Miscarrages of justice
...he was no angel as a child. He then escaped the social constraints of his color to become a well known boxer and icon to many young men. He was top heavy weight contender at the time of his arrest. While in prison, convinced he’d be there forever he wrote a book later named The 16th Round. This was Carters attempt to tell his side of the story and document his innocence. That night he and his friend John Artis were pulled over fitting the description of two black men given by a survivor of the massacre at the bar. The officer who pulled them over was the same officer who throughout Carters childhood always seemed to be watching and waiting for him to do something wrong. Not caring about the status he had made for himself this white officer hauled he and John in for questioning, already deciding that this time Carter was going to be punished for good. The officer had decided Carters guilt way before Carter even knew why he was in trouble. Once in Jail Carter decided to write about his childhood and growing up black in New Jersey. He felt his case was a trial about being Black in New Jersey which may as well been a trial of his life. He felt he was living in a society where the color of your skin determined your guilt or innocence from the get go and blacks were predetermined criminals in white culture. This still goes on today. But at the time of the convictions they did not have the technology we do now which would have immediately eliminated Carter and Artis as suspects. Finger printing, DNA analysis, gun shot analysis, better gun control laws (registering wise) would have helped prove Carter and Artis’ innocence. Carter contested the original trial and got no where fast. There are many different accounts of what actually happened. He felt his race and notability in the community not as just a boxer but as a juvenile criminal put the final nail in his coffin. No one cared to hear his case. Rubin Carters car was identified by a witness who said they saw the murders flee in dodge fitting the description of Rubins. It didn’t help that they claim they found inside the car shotgun shell and bullet, each matching the weapons used in the murders. Finger Pri...