Screenplay: Tom Topor
Released: 14 October 1988
Budget: $6 million
Box Office: $37.7 million
ADA Kathryn Murphy...Kelly McGillis
Sarah Tobias...Jodie Foster (Academy Award Best Actress)
Kenneth Joyce...Bernie Coulson
DA Paul Rudolph...Carmen Argenziano
"I never got to tell nobody nothing. I don't get it. I thought you were on my side. Why'd you do that?"
As I said in class The Accused is loosely based on a real incident that took place in New Bedford, MA, in 1983. As the oracle says, "the most [prison time] any of the [four] men [convicted] served was 6 1/2 years." This is the second time I've seen the film and it made me much sadder than it did the first time. Maybe I should feel angry—which intellectually I do, given the struggles Sarah Tobias has in the film to be heard and the way her suffering and the crime she endured are so easily belittled because the DA doesn't think they can win the case; but more than anger I felt immensely sad about this young woman and what she had to go through. The film does a great job—or should we say Jodie Foster does a great job—of making us see this young woman as an person worth caring for—as a person we have to care for.
1. Your reaction to the film? What moment or scene stuck with you—and why?
2. This is the first time since Law and Order that we are seeing the case through the eyes of the prosecution, starting with the DA who is reluctant to bring the case to trial. So what do you think of the prosecution and the way it initially decides how to handle Sarah's rape? Do you agree with their decision? Does it make sense? Explain your answers.
3. The defense. Think about what Mike Jacobs said yesterday about being a defense attorney: his job is to serve his client, not to judge them. So what do you think about the defense attorneys we see here? Can you see them the way Mike described their job—serving the Constitution and ensuring that everyone gets a competent defense? Or do you see them another way? Or are you conflicted? Explain your answers.
4. What did this movie make you feel about our justice system?
5. What questions would you like to ask Ashleigh Merchant, the attorney who will be in class Wednesday, about what you saw in this film—or any other question you have for her?
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| Kelly McGillis, Jonathan Kaplan, and Jodie Foster |
I thought the film was intense but realistic. Two scenes stuck with me the most after watching “The Accused”. One scene that stuck with me was when Sarah’s attorney was asking her questions in her home that she expected the defendants to ask. Some examples: What were you wearing? How much did you drink? etc (Essentially, how much did it seem like you were asking for it…) This questions are disgusting and completely irrelevant to the rape. The other scene that stuck with me was when the man with the scorpion tattoo harassed Sarah at the CD store. I can’t imagine how infuriated Sarah would have felt. I can strongly say I would have done the exact same thing if not hit his car harder.
ReplyDeleteI did not agree with lowering the rape charges to an assault at all, but Kathryn Murphy didn’t either. After this deal and Kathryn and Sarah spoke about how to proceed, I agree with everything Kathryn did in Sarah’s defense and in prosecuting the other men in the bar for encouraging the rape to happen and intensify. The jury’s decision makes sense because the law is that those soliciting and encouraging a felony (even is they technically didn’t do it) is prosecutable.
I’m conflicted because the job of a defense attorney is to defend their client, but I do not think it is right to fight for someone that has committed such a horrible crime. If a person’s entire job is to defend a criminal, that’s what they have to do (especially if theres a chance they’re innocent) but when they are so clearly guilty and the charge is so intense, I cannot help but blame them.
Honestly, this movie made me think that the justice system desperately needs more women that can better relate to the violence women endure so often. It is sickening how these men belittle violent crimes against women and make them seem casual and less important. While I’m glad Sarah won, it seemed like there was a huge chance of her losing throughout the entire movie.
1. The film was depressing an ugly reminder about how rape is dealt with in the United States. The two statistics at the end of the movie put into perspective how common and egregious rape is, but much of the time, the rapist gets off without punishment. I know that when a woman reports that she was raped, the process is not smooth and easy after. They attack for for alcohol consumption and her outfit choice, and all the other ways she “asked for it” but I was hard to actually feel like you’re watching it first hand. The scene that stuck with me the most was how she was treated after the rape. The hospital was in a hurry and not sympathetic or kind to their rape patient. When she told her boyfriend, he was cold and uncomfortable,and he chose to leave instead of comforting her. When she tried to tell her mother on the phone, she couldn’t because her mom was upset and rushing her. It felt like there was no one she could talk to or cry with.
ReplyDelete2. I agree with the prosecution’s method. She didn’t want the case to go to trial, because she knew that it would be hard to win; rape cases always are. It felt real that her lawyer didn’t try to comfort her or go easy on her because that is not the lawyer’s job. She needed to be tough with her client to prepare her for court. Negotiating the plea deal with the rapists to avoid court also seemed like a good way to handle the case. Going to court is always risky, and it would be difficult for her client to relive those moments.
3. I think the defense attorneys did exactly what Mike Jacobs said the role of a defense attorney is. They wanted to get their clients the best possible outcome, and that’s what they did. They negotiated to keep their clients off the sex offender list and lower their time served.
4. This movie made me feel good about our justice system. Everyone guilty went to prison, but not for an astronomically long or unfair amount of time. The trial process was not quick and easy, but it was fair. The judge wasn’t outwardly biased to one side. The two opposing sides were civil, and there were no crazy surprises or unethical measures.
5. What could you do if you were being harrassed in a parking lot? Was it fair for Sarah to hit the guy’s car? How often do rapists get convicted? What happens if the court finds that someone lied about being raped?
The scene that struck me the most was the final scene when they gave the verdict. The defendants didn’t seem to care. I feel like they expected to be charged. They always kept that dumb look o their face as if they were bigger than this case which always struck me.
ReplyDeleteI didn’t agree with what they charged the men who raped her got. They were only in jail for assault not rape. They did the worst thing to Sarah and they barely went to jail. I think they didn’t handle the first case really well which i didn’t like
I see him the same way Mike explained it. The defense attorney’s job is to win his case. It doesn’t really matter if he’s terrible, but it does matter if he loses the case. He can’t just purposely fail the case because then he isn’t doing his job.
I feel as though our justice system is very corrupt. The rapist literally got away with rape. They only got charged for assault. They should’ve gotten a much worse time in jail
Do you think this movie is very realistic?
I really hated and loved this movie at the same time. There were scenes that made me terrified and angered, but the movie kept me on the edge of my seat the entire time. The scene where Sarah comes into her lawyers home and gets angry at her for charging her rapists with not rape charges really stuck with me. Sarah had every right to be angry, and I think this was a big moment for her the ADA. I think that this is when she realizes Sarah is not just a case, but a real person who had something terrible happen to her. I also remember the scene in the beginning when we see Sarah’s bruises and scratches from being gang-raped. This was a horrifying scene.
ReplyDeleteI do not agree with the decision to only give these rapists a charge of violence or endangerment. This is an assault charge, not a rape charge. These men assaulted Sarah but also raped her multiple times. This was handled badly, and Sarah had every right to be mad. I think it is almost made a little better that the prosecution was able to get the men watching because it will make the rapists have a longer sentence. But what they did was wrong either way.
I will never see anything good for a person that tries to say someone was raped based on their outfits, being drunk, and their dancing. This is not why Sarah was raped. By suggesting this, the lawyer is doing his job and trying to get his clients off, but he is doing so in a despicable way. The defense attorney also had a terrible closing statement that led to closing from the prosection that was able to make him look stupid. This movie made me sad that people might commit something like rape and not even be charged. The rapists deserved more than they got. They were disgusting.
What if the person being represented by the state is unhappy with how their case was handled? Can they do anything?
I found this film very upsetting, but I think it’s a movie that everyone should watch. From what I have learned, it seems like a pretty accurate depiction of what many rape victims go through. People often ask questions like “what were you wearing?” and “How much did you drink?” in an attempt to blame the victim. The truth is, it doesn’t matter what she was wearing or how much she had to drink because rape is rape. One scene that really struck me was the scene in which Sarah was taunted in the parking lot by one of the men who encouraged the gang rape. She had already experienced something incredibly awful and traumatizing. Then, on top of that, to have one of the men who allowed and encouraged the rape to happen start aggressively banging on her car and shouting at her must have been absolutely terrifying.
ReplyDeleteI understand why the DA originally didn’t want to take this case to trial. Trial is always risky, and they didn’t want to risk the rapists getting off with no punishment. Although what she was wearing, and how much she drank or smoked shouldn’t impact this or any other rape case, sadly, in reality it could have and the DA was aware of this. With this being said, I think if they truly wanted to advocate for her, and get her the justice she deserved, they should have found a witness, like the prosecutor ended up doing, and made the case so convincing that it would be difficult for anyone to vote for not guilty. The rapists deserved a much harsher sentence than what they received. Most importantly, they should have asked Sarah what she wanted to do. It was wrong of them to originally settle without even speaking to her first. If she was willing to make a risky decision based on what she felt was right, that was her decision to make.
Throughout history, lawyers of alleged rapists have often tried to win their cases by attacking the character of the victim by harshly going after her, or saying she was “asking for it” based on her clothing, how much she had to drink, and other factors. Of course, no one is ever “asking for it” In this film, the defense lawyer who questioned her on the stand actually seemed sympathetic, while also making a good argument for his client. The other defense lawyer, I thought, was awful at his job. His closing statement that Ken was the only guy who knew that Sarah was being raped was utterly absurd. Though I do understand why the lawyers represented these awful people. The truth is, somebody has to represent the “bad guys” or falsely charged people in every case. It’s very important that everyone is given a good lawyer to represent them.
Although sometimes our justice system works, engrained in it is so many flaws and injustices that make it harder for certain people or groups to benefit from it. It’s broken, and needs to be repaired.
Have you ever had a rape case?—what was it like? How often do alleged rapists get convicted? Have you ever seen a man sue a woman for rape?
1. The scene that stuck with me the most was the scene where Sarah stormed into Kathryn’s home after hearing that her rapists charges had been demoted to reckless endangerment and they were only getting a few years in jail. You could tell how aggravated she was that no one believed her story, and you could tell how alone she felt.
ReplyDelete2. I think it was smart for the prosecution to settle rather than risking losing a rape case. It definitely was not fair that Sarah’s rapists only got a few years in prison on an endangerment charge rather than spending many years in prison for a rape charge, but I can see how the defense attorneys would slam Sarah in trial for wearing revealing clothing, drinking, and smoking. It was just too risky to take to trial, especially considering they had no strong witnesses.
3. I thought that the defense attorney who questioned Sarah about her rape was excellent. He was very sympathetic and understanding to Sarah while she told her story, but he also got his point across that Sarah did not actively see anyone cheering. He also said “is it fair to assume” instead of just making accusations and assumptions. On the other hand there was the attorney who made the conclusion, who took things to an extreme and blamed Ken for being a bad guy too, and questioned his credibility. I do see the defense the way mike explained- serving the Constitution and ensuring that everyone gets a competent defense. Everyone deserves to have a good lawyer because we are a country who believes in innocent until proven guilty, so no matter what the charge is, people deserve to have a good lawyer.
4. This movie did make me feel good about our justice system. The people who cheered the rapists on will get their time in jail, which they deserve. I was so happy for Sarah when they gave the verdict. She wanted the rapists to be locked away forever, and while that did not happen, at least she got to go on trial, tell her story, and get the justice she deserved.
5. Have you ever had a case like this? Have you ever taken on a case that you were sure you wouldn’t win?
I found the film to be very intense and disturbing with the way the rape was dealt with, but that seems to be a realistic rendition of what it’s actually like. One scene that stuck out to me was when Sarah was getting examined after the rape. Neither the doctor nor the lady taking pictures of her even bothered to interact with her, or even ask is she was ok. Also, the scene in the parking lot with the guy with the scorpion tattoo was extremely disturbing. He continued to harass her, escalating the level of what happened to her to an even higher degree.
ReplyDeleteI get them not wanting to take the case to trial because rape cases are often so twisted to the point where its portrayed that the rape was apparently the victims fault, because she was “asking for it” with her clothing, smoking, and drinking. Though, I don’t agree with them originally lowering the charges. It doesn’t matter what she was wearing or drinking, she repeatedly said no, but the guys didn’t stop. Sarah deserved for them to be prosecuted for the right original sentence, not a lowered one.
These defense attorneys were pretty textbook to what Mike said. They worked to try to win the case. However, saying she was raped because of what she was wearing or that she was “putting on a show” is absolutely absurd. I’m conflicted because, yes, that’s what their job is, but how could you work so hard to represent someone who committed such a terrible crime?
This movie showed our justice system as marginalizing and corrupt. The way that Sarah was so pitted against and how hard she was cracked down on showed major flaws in the system. Throughout, the case it really looked like Sarah was going to lose. Yes it works itself out sometimes, it has so many problems and biases that are extremely hard to overlook.
Are rape cases the hardest to win, and if not then what is usually harder? Was the way that the case was handled realistic?
1. The film was intense to say the least. However, I enjoyed it, and it was incredibly well done. The film did a nice job of showing the true horror of a rape trial. They didn’t stop at surface level when portraying the victim, Sarah. They showed her resilience, bravery, strength, fear, sadness, anger, and the true toll this process took on her. The scene that stuck with me the most was the scene where Sarah is in the CD store and the guy with the scorpion tattoo keeps harassing her. She doesn’t know who he is yet until they leave the store and are in the parking lot. He then traps her in the parking lot and begins taunting her about the night of her rape. He is screaming, laughing, and cheering just as he did that night. As I am typing this, I have chills. The horror of being trapped with someone who witnessed your rape as they taunt you, scream things at you, and block every possible exit is terrifying to say the least. I believe that Sarah did what a lot of other people would have done in that situation, found a way out by ramming his truck. Yes, it was dangerous but it was her only way of escaping. It’s sad that she had to take such extreme measures to gain a small piece of her freedom back.
ReplyDelete2. I understand why the prosecutor decided to settle outside of court. It is very very hard to prove rape, even if you have all of the necessary evidence. However, she should have talked to Sarah about her decision, explained why she made it, and let her decide before settling. It’s Sarah’s life, Sarah’s trauma, and Sarah’s trial that’s on the line. Therefore, she has the right to make the decision about settling or going to court. I think it makes sense. It was practical and honestly, a lot safer. I’m not sure that Sarah would make the best witness. Then again, there’s no such thing has “the best” or “the perfect” witness, especially in a rape trial.
3. At the end of the day, they have to do their job. If their job is to defend these rapists, then they must do that. As a young woman, this harsh truth is heartbreaking. However, as a person who believes in justice and equality for all people, it only seems fair that they have attorneys as well. The defense attorneys in this film are simply doing their jobs. However, the first attorney that cross examined Sarah was much gentler. While I appreciated this sentiment, he didn’t do as much for his client. While the second DA was much more aggressive, he helped his client’s case more. It’s a classic debate between being kind and getting results.
4. The fact that it’s so hard to prove a rape, even with adequate evidence, is fairly discouraging. I’m glad that everyone has the right to proper defense, but Sarah went through so much to prove an obvious trauma. I believe that rape victims who go through trials should be given counseling during and after. Furthermore, the fact that the boys who gang raped Sarah were only going to get 9 months for their crime was heavily disturbing. I suppose their rich, white fathers came in handy. It’s disgusting that money and whiteness help you escape the law. Our justice system has many necessary checks and balances, but it is way too easy for rich, white boys to get away with hurting lower class women like Sarah. Thankfully, the jury made the right decision leaving Sarah’s rapists locked up for six years like they deserve.
5. I would like to ask Ashleigh Merchant the following:
- Is it especially difficult for you to go through rape trials as a woman?
- How extreme is the cross examination of the average rape victim?
- Does the jury usually convict (alleged) rapists?
1. While watching the movie I felt pretty awkward, especially being the only guy in the room besides John, but I enjoyed it. It was occasionally uncomfortable to watch, especially the first scene. I also liked the scene where Sarah blew up on the prosecutor for giving the rapists reckless endangerment.
ReplyDelete2. If this was a civil suit, I’d be completely onboard with them settling for a lesser crime, but I don’t see a single good reason to in this case. They have good evidence, an eyewitness willing to testify, another who helped identify the rapists, and good physical evidence of the rape. Settling for any less than 20 years for each of the rapists would just be dumb.
3. Sadly, they have to do their jobs. No matter what, they have to do their job. There’s a high chance they didn’t believe anything they were saying, or not even cared. Their job is still to attack the prosecutions witnesses, and put as much doubt in the jury as they can. They haven’t done anything wrong.
4. This made me very angry at the way justice works in America. Plea deals and bargaining are supposed to help everyone and ensure justice, but all they really accomplish is putting innocent people with bad odds put behind bars, and guilty people getting off with less than they deserve.
5. I’d like to ask Ashleigh if there are any crimes required to go to trial, and why plea deals can be manipulated so much.
Overall I thought the film was very disturbing, and I did not think there were very many good people in the film. The scene that stuck with me the most was the scene where Cliff kept on following Sarah around and harassing her in the music shop and into the parking lot. This scene stuck with me because it showed how the men were not sorry for what they had done. They thought it was amusing and almost like a show. I do not think the persecution initially handled Sarah’s rape case well. I do not agree with the way they handled it because Sarah wanted to take her case to trial, but the prosecution was reluctant to listen to her and wanted to cut deals, which was something Sarah did not want. From the perspective of the prosecution, cutting deals did make sense. I did not see attorneys that Mike described in this film because Mike talked a lot about how an attorneys job is to please their client, which is something that Sarah’s attorney did not do for most of the film. This movie did not make me feel very confident in our justice system. It makes me wonder how there can be so much evidence against a person and they still get charged, but end up serving barely any jail time for a crime as heinous as rape. A question I would like to ask Ashleigh is would the charges and jail time the men were given be accurate in the real world?
ReplyDeleteI disliked the movie because of how frustrated and powerless it made me feel, but I liked it because of the fact that it was capable of making me feel such a way and gave me the frustrating perspective of a rape victim. The scene that stuck with me the most was when Sarah asked Kenneth as to why he retracted himself as a witness. He mentioned that he was scared, to which Sarah replied that she was scared as well. That scene stuck with me because although Kenneth May be scared for himself or his friend, his fear is nothing in comparison to all the emotions and occurrences that Sarah has had to endure. I believed that he was going to do the right thing because of the phone call he made to the police and the honest encounter he had with his friend.
ReplyDeleteImagining myself in the situation of Sarah, I would want justice to be served, and the decision to lower the charges and claim is as an assault would only infuriate me. In addition, the fact that the DA is aware that rape cases do not go so well and therefore believes that there’s no point in bringing the case to trial is beyond unfair. I do not agree with their decision, however, because Kathryn thought that an assault charge was better than no charge, I can try to understand their decision. However, it does not in any way justify the detestable action of the three rapists and the charge they received is not enough.
I can see them the way Mike described their job yet I am conflicted. The way the defense attorneys presented their defense made it seem as if they as human beings believed that their clients were not guilty of anything. It is possible that they believe that their clients are guilty, but the fact that they have to defend them as not guilty is repugnant.
4. What did this movie make you feel about our justice system? As a young woman, this movie made me feel insecure about the justice system. I feel as if I am not able to depend on it to seek justice for anything that happens to me. I can’t describe how it feels because sometimes I feel as if we didn’t have a justice system.
I would like to ask her what kind of lawyer she would’ve liked to have been besides a defense attorney (real estate, corporate, family, etc.)
This movie did not leave me feeling very hopeful for the fate of women, especially women like Sarah. Sarah still goes back to her trailer, back to waiting tables, and her uninspired life. She gets no money, no compensation from her attackers, and very little lasting hope. Her rapists, who show no remorse, and were treated like gods in their frat house, will be out of jail in 5 years, not even followed by the words "sex offender." They were charged with reckless endangerment, which to a non-lawyer could just sound like they were drag racing, or bar fighting. The scene that stuck with me the most is when Kathryn accepts the plea deal on Sarah's behalf. Seeing a female lawyer be so unbothered by not charging these men with anything nearly as serious as rape was frustrating, and Sarah's reaction was heartbreaking.
ReplyDeleteWhile I do believe, especially in the time of the movie, that Sarah would've been seen as an unreliable witness, seeing the prosecution completely discount her credibility was hard. It frustrated me to see the plea deal happen, and it honestly didn't really rectify the situation when three men out of a packed room were brought to justice. The rapists will be out in 5 years, and they will once again be treated like gods in their circle of friends. I appreciate Kathryn risking her job to fix her guilt about Sarah, but I honestly wasn't happy with how the whole thing played out.
These lawyers were just doing their jobs, no matter how awful it sounds. It was their job to go up there and question her credibility, and they did a good, convincing job.
This movie didn't make me feel anything negative towards our justice system in particular, more so the people who are so easily let off. I feel bad for the Sarahs of the world, who had their world ruined in one night, and will not be able to rest knowing their attackers are still out on the street.
I would like to ask Ashleigh if Kathryn would've been able to accept the plea without telling Sarah.
My reaction to this film is that it made me angry and sad. Although nothing happened that truly shocked me (rape, for the most part, is not dealt with justly in the United States) I still felt immense sympathy toward Sarah. It was hard to watch the struggles that Sarah went through--since we saw what actually happened--yet even her own lawyer did not believe in her. A moment that stuck with me was when the man who watched her get raped later harassed her at the DVD/CD store and then she hit his truck with her car. I really did not see this coming because he appeared to just be a man who was attracted to Sarah at first. I was especially surprised by his animosity, as well as disgusted. Next, he blocked her from leaving, and from observing Sarah’s character, I was not shocked when she rammed his truck. It was still a horrifying scene, and I guess that is why it stuck with me.
ReplyDeleteI think that it makes sense that the prosecution was reluctant in bringing the case to trial. Rape cases are unpredictable, and without hard evidence, the rapist will walk away. Also, Sarah is not a model person, and she drinks and smokes a lot, which makes her less appealing and trustworthy to the jury. On the other hand, Sarah was able to identify her rapists, she went to the hospital right after, and there were pictures depicting her injuries. They did not have a videotape or witnesses (at first), but I feel like the DA should have taken it to trial initially. If Sarah wants to do that, then she should be able to take down her rapists in court. I do not think that it was right for Murphy to let the rapists get away with just reckless endangerment. Therefore I am glad that in the end, Murphy let the case go to trial in order for the rapists to be charged with rape and the bystanders to be jailed as well.
For the most part, I think the defense attorneys were doing their job the best that they could. There may have been a few times when it seemed like the defense attorneys really did not believe Sarah and they were on their clients’ sides. This is a good thing for the clients, and they did a good job defending them, so I can’t hold this against them. I hold it against their morals, and it makes me dislike them for not believing Sarah. Overall, I think they did their job well and got their clients reduced punishments, but it was disappointing nonetheless. I wish the rapists would have gotten maximum sentences.
This movie made me feel indifferent about our justice system. I was saddened by how difficult it was for Sarah to get her rapists convicted, yet it does ensure that the victim is telling the truth. I am conflicted because I want rapists to always be convicted and punished, and for victims to get justice, but at the same time I know that once in a blue moon a person will be wrongfully accused. Anyway, I think everything was handled civilly and even though I do not like how hard it is for women to be believed, Sarah did get justice in the end.
Questions: How would you have handled this case? Do you think the defendants got fair sentences? Is this trial process realistic?
The scene that stuck with me most was when the man with the scorpion tattoo was harassing Sarah at the store. This stuck with me because of the nature of this man. He seemed to have absolutely no respect for Sarah and seemed to not even see her as a woman, but just an object. The extent of his harassment was so scary to me and I couldn't imagine how I would've felt in Sarah's position.
ReplyDeleteI think that it was really frustrating when Kathryn made the deal for the original defendants. Sarah clearly stated that she wanted them locked up "forever" in her words. Kathryn knew what she was getting into when she made the initial deal and didn't discuss with Sarah. I do however admire how Kathryn put her job on the line when prosecuting the watchers of the rapes. I think it was interesting to see the change in work ethic and mindset when Kathryn started to further empathize with Sarah.
The defense didn't seem conflicted at all. I understand that everyone has the right to a lawyer, and that someone is going to end up being that lawyer, I just hated the way the defense looked at Sarah. When they were questioning her, I understand that this is my bias speaking for my opinion, I just feel that the defense was trying to make it seem as if Sarah's experience was nothing, and that her word meant nothing.
I don't think that the movie made me have much to think about the justice system. I thought that the judge was fair, as was the court. Even though I did not like the defense and what their lawyers were saying, the lawyers were doing their job, and I do think that it's fair that everyone is entitled to a lawyer.
I do want to ask about the ground that Kathryn was suing on. I was confused as to why there was so much controversy of Katheryn suing the watchers and encouragers of the rape.
I didn't like the movie. The scene that I remembered the most was where the girl rammed the dude in the truck. I remembered it mostly because of how shocking it was. The way the guy talked to her and how desperately she wanted to get back at him. I didn't like the movie because i didn't think the prosecutor provided enough evidence to prove beyond reasonable doubt that anybody was guilty of anything.
ReplyDeleteI didn't agree with the prosecution in its decision to settle without asking their client. From what i heard after watching the one about the drunk lawyer, that is not allowed. I think the prosecution should have first talked to the client before accepting a deal.
The defense that we saw for the trial on criminal solicitation seemed just and fair. To my knowledge they didnt do anything against the legal system or unfair. At the end where they said sarahs statementmeant nothing, this gave e puse at first but i realized that this was true in regards to criminal solicitation. Also i thought the prosecutors response was more manipulative claiming that he was saying her rape meant nothing. She was buying their sympathy for Sarah just like the defense said even though it was irrelevant to the case. Their verdict was the correct one based on what the watcher knows, but were this to go through an actual court it was completely wrong.
This movie didn't really make me think about our justice system at all other than the fact that it was inaccurate. I hope that our justice system would not function the way it did in the movie, however if it did it would be quite upsetting to me.
I would like to ask if there are any legal repercussions from making a deal without a clients consent. I remember something mentioned about this in the drunk lawyer movie.
_EVaan