Intro to Criminal Justice - My Cousin Vinny
Running head: MY COUSIN VINNY
My Cousin Vinny
Tracy Brown
Florida Institute of Technology
My Cousin Vinny
This week we were asked to watch a movie called My Cousin Vinny and compare this to the actual Criminal Justice System. I want to start off by saying the portrayal of the Criminal Justice System was much different than what we see it in real life. I really enjoyed the comedy that was displayed around it. The movie was based around two teenagers who were suspected of murdering a gas station attendant. This movie takes place in Alabama. The first similarity I noticed is that the movie depicted the due process model. In which they were allowed a complete trial to determine true guilt. It seemed as though the sheriff’s office had already determined these two guys guilt prior to the trial. For instance during the interrogation they never told them what they were suspected of doing until Bill admitted to the charges. In reality he was suspected of murdering the gas station attendant when all he truly did was steal a can of tuna. Another thing that they did which followed the Criminal Justice system is the officers made sure they were aware of their rights. I never actually saw them being merandized but they were asked if they knew their rights prior to the interrogation. During the initial investigation they were never made aware of the charges they were being suspected of where in the true legal system they should have been told. A police lineup is done so that the witnesses can identify whom they saw making the attack. This is also done during the initial investigation so the District Attorney can build their case against the suspects. The next part in the criminal justice system they addressed is the arrest. The arrest is the seizing and detaining of a person by lawful authority.(Bohm & Haley, 2008, p. 12) The booking process in the move seemed to only include a phone call. During a normal booking process the police officers typically
My Cousin Vinny
Tracy Brown
Florida Institute of Technology
My Cousin Vinny
This week we were asked to watch a movie called My Cousin Vinny and compare this to the actual Criminal Justice System. I want to start off by saying the portrayal of the Criminal Justice System was much different than what we see it in real life. I really enjoyed the comedy that was displayed around it. The movie was based around two teenagers who were suspected of murdering a gas station attendant. This movie takes place in Alabama. The first similarity I noticed is that the movie depicted the due process model. In which they were allowed a complete trial to determine true guilt. It seemed as though the sheriff’s office had already determined these two guys guilt prior to the trial. For instance during the interrogation they never told them what they were suspected of doing until Bill admitted to the charges. In reality he was suspected of murdering the gas station attendant when all he truly did was steal a can of tuna. Another thing that they did which followed the Criminal Justice system is the officers made sure they were aware of their rights. I never actually saw them being merandized but they were asked if they knew their rights prior to the interrogation. During the initial investigation they were never made aware of the charges they were being suspected of where in the true legal system they should have been told. A police lineup is done so that the witnesses can identify whom they saw making the attack. This is also done during the initial investigation so the District Attorney can build their case against the suspects. The next part in the criminal justice system they addressed is the arrest. The arrest is the seizing and detaining of a person by lawful authority.(Bohm & Haley, 2008, p. 12) The booking process in the move seemed to only include a phone call. During a normal booking process the police officers typically