A few days later, the trial court adjudicated him guilty and sentenced him to life on the murder charge and fifty years on the robbery charge. [1] Mary Ann Stephens was shot in the head in front of her husband and the killer fled. The state argued that Butler's confession was not admissible as a declaration against penal interest because he was available to testify. People cannot be charged because of hate and vengeance, but to ensure justice for the crimes they have committed., The media and the government should keep to themselves, and let nature take its course. O.J. Tourist Murder", "Butler Family Plans $2.5 Million Civil Lawsuit", "Falsely Accused Teen Sues For $8.5 Million", "Butler Family Settles Lawsuit With City", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brenton_Butler_case&oldid=1126716534, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 December 2022, at 21:37. In 2008: Public defender-elect fires 10 seasoned attorneys, including two who represented Brenton Butler, Violence and youth: Before Aiden Fucci, these juveniles were charged as adults in high-profile Jacksonville-area cases. We would be more concerned if Butler had been bragging to his friends, or if he had something to gain by his statement, or if he had been threatened or coerced in some way. Escuchar este artculo. [2] Curtis was subsequently found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. There was no evidence presented to the jury in Curtis' case to prove or even suggest that Butler's confession was coerced. However, during the trial he testified that he had been . Director Jean-Xavier de Lestrade Stars Ann Finnell Patrick McGuinness James Williams See production, box office & company info Watch on Freevee Watch Free on Freevee The case against Butler proceeded to trial, but he was acquitted. 2. He was charged. Though the series revolves around a black teenager by that name and highlights similar flaws in our systems of law and order, Seven Seconds is not based on the real Butler's life. BOOTH, J., dissents with opinion. An Ideal Culprit) is a 2001 documentary film directed by Jean-Xavier de Lestrade. The trial faced many challenges during the time, it was even considered the Trial of the Century because it caused so much controversy. Brenton Butler We found 14 records for Brenton Butler in IN, FL and 8 other states. The cops figured they had it solved in record time. When the police officers informed him that he had been identified by the victim's husband, he started crying and said, If that's the case, I need a lawyer. Butler asked to speak with the officers again that afternoon, but again he denied that he had committed the offense. Florida, una turista de 65 aos es asesinada por una bala en la cabeza delante de su esposo, por un joven afroamericano que le roba su cartera. Join Facebook to connect with Brent Butler and others you may know. He added that he also recognized Curtis by his face. 1038. Curtis contends that the trial court deprived him of the right to due process of law by excluding Butler's confession from evidence. The detectives can accept the discipline or appeal it to a Sheriff's Office disciplinary review board, which would then recommend whether to uphold Gordon's proposed punishment or offer its own. During the investigation of a shooting death outside a motel in 2000, police arrested 15-year-old Brenton Butler and charged him with the murder. 186, 501 N.E.2d 207, 221 (1986); see also Jones v. State, 709 So.2d 512, 525 (Fla.1998) (equating a confession made to police with a confession made spontaneously to a friend). See Morton v. State, 689 So.2d 259 (Fla.1997), receded from on other grounds by Rodriguez v. State, 753 So.2d 29 (Fla.2000).
The film Murder On A Sunday Morning, a documentary about Butler's arrest and the trial that followed, was released only a year later, and addressed how public opinion impacted the case. No one was injured, but a dog died in a house fire Wednesday afternoon in Sugar Hill. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. As several courts have observed, a confession made to a police officer may be considered reliable, because it subjects the declarant to prosecution. According to Officer Martin, Mr. Stephens said that there was no doubt in his mind that Butler was the shooter. This seemingly racial bias is what connects the story of the real Brenton Butler and the fictional Brenton Butler of Seven Seconds. 1038, 35 L.Ed.2d 297 (1973), the Supreme Court concluded that the defendant should have been allowed to present evidence that someone else had confessed to the crime. The second factor the Court relied on in Chambers was that the confessions were corroborated by other evidence. According to their attorney, the family decided to settle for various reasons, including concerns about how long the case would drag on and the difficulty in proving the case under federal civil rights law.[9]. Facebook gives people the power to share and makes the world more open and connected. Always happy with his cut. Contact us. Rather, the question is whether there is substantial evidence to corroborate the confession. That teenager becomes the center of a politically-charged confrontation between law enforcement and those they are meant to protect, but the story of the real Brenton Butler is far different from the story seen in Seven Seconds. [6], In late February 2001, lawyers for the Butler family announced that they were moving forward with a civil lawsuit seeking $2.5million in damages against the City, the Sheriff's Department and individual officers involved. There were various reasons that aided the jury's decision to declare Mr. Butler not guilty. If she were to locate it on a map, it would be right around where Palatka is in reality. As Chief Justice Burger explained, The accuracy and truthfulness of [the juvenile's] testimony were key elements in the State's case against petitioner. Officer Williams testified in the proffer that Butler had been advised of his rights and that, at first, he denied that he had anything to do with the murder. Williams told the jury that he had no agreement with the state, and he denied that he had been promised a lighter sentence in return for his testimony against Curtis. The government should always think that people was innocent before they found guilty and it supposed not to have privilege above the law. The end goal of the officers was to arrest a dangerous man and get him off the street, but by not fulfilling a technicality that the man was released and free even after stating everything he was charged for was true. All rights reserved. Butler was freed. The job was not easy. Seven Seconds is connecting itself to another story about injustice with a young black man at its center, and the association could be what introduces audiences in 2018 to the tragedy of the real Brenton Butler. [1] After the grand jury investigation, the Sheriff's office began taping interrogations of juvenile suspects, and implemented other procedural changes recommended by the jury. Brenton Butler was accused of allegedly robbing and murdering an elderly woman at a nearby hotel in his hometown Jacksonville, Florida. Studies show that teens are especially vulnerable to making false confessions with terrible consequences. Counsel for the defendant renewed the arguments made before trial in opposition to the state's motion in limine and added a new argument that the confession should be admitted to corroborate other defense evidence. The incident could have been worse then what it was., Machine Gun McGurn had what became called a blonde alibi he had been at a hotel with his blonde girlfriend from 9 p.m. on February 13 through 3p.m. But the courts must also consider the constitutional effect of excluding evidence in a criminal trial. Defense counsel also established that, after the Butler trial, police officers showed Mr. Stephens several photographs, including a photo of the defendant Curtis. He remained in the county jail until the Curtis trial. On a Sunday morning in 2000, Brenton Butler went from being a fifteen-year old high school student to a suspected criminal being held in a ten by ten room. his clip in gaol and other unfairnesss in the probe. In the movie, Brigance is threatened by community members to drop the murder case., Police Must Follow the Law (Most of the Time) The officer must also decide if the law is so evil that he/she has no choice but to disobey it and accept whatever punishment results from that decision., Miranda was not aware he should be given a lawyer if could not afford one and the right to not self-incriminate. The Butler case was the subject of the French documentary film Murder on a Sunday Morning, which won the Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature at the 74th Academy Awards in 2001.
At a hearing early Wednesday, he posted $30,000 bond and was released on the condition he was not to have any contact with the girl. In particular, Butler views the Tenth Amendment as a mere tautology, a view which has changed in subsequent cases. The third-party confession in Chambers was offered exclusively by the defense and was never endorsed as reliable by the state. Family, friends and soldiers from an Army Reserve company in Gainesville are preparing for the company's deployment this weekend. Simpson, her ex-husband, was acquitted Oct. 3, 1995, of their deaths in a trial that riveted the nation and divided many along racial lines (latimes.com editors). Ninety minutes later, 15-year-old Brenton Butler is the prime suspect because the husband of the victim ID him from 50 feet away.As the case goes on in court all of these different important characters testify their part they had involved with Brenton Butler. The claim of bias which the defense sought to develop was admissible to afford a basis for an inference of undue pressure because of [the juvenile's] vulnerable status as a probationer, as well as of [the juvenile's] possible concern that he might be a suspect in the investigation. Davis, 415 U.S. at 317-318, 94 S.Ct. The innocent boy was 15-year-old Brenton Butler, whose trial for the slaying of a Georgia tourist provided the story for Murder on a Sunday Morning. Al S. In the circumstances presented in Davis, the Court concluded that the state's right to protect the confidentiality of juvenile records must give way to the defendant's Sixth Amendment right to confront his accusers. Brenton Leonard Butler) was a murder case in Jacksonville, Florida. See Rivera, 915 F.2d at 282; United States ex rel. 15 year old wrongly accused of murder What did the black detective (Mr. Glover) do that was unethical and unlawful to Brenton? [1] During the subsequent investigation, police picked up Butler, a 15-year-old student at Englewood High School who was on his way to submit a job application to a local Blockbuster Video. Mr. Stephens testified that the crimes were committed on the morning of May 7, 2000, as he and his wife were walking back to their motel room after breakfast. Family portraits. It tells a story that we know far too well: a young black man is out walking and the police frame . With such exposureand intense local media coverage, the arrest drew much unflattering attention to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office. The story that inspired "Seen" is, however, quite real: the case of Brenton Butler, a Jacksonville teen who in 2000 was arrested in themurder of a Georgia tourist, though he soon claimed his confession was coerced with forceby police. [2] At this second trial Curtis was found guilty and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. Juan Curtis was the second suspect tried for the robbery and murder of Mary Ann Stephens. During their last meeting of the year Monday night Flowery Branch City Council members approved a 120 day moratorium on cell tower applications. There is no easy conclusion regarding the case of Jay Jones. The science of ballistics was first used in this case i.e., the comparison microscopy was used in this case as earlier police officers were not able to convict Al Capone as the suspect because they dont have enough evidences to convict him as the criminal so with the help of microscopy the case was able to, Nicole Brown Simpson and her friend Ronald Goldman were fatally stabbed on the evening of June 12, 1994, their bodies discovered early the next morning O.J. He also explained that the $91 in cash Brenton had in his possession at the time of his arrest was a payment for his work at a Burger King and that it did not come from the robbery. Later that day, Brenton Butler, a black male who was walking back from applying for ajob at blockbusters was accused and arrested for this crime. Directed by Veena Sud, the 10-episode program chronicles the precarious process that assistant prosecutor K.J. She understands that, saying she had an "obligation" to try to do justice tothe story, and its characters. All rights reserved. And so do a surprising number of innocent people--teenagers in particular. The defendant, Juan Curtis, appeals his convictions for first-degree murder and armed robbery. This requirement is also found in rule 804(b)(3) of the Federal Rules of Evidence and in typical exceptions in other states. Explains that false accusations, not having dna evidence, and not enough information of a crime led to false allegations. In this confession, he said that he was hungry and had no money, so he decided to approach Mr. and Mrs. Stephens to ask them if they had any spare change. Opines that evan, moore, and dna analysis indicate that tyler man is not a freed convict. All rights reserved. Last year, the sheriff and State Attorney Harry Shorstein apologized to Butler and his family after two other men were charged in the killing. We have considered the possibility that the admission of Butler's confession would ultimately make Butler the main feature of Curtis' trial. [1] The office had purchased the equipment and was prepared to start taping interrogations, but held off at the request of the State Attorney's Office. A flash flood watch has been posted for most of northeast Georgia. However, the Patriot Act did in an opposite way about looking people of what they had done before they were sentenced. Confession Maybe if people will do their research on how common this issue is, they would think twice about committing any crime that will land you in prison or jail., Some officers dont know how serious excessive force is and they should take it more serious. But we could not say that a confession is neutralized merely because it was recanted. The Herschel Walker Unite Georgia bus tour rolled into Cleveland Wednesday morning to a large crowd of supporters in his bid for one of Georgia's U.S. Senate seats. The book shows the effectthat months of confinementon Jason and his family, and it shows the mindset of one of the detectives, who is also Black, as the case moves toward a judge and a jury. By First Coast News StaffINDIANAPOLIS, IN -- Brenton Butler, 19, appeared in court in Indianapolis Wednesday. Also the media blows things way out of proportion, like in the Michael Brown case. [1], Butler was represented by Patrick McGuinness and Ann Finnell, two attorneys from the public defenders office. To dismiss this evidence, we would have to assume that Butler not only falsely confessed to murder, but, by some tragic coincidence, he was also mistakenly identified as the killer by an eyewitness to the murder. Butler confessed to police officers, knowing that they were not there to help him and with full knowledge of the consequences. The jurors were also told that Butler filed a lawsuit against the City of Jacksonville alleging that he had been mistreated by the police, and that he was awarded a sum of money as a result of the suit. The state originally claimed that a juvenile named Brenton Butler had committed the crimes. 1001, 1009 (N.D.Ill.1997). Butler had given a deposition in which he repudiated his earlier confession and denied that he shot Mrs. Stephens. The jury found the defendant Curtis guilty of first-degree murder and armed robbery. These requirements appear to be irreconcilable. coming on campus to pick up the girl. Butler eventually confessed to the crime, even though the murder weapon was never found and other key physical evidence was missing. What I would have done differently in this case is not to assume because someone fits the description and pin them as the primary suspect of a crime. Although Brenton Butler was ultimately found not guilty by a jury, the due process which was not afforded to him, the torture from the police and the anguish of spending six months in prison for a crime he had absolutely nothing to do with, all because he was a black male in the vicinity of a cop on the day of a crime is proof positive of the JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - Police have recommended three officers be suspended for their involvement in the case of a teen wrongly accused of killing a northeast Georgia tourist. The officers went with Butler to search the woods for the purse but did not find it. As it turned out then, Curtis was no better off than Chambers. He was precluded, albeit for a slightly different reason, from calling the declarant to the witness stand and confronting him with the confession. Here again, Curtis was no better off than Chambers.
Likewise, the Court rejected the state's argument that the confessions could not be admitted on direct examination under the Mississippi voucher rule. The investigation found that among other things, detectives failed to process the victim's purse for fingerprints, to check Butler's alibi and to follow up on a tip about a car seen in the area of the shooting. [1] Butler subsequently confessed to the crime, and the case went to trial. Today, that is now a rule that officers must perform before questioning anyone taken in. Their phone numbers were either unlisted or unpublished and they could not be reached for comment Saturday. Butler was acquitted by a jury. See 90.804(2), Fla. Stat. Butler's family sued the city of Jacksonville over the ordeal, alleging racial profiling and inadequate training, and the parties settled on a $775,000 payout. 1038. Netflix's new crime anthology series Seven Seconds paints a brutal picture of police corruption in its first season, premiering Feb. 23. A prosecutor cannot rely on evidence to obtain a conviction in one case, and then condemn the very same evidence as unreliable in another. McDonald's confessions therefore did not qualify under the exception. Absolutely. On this Wikipedia the language links are at the top of the page across from the article title. For these reasons, we reverse the convictions and remand the case for a new trial.
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