Fundamental fairness. One man's journey to judgment

Description

Fundamental Fairness is about a man convicted of murdering a wealthy elderly interior decorator with an injection of cleaning fluid. But did he do it? How do we know if any defendant has gotten a fair trial? Through this specific case, the legal system is examined to illustrate how it doesn't always work correctly. The documentary introduces the key players and their relationships, and then works through the police investigation, pre-trial issues, the trial, and the appeals process. Specific issues are raised about the respective roles and responsibilities of police as well as defense and prosecuting attorneys, about the rules of evidence, and about the decision-making process of judges at various stages in the appeals process. This is a case where many things appear to have gone wrong for the defendant. Through this exploration, questions are raised about the kinds of issues that need to be addressed in order to help insure that every defendant receives the fundamental fairness guaranteed by the Constitution.

Runtime

28 minutes

Subjects

Geography

Genre

Database

Alexander Street

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