harold Lang & Mary Mackenzie et al, director Robert Hamer
96,709. It was a choice between him and my father. ibid. lying witness
96,711. I’ve been hating you and planning revenge on you for twelve years … I can’t be bothered. I just can’t be bothered. ibid.