Frontline’s, “Burden of Innocence”
...people our system is supposed to protect. It is horrible to think that a person could be ripped from their normal life and falsely imprisoned. Our legal system attempts to protect the innocent from being convicted of crimes they didn’t commit. The entire legal system is framed by the Constitution and its amendments, which restrict the government’s ability to infringe on the people. The Constitution protects citizens from unlawful searches and seizures by the police. Another amendment protects us from self incrimination. We are also afforded due process under the law by our Constitution. In the courts, the accused are innocent until proven guilty. Attorneys are provided free of charge for those who cannot afford their own advocate. The accused have the right to have the evidence heard by a jury of their peers and /or a judge. However, with all of these protections in place, Frontline’s documentary proves that mistakes do occur. The system could improve by recognizing and providing for the fact that it is not perfect. The states have a responsibility to exonerate innocent people in our prisons. States should randomly investigate older cases in which new technology could alter the outcome. The states should not be so fast to deny DNA testing for those convicts whose cases came prior to the wide spread use of such technology. It can only act as a safeguard. Without DNA testing, Anthony...