I apologize for the lateness of this entry. We appreciate you guys hanging in there for this different sort of film. It's different even for a documentary, though the devices Errol Morris first used here, dramatizations primarily, are old hat now--watch America's Most Wanted sometime. Watch fellow documentary filmmakers talk about the influence this movie had.
This story would be a comedy if wasn't true. Randall Adams was convicted for a crime he didn't commit. He did spend 2 years on death row. And David Harris kept committing crime after crime and no one took him seriously.
So, as we asked in class,and in the context of our conversation with Jim and Elizabeth, what is your reaction to this horror story? And do you think this could ever happen to you? Why or why not?
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This is an unbelievable story – perfect for Hollywood but almost impossible to be true. It’s incredible that the justice system (from the cops to the federal agents to the prosecutors) can get such a bad case of tunnel vision that they completely focus on one person, shutting out any other possibilities. The only reason that they so aggressively chose Adams is because they wanted to uphold their public image. They had wrapped up every other cop killer case in weeks, and it took them months to find the wrong guy. Once they had him, it didn’t matter that he may not have committed the crime. They could fabricate their story, using incentives and disincentives to falsely build a case. Jim and Elizabeth both proclaimed their faith in the justice system multiple times. What they meant to say, however, is that they have faith in the justice system as long as everyone does their job the “right” way, or the “clean” way. Without things like corruption, public images to uphold, tunnel vision, and other common detrimental effects, the system would be pretty close to perfect. When these detrimental effects come into play, however, the system falls apart in a dramatic way.
ReplyDeleteI thought this story was tragic and scary. At first I didn't know what to think about it, the scene of the electric chair kept playing through my head. Now having time to think about it, it makes me see the justice system in a whole new light. When Jim came to our classroom and talked about how he had never lost a case, it reinforced by belief in the justice system. I thought that it was really working and putting away the "bad people" and keeping our world "a safer place." However hearing about Randall Adams made me question how well the justice system really works. The way I saw law enforcement was getting criminals off the street and putting them in jail while at the same time defending the innocent and keeping them out. Knowing now that a man was on death row for a murder he did not commit. While the man who did commit the murder was out on the street killing and hurting more people, makes me question if the justice system really works.
ReplyDeleteJim and Elizabeth both believed that the law helped people and worked to serve justice. However they didn’t say that in order for the justice system to work everyone has to do their job correctly and fairly, which in the documentary they did not. The police needed someone to blame so they could close their case, and since they already had Randall Adams in custody he was the easiest target. I don’t think a lot of people thought that Randall Adams actually killed the police officer. However because it was a cop that had been killed they needed people to think that the police was tough on cop killers and they wanted people to feel safe. With reputations to uphold and money to save Randall Adams was falsely convicted and jailed.
I pray to g-d that nothing like this ever happens to me. This might sound weird but I believe that this couldn't happened today; especially if the crime wasn't committed in the south. Today, at least in most states, the death penalty isn't nearly used as much as it was back then. Now when someone gets the chair it makes the news because it is less likely to happen. This whole story was also really bizarre. If Randall Adams hadn't done one of the events that occurred that night his conviction would have never happened. If he didn't meet David Harris; if he didn't take Harris to the movie or done drugs with him he wouldn't have spent 12 to 13 years in prison for a murder he had nothing to do with. If that unbelievably creepy women didn't decide to testify that she saw Adams and if the dead cops partner hadn't changed her story to point the finger at Harris he would have been fine. The point was the Texas justice system wanted someone's life to be taken for the murder of the cop. Since the true murderer was only sixteen he couldn't get the chair. Now the death sentence is a rare event that tends to only happen when someone kills like ten people and even then it is still a big deal.
ReplyDeleteI think that this story is appalling. I find it almost impossible to believe that this story is actually true. The possibility of this happening seems so unlikely, but then again, all of the innocent people who have been convicted of crimes they didn’t commit prove that it is always a possibility. I could not imagine what it would be like if this happened to me. I’m surprised that Randall Adams didn’t just go completely crazy or become depressed. I can’t imagine what it would feel like to be accused of murdering another human being, when inside you knew that you didn’t do it. I think its even worse that the kid who actually committed the crime was the one accusing Adams. I think that this could happen to anybody. It’s just a matter of being in the wrong place at the wrong time.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this case probably is highly unlikely to happen again but i only say that because i haven't heard of anything like this before... For this situation i don't see why everyone didn't believe that this kid committed these crimes. Going back to what Elizabeth said about the people she defends, if they are on death row, they more than likely are guilty and deserve it. so in this case, the law isn't being fair and completely took this innocent person out of his life for almost 12 years and that is wrong. Like Adams was saying, if his car didn't break down, he wouldn't of gotten into this situation. If his car didn't break down, he wouldn't have needed the lift from David Harris. If Adam's car had worked, he probably would have lived a normal life without being on death row.
ReplyDeleteI feel that if this happened to me, I would've gotten extremely depressed and gone insane. If I, myself, knew that I didn't commit the crime i wouldn't know what to do...because i am sure that you cant just say "I didn't kill the person" and just get let go.
This story seems amazing to me. It seemed like everything that could have gone wrong for Randall Adams did, which led to him being jailed instead of David Harris. To me, it didn't seem like the cops and people who convicted Adams were corrupt, it just seemed like a chain reaction: They were all mislead and misinformed and chose to believe what was easiest to believe. It seemed like it was easy for Jim and Elizabeth to have faith in the justice system, because have never been on the recieving end, like Adams was. His conviction struck me as a fluke or malfunction in the justice system; something that shouldn't happen but occasionally does. I don't think anything like this could happen to me, but I'm sure Adams didn't either.
ReplyDeleteThis story is unbelievable to me. It amazes me that the people we are taught to trust most could be so horribly wrong. Many parts of this story disturb me because it's real. From watching this movie, it seems so clear and obvious who the murderer is, and I don't find it possible that any trained cop could look at the lucid evidence and not see the truth hitting them in the face. Everything from the timing of the TV shows Adams watched, to the credibility of the few witnesses, and the difference in the cop's two stories should have been enough for the police officers working on this case to figure out who was innocent and who was guilty. I think everyone involved in this case created their own version of reality, their own truth, and in turn ignored the obvious facts of what happened. And the way the police officer who interrogated Adams in the beginning is a perfect example of how terrible it is when you treat someone innocent as though they were guilty. I can't imagine being in a situation like this, but the scary thing is that it's possible, though not very. Jim and Elizabeth repeated their faith in the legal system, and though I would like to agree with them, I find it hard to do so. Some might look upon this situation as an 'exception' in the system. But the possibility that I, or anyone, could pay for someone else's crime because powerful people's obscure versions of the truth aren't correct seems not only unfair, but terrifying.
ReplyDeleteI thought that this story was very interesting. Elizabeth and Jim claimed that the "system" worked. But this story showed a very good example of how the "system" was flawed. It also is in a way disturbing because if the justice system is flawed then how do you know if any of the people who are put in jail are the "real" criminals. David Harris said that thousands of people are wrongly accused and put in jail for crimes they did not commit. He is right, there are many examples where this has happened. i hope that i am never in this sort of situation. even though the death penalty is questioned in many states and is rarely used, this could still happen today. I feel like if the "system" works so well (in Elizabeth and Jim's opinion), then this type of problem should have been fixed a long time ago.
ReplyDeletethink this movie is very upsetting. A lot of what Jim and Elizabeth talked about was having faith in the system, and it is now hard for me to have faith in the system when I see a movie like this. From this movie the system seems completely corrupt. I believe it was David Harris who said something in the movie like if they want someone to be guilty then they are guilty. The system needed to cover its self because they couldn’t have an unsolved case of a dead officer. So it doesn’t seem to me that the system is fair in any way and that it should be trusted. Yes, the argument could be made that this doesn’t happen very often, but the one time it does happen reveals just how flawed the system is. I don’t think this could happen to me. It seems impossible that this could happen to me since I have been taught to trust the system. I guess that if it happens to one innocent man than it could happen to any innocent person if the system wanted it to be that way.
ReplyDeleteSeeing this movie scared me, I'm not going to lie. It was extremely unsettling to see that Adams was just an everyday guy who got convicted and was very close to being executed for a crime he didn't commit. This movie makes it seem as if this could really happen to anyone in the wrong place at the wrong time. It's amazing that this is a true story, and not a Hollywood type production. Seeing this makes me want to heavily disagree with the views of Elizabeth and Jim. I just can't see the just and belief in the system after seeing this because Harris just kept getting away with crimes and even though he was eventually convicted and on death row it wasn't even for the original murder of the officer! Like Rachel said, yes this doesn't happen everyday, but when it does happen the outcome can be very unsettling. Ok, sure you can trust the system somewhat but don't invest all your faith in it because as seen here, it can and does fail. After seeing this movie I have to wonder if Jim and Elizabeth told us about their undying faith in the system because they felt they had too...I'm not 100% sure. Only because the people we are supposed to trust don't want everyone knowing they can really screw up.
ReplyDeleteI thought this movie was very upsetting. To know that someone was on death row and in jail for around 13 years for doing nothing is just outrageous. I can't say that I don't think it will ever happen again because it probably will. Maybe someone on death row right now is innocent but we don't know that because they could be in a similar situation to Adams. For me to think about someone in jail right now who knows that he is innocent but serving time for the wrong doings of someone else is horrible. I think that our system can work if it is used properly and in this case it wasn't. The jury and judge trusted some nut cases and even the police officer lied. I really hope I am not in a similar situation to this but from watching this movie it makes it seem like it could happen to anyone. Because I know that I am innocent but if people say things that lead the judge to believe it's me I'm in big trouble.
ReplyDeleteI think allot of people were shocked, or appalled by what we saw. To be honest I was not. This kind of thing is going to happen, no matter what. Innocent people will always be arrested or killed. The reason is of course is that human are the ones controlling the system. And humans can be dishonest, malicious, or just lazy. And when these kind of people control power these things happen. I still have at least some faith in the system though. I do have some issues with it, but I think that it is generally good. I think that it works most of the time, and Jim and Elizabeth said that it rarely happened. It could happen to anyone though. I is really all about luck. If you are in the wrong place at the wrong time then you could very well have ended up in the same situation as the man. But I still think the system works.
ReplyDeleteAfter reading everyone’s blog posts my viewpoint changed. As most people have said, I think that what happened was terrible; that a man was in jail for almost 13 years for something that he did not commit. After reading Christian’s post my view kind of changed because I think that Christian brought up some good points. I believe that what happened to Adams was terrible, but I agree with Christian that this does not happen everyday. If there was a movie made about this, it shows that this was a big deal that it does not happen very often. I agree that it would be terrible if an innocent person was sitting in jail for something they did not commit, but it is difficult for people to be right all the time. Everyone makes mistakes, including the people working in law enforcement. As Jim and Elizabeth said, you have to have faith in the system and I believe that. The system has to work because if it didn’t there would be some other type of system that would exist with flaws. Also, the people following the system have the ability to change the system if it doesn’t work, so I think that we need to have faith in the system. I agree with everyone that this situation was terrible, but I also think that since a movie was made about it, it was a unique situation. I agree with Madison, this could happen to anyone depending on if they were at the wrong place at the wrong time.
ReplyDeleteThe story seemed to get more and more ridiculous as it went on. Each new piece of evidence made it more obvious that Randal was not the killer. Towards the end you almost had to laugh in disbelief that they didn't figure who the real shooter was. I think it's possible that it could happen to anyone really. This guy seemed like a very nice guy who wouldn’t do anything illegal, but he just happened to be in the wrong place at the wrong time. I have to agree with Christian about if the system works or not. I think that the vast majority of people found guilty are, in fact, guilty. There's no way of knowing everything possible about a crime, which means there's always a chance that an error can be made.e wrong time. I have to agree with Christian about if the system works or not. I think that the vast majority of people found guilty are, in fact, guilty. There's no way of knowing everything possible about a crime, which means there's always a chance that an error can be made.
ReplyDelete-Nick
This documentary was shocking, but more than that, the story was shocking. It's hard for me to imagine this being true even though I know it is. I was a bit confused while watching the documentary, but after letting it sink in for a bit it's more upsetting than ever. The fact that Adams had to spend so much time in jail even though he didn't commit murder is very unfortunate and hard to grasp. That said, I must agree with Christian (and everyone else) about whether the system works or not. I don't know a statistic, but I'd say most of the time when someone's put in jail they're guilty. As Cori pointed out, this is a big deal, not something that happens every day. Because of that it does not make me lose complete faith in the system. Although it has its flaws and things like this do happen, I don't think one can write the system off completely.
ReplyDeleteI felt bad for Randell Adams because he was convicted of a crime that he did not commit and he should not served time for it. It is not okay to put an innocent man in jail. It is not fair to anyone if we do this because it means that everyone is subseptable to be thrown in jail for crimes they did not commit. I believe that this is possible and it is scary. Because people do mess up and people do lie. There are rules and regulations set to stop this but it is scary that it is still possible.
ReplyDeleteI believe that the unfortunate truth is, this will happen. As long as there are arguments about who is guilty, some of those arguments will be won by good lawyers. While reflecting on the movie I was trying to think about something that could make incorrect convictions go away, but I couldn't think of any. Only if the court system was more lenient toward the prosecuted would this not happen more. And if this were the case, more guilty people would get away with crimes. I don't think this would be worth it. People will have to suffer injustice for the good of the society. I don't believe that this would ever happen to me, but that may just be because I am a little naive towards the situation. Maybe the truth is we are all vulnerable to be in the wrong place at the wrong time.
ReplyDeleteI think that this is a very tragic story, but it is still an isolated incident. The chances of this happening are a million to one. For the most part, our court system works great. Just because it failed once does not mean that we shouldn't have trust in it. There is no such thing as a perfect system, and I don't think that we should expect that of our courts. When people hear about something terrible, they often assume that things like that happen all the time. Take for instance the nuclear power disaster in Ukraine. Because something terrible happened one time, people thought that nuclear power was unsafe and should not be used. Because of one isolated incident, the entire idea of nuclear power was discredited. Our system is not perfect, nothing is, but we should realize that this may be as good as we can get it.
ReplyDeleteIt's interesting, because Jim and Elizabeth said that the system works, but they were talking about choosing punishment, and they almost assumed that the person in question was guilty. I think there's a problem with the idea that efficiency is the main goal. It's true that efficiency is needed a lot of times to track people and evidence down. However, there's definitely a problem when people want to convict someone, anyone, quickly. In The Thin Blue Line, they convicted Randall Adams just because a few people testified. However, anyone can testify. It's hard to know what to do, because people can lie, and that's not necessarily the justice system's fault. I definitely think this could happen to me. It could happen to a lot of people. You just have to be in the wrong place at the wrong time, and having a mustache can help too.
ReplyDeleteI thought this story was awful and everything people have said, but I guess I'm pretty pessimistic about our society because this sort of drastic blunder didn't surprise me that much. It's a common theme in what we have been watching: cops going for the easiest explanation instead of the truest.
ReplyDeleteThe other problem is that we truly have no way of knowing if this story is an anomaly or a trend. Without all the reinvestigation that went on and all the discrepancies questioned, the truth would never have come to light. It's possible that there are many more cases out there similar to this one, more than we'd ever want to know existed.