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Requirement
Topic: Module 8 Contents, applied to this assignment’s objective, focusing on Justice, Criminal and Corrections Policy and Political Issues, in the state of Texas
Objective: Use examples from the movie to explain the politics of Texas’ justice system in application of criminal proceedings and the nature of corrections policy to illustrate meaning of the statement “lock em up” mentality; and create an argument supporting rehabilitation or
incarceration as the best correctional policy approach to dealing with criminals in Texas.
Instructions:
PART 1: Video Access and Viewing
The video you are required to watch, in order to complete this assignment is 50 minute in length. The video is over the Todd Willingham Case. The video is publicly accessible through PBS Frontline’s official website. You can access the video one of two ways, following theinstructions provided below
1. Copy and paste the link below, into a new tab, in your internet browser.http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/death-by-fire/
OR
2. Click on the link, labeled Todd Willingham Video, I have uploaded to the Module 8 Content Folder, in Eagle
PART 2: Video Reflection, Analysis and Submission Instructions
Write a reflective analysis of crime, justice, and punishment under the application of the Death Penalty, in Texas, based on the application of what you learned from the Todd Willingham Case Video. Make sure responses to 1 & 2 are formatted in complete sentences, before submitting
your responses.
1. Issue Position: Identify whether you are for, or against use of the death penalty as a formof criminal punishment (there is NO right or wrong answer). Successful completion of this assignment, and it’s learning objective, require your compliance in identification or your personal position, and perspective, towards the issue of the “death penalty”. Responses are confidential and will be graded objectively, based on student’s independent, and reflective analysis of their own individual personal perspectives, based on application of the objectives to the prompt outlined below.
2. Reflect on the position you identified, and explain your personal position toward the issue, in a minimum of 3 sentences.
3. Read the information providing in the PROMPT section
4. Discuss, and describe, the nature of political debate, surrounding the issue of the death penalty, and explain how your personal position toward the issue has changed or been reinforced, with regard to application to crime, punishment and justice in Texas, based on what you learned from the movie.
Solution
The Todd Willingham Video Analysis Assignment
An American man Cameron Todd Willingham was convicted (January 9, 1968 – February 17, 2004) by arson of murdering his three kids by putting fire to his house in Texas. There had been many investigations that ran during this period when he was put in the death row for seven years.
Happenings on the day of fire
Todd was with his three children in the house when the fire started. His girlfriend turned wife (3 months ago) went for Christmas shopping to a nearby shop. As soon as the fire started, Tod ran out of the house, and his children were inside. He said that he couldn't come back to save his children who were crying for help. The babies got completely engulfed in the fire, and when the cops came, they found two children dead. One was alive, but she died later. The mother of those children came after the incident (Death By Fire PBS Frontline).
The initial observations of cops and investigators
The first observation reported was that Todd was fine, had little injuries and didn't try to save the children as his feet was unburnt. He was also found partying after the incident took place which was very unusual for a father who lost his three young children. A bar owner reported that he got completely involved in the fun, and he did nothing to rescue his children, he dint even try once. She also reported that Todd did not respect his family and used to beat his wife. The cops found unusual fire burns in the house. A flammable fluid was found on the floor(Death By Fire PBS Frontline).
Steps were taken after the initial investigations
Todd was sent to death row for seven years. He was torched there and was pushed hard to confess which he did not. He was even shown the dead pictures of his children and no remorse was seen on his face. The psychologists examined him and declared him a ‘violent sociopath’ (Death By Fire PBS Frontline).
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Incidents during his death row
A lady named ‘Gilbert’ started investigating this case. She found Todd extremely polite and well behaved when she met him in the prison. He told her his version of the incident and said that he was a coward who could not help his children and let them die. He was guilty of being coward. His stepmother quoted that he had relations with other girls too apart from Stacy, his girlfriend cum wife but when he had to make a choice between living with his neighbourhood girlfriend and his children, he chose to stay with his children. Todd's wife confessed that he used to beat her up, but she still supported the fact that Todd could not kill her children. She showed complete belief in Todd for not committing the crime. But when he was convicted, she decided to divorce him and move on with life. She did not go to meet Todd for several years. Gilbert was close to making her final report in which she found Todd innocent when she met with an accident before three months of his conviction, and her investigation got over (Death By Fire PBS Frontline).
Then another set of investigations began, and an expert of investigating the fire scenes was hired who made a report in which it was stated that it was a case of flash fire that burns very quickly. The flammable liquid that was found on the floor could leak from the barbeque that Todd used on his porch. His feet were found unburnt because the fire started from the ceiling and not from the floor. So it was concluded by then that Todd was completely innocent in this case (Death By Fire PBS Frontline).
But just before his conviction, Stacy went to meet him in the prison and they had a talk after 12 years. She told the cops that Todd confessed in front of her that he killed the children intentionally, and he was involved in setting the house on fire. This could not stop Todd's conviction, and he died.
Before dying, he told his friend that, ‘‘God knows that I didn’t do it’’. He also abused his wife when he was being taken for conviction.
My personal analysis of case
After watching the video, I found Todd innocent in this case. I believe that Texas has executed a convicted man wrongfully. I don’t support the conviction and execution of Todd.
My arguments are as follows:
If Todd was guilty, why didn't he just lit the fire in the house and ran away from the place to show that he was not there at home like his wife when the incident took place. But he stood there and shouted for help when his children were getting burnt. He was sent to prison, and he was repeatedly torched, but then also he did not confess that he was guilty. He knew that he may be executed so he could have confessed but he did not as he knew that he didn't do anything wrong. There was no reason that could be found for Todd killing his children. All the pictures and evidence of Todd and children show that he loved then so much. He chose to be with them when his girlfriend wanted him to move with her. If he had to kill his children, he would have done it earlier as he used to take care of them in the absence of his wife. He had enough chances earlier too to commit any crime but he did not. His wife's initial statements support the fact that Todd loved his children, and he could not kill them. She changed later which puts doubt on her, not on Todd. When he was shown the dead pictures of his children, there was no remorse on his face, but that could be because his guilt of not saving the children and his grief didn't allow him to cry, but he was punishing himself from inside. If he was guilty, he could have cried loudly in front of the corps, why would he do something intentionally that would put doubts on his innocence. When he met his wife before his death, and she told the corps that he confessed his crime is not a proven statement. Nobody heard the conversation, and nobody has to evidence that he confessed a crime in front of his wife with whom he was meeting after 12 years.
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Place Your OrderDebate regarding the conviction
The renowned scientist John Lentini says that Todd was not proven guilty but then also was executed. When the case was re-examined, before the death of Todd, the case was turned, and critical findings showed that he was not guilty (Giannelli, n.d.). The evidence of arson was proven to be null and outdated. Another forensic scientist told that not a single iota of evidence showed that fire was arson. It was purely an accidental fire. After all this too, the government of Texas did not delay the execution of Willingham (Giannelli, n.d.). There has been an argument among the people of Texas that there could be other people too who are being convicted without any proven pieces of, evidence and they are innocent too. Texas should learn from the mistakes, and it should not sweep it under the rug like nothing happened (Giannelli, n.d.).
References:
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Death by fire PBS Frontline: http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/death-by-fire/
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Giannelli, P. The Execution of Cameron Todd Willingham: Junk Science, an Innocent Man, and the Politics of Death. SSRN Electronic Journal. http://dx.doi.org/10.2139/ssrn.1917454
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