Murder on a Sunday Morning Essay Sample

Murder on a Sunday Morning Essay Sample Murder on a Sunday Morning Analysis ‘Murder on a Sunday Morning‘ is a French documentary film based on a real life incident which happened in 2000 in Jacksonville, Florida. The film directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade brilliantly depicts the Brenton Butler case, when an innocent black American 15-year old boy was falsely accused of the murder he never committed. The film shows how the Butler defense team Patrick McGuinness and Ann Finnell, lawyers from the Public Defender’s Office, build their case for their defendant’s innocence and prove prejudice and incompetence on the part of the Jacksonville Sheriffs Office. Here is a short ‘Murder on a Sunday Morning’ summary and analysis. Summary The plot of this Oscar-winning documentary originated from the incident of Mary Ann Stephens, a 65-year old tourist from Georgia who was shot dead before her husbands very eyes by a black assailant on May 7, 2000. The killer fled with Mrs. Stephens purse. Ninety minutes later, the police arrested and charged with the murder the first convenient black culprit available. It was a black African American teenager, Brendon Butler, a student at Englewood High School, who was on his way to a job interview a local Blockbuster Video outlet. The police brought Butler to the victim’s husband and Mr. Stephens identified and publicly proclaimed the teen as the killer, although he had only caught a glimpse of the real culprit. Butler was taken to the police station. The boy was denied the right to make his phone call and inform his parents or contact a lawyer. The police officers seemed to be utterly convinced of Butler’s being guilty, but they had no solid evidence against him, except the sole eyewitness to the crime. The police interrogated Butler for twelve hours and persuaded him forcefully to sign a false confession where he admitted having committed the murder. He was forced to sign a timeline of events which were written for him by Detective Williams. For investigators, the media and the public opinion, Brenton Butler was just another messed-up youth and they were ready to sentence him in advance. But a public defender, Pat McGuinness, however, takes up the case and defends Brendon Butler. He starts a battle to restore Butler’s rights and the story of Brenton ceases to be so ordinary. The case goes from being an ordinary murder investigation to an obvious miscarriage of justice. In the court, the boy testifies that the detectives Williams, Glover and Darnell, involved in the murder investigation, had threatened, tortured psychologically, and physically abused him to make him confess. Brenton proclaims his innocence. Patrick McGuinness and Ann Finnell supply a photo where the teen has multiple bruises on his thorax and face. The attorneys claim it was a result of the interrogation. The boy tells that the investigators beat him up to force a confession out of him. One of the detectives was Michael Glover, son of the then current Sheriff of Jacksonville Nat Glover, and Benton testifies that Glover hit the hardest. Analysis The film looks like a document of the legal process around Brenton Butler’s case that goes on to prove that Butler is innocent and indict Jacksonville police officers for a serious miscarriage of justice. Lestrade uses a chronological approach to the material and goes through all the stages of the trial. Besides, the viewers are shown the Butlers family home, the community, and the local church which the Butlers attend. The filmmakers detail the trial process from the point of view of the defense and show how a good defense lawyer shapes the evidence to reveal the hidden truth. The film has also a post-script that provides further information regarding the case. After Butlers acquittal, McGuinness’s office provided the police with the relevant information that helped catch the real killers, Juan Curtis and Jermel Williams. The film conveys two very important messages. First, it reveals the imperfections of the US criminal justice system. Secondly, the film depicts the dedication and skills of public defenders Pat McGuinness and Ann Finnell who are typical representatives of court-appointed lawyers. They are the first line of defense in the United States against the wrongful conviction of the innocent.