Part 1 Research Report- Just Mercy by Julia DiPietrantonio

Observation on film. Treatment of justice/injustice/social justice/the law; a drafted thesis statement; and brief notes on three-five “key scenes” from the film related to our thesis.

juliadip02 — 2021-03-07 20:08:41 UTC

The film emphasizes social justice by exemplifying classes into race and wealth. First, class discrimination and racism are demonstrated in the key story of the film, that being a middle-aged black man falsely accused of the murder of a young adult female. The class distinctions and racism issues are visible in the initial problem. There are many scenes from the film that give direct attention to social injustices.
1.A scene with Darnell Hooks shows him being arrested for perjury after trying to give the police the truth. Darnell Hooks was a young black man, attempting to share the truth about the case that falsely put Johnny D in jail. This scene demonstrates the racist tendencies of the officers who claimed Darnell had to be arrested, simply for speaking the truth.
2. Another scene to take note of includes Officer Inker. Ikner was the first officer to the scene of Ronda Morrison’s murder. Ikner has also attempted to tell the Sheriff the truth of Ronda’s case but was forced to resign for doing so. This is an interesting scene because Inker was a white male, middle-aged police officer. This shows the social injustice of class discrimination against Inker, from his Boss; the Sheriff.
3. Lastly, Ralph Meyers played an extremely crucial role in this film. Meyers is a middle-aged white man, also serving a prison sentence. He was very badly burned in a house fire when he was a young boy. Ralph had agreed to make up his story at trial to frame Johnny D. Later on in the film, hidden tapes of Ralph admitting the testimony was fake were found, and Ralph admitted in Johnny D’s trial in-person that his whole story was fake. He went through with the deal because it gave him a smaller sentence for his offenses. Ralph Meyers was allowed to get away with this ultimately because it was the Sheriff’s idea, and no one had questioned him because he was a white male

Thesis

juliadip02 — 2021-03-07 20:08:41 UTC

The film Just Mercy, directed by Destin Crettons, is based on factual events that are inspirational and moving for the audience. It encourages the desire to hold onto hope despite the odds. The events that occurred unveil the unjust aspects of the judicial system concerning the black community in Alabama. Just Mercy well-portrayed depictions of systematic racial injustice, southern predispositions towards the black community, and the unjustness concerning death row. If racism and injustice in the black community are prominent, whereby can we ensure that justice will equally be served to every individual despite the colour of their skin?

Just Mercy

juliadip02 — 2021-03-07 20:09:54 UTC

Director: Destin Daniel Cretton
Year: 2019

After having viewed the film, work in close collaboration with your assigned team members to develop a thesis about the film’s outlook on justice/ Injustice /the law. Do you agree or disagree with the film’s portrayal of this issue? Why? Using specific examples from the film and making reference to current discussions on social justice issues, explain why you find the film’s outlook thought - provoking or why you felt it was inadequate.

juliadip02 — 2021-03-07 20:16:50 UTC

The issues exhibited in the film, Just Mercy, portray a realistic view of racism, southern predispositions towards the black community, and the unjustness of death row. For centuries across the globe, minority groups have been battling these horrid issues due to prejudiced societies and government systems. Just Mercy reveals the struggles minority groups face and the impacts racism, prejudice, and death row have on many individuals. In the movie, Darnell Hooks is wrongfully convicted of perjury due to his race and society's racial views. This is a primary example that exhibits the impacts of racism and prejudice. At the beginning of the movie, Johnny D was arrested for a crime he did not commit and was taken into custody since he resembled a male the police were investigating. After the arrest, his trial carried on for two days till he was then convicted and sentenced to death row for a crime he did not commit. This scene displays social injustice since there are many circumstances where black males and females are misrepresented of someone they are not. By sentencing Johnny D to death row and not giving him a fair court hearing, it raises the concern of personal rights being infringed, which is commonly seen. Racial injustice has been an ongoing social justice issue across the globe for centuries. Racism can appear in any environment, such as the workplace and the media, that can impact many individual's mental and physical health. There are a variety of movements, such as Black Lives Matter, that protest against events of police brutality and racial violence against black individuals. Meghan Markle is a current discussion across many media platforms about the racism she and her family experienced with the Royal Family. Meghan's race and the possibility of her children's complexion were a major concern for the Royal Family’s image. The concern of race demonstrates that prejudicial views are still occurring and impacting many individuals.

Group members

juliadip02 — 2021-03-20 18:47:10 UTC

Julia DiPietrantonio, Alejandro Navarro, Marieke Van Spriel, Stephanie Galati, Xania Pagliaroli

Secondary Sources

juliadip02 — 2021-03-20 18:49:42 UTC

Brewer, R. M., & Heitzeg, N. A. (2008). The Racialization of Crime and Punishment: Criminal Justice, Color-Blind Racism, and the Political Economy of the Prison Industrial Complex. American Behavioral Scientist, 51(5), 625–644. Retrieved from https://doi.org/10.1177/0002764207307745

Nolan, T. J. (1997). Racism in the criminal justice system: Problems and suggestions. Harvard Journal of Law and Public Policy, 20(2), 417-421. Retrieved from https://subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/login?URL=?url=https://www-proquest-com.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/scholarly-journals/racism-criminal-justice-system-problems/docview/235205741/se-2?accountid=11233

Unnever, J. D., Cullen, F. T., & Jonson, C. (2008). Race, Racism, and Support for Capital Punishment. Crime and Justice: Review of Research, 37, Retrieved from https://heinonline-org.subzero.lib.uoguelph.ca/HOL/Page?collection=journals&handle=hein.journals/cjrr37&id=54&men_tab=srchresults