Criminal Justice

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=naFJ3tAp9bs

After watching the Film, “INTO THE ABYSS” I want you to answers 1-5

Question 1.

Briefly describe the facts of the case, the persons involved, and the crime and outcome of the case which are the basis of the film, “Into the Abyss.”

Question 2.

Describe how the outcome of the case and the punishment affected the defendant and the defendant’s family.

Question 3.

Was the punishment and sentence fair in light of the facts of the case?

Question 4.

After watching the film, “Into the Abyss”, do you feel that the creator and director of the film was fair to all viewpoints, and what do you believe was the “point” he was trying to make?

Question 5.

How do the concepts of “Utilitarian” or “Retributive” theories of crime and punishment relate to the film, “Into the Abyss”?

ANSWER

Question One

This is a three homicide case involving two main murderers; Michael Perry and Jason Burkett who killed Sandra Stotler, Adam Stotler and Jeremy Richards. Perry and Jason went to Sandra Stotler’s house to steal her car where they asked for Adam and Jeremy and since they were not yet home, they shot Sandra and dumped her body in a nearby lake. They later shot Adam and Jeremy at the lakeside too. Perry and Jason were sentenced to lifetime in prison whereby Perry was later executed by lethal injection on 1 July 2010 for the murder and robbery of three people. Jason Burkett was sentenced to life in prison in a separate trial. He eluded life penalty since his Attorney brought his father who was in shackles court.

Question Two

Michael Perry who was executed by lethal injection did not really have family around since her mother had already passed on hence was not really affected. Jason Burket on the other side, who was sentenced to life in prison really affected his father and wife. His father felt as if he had failed as a father and was never there for them and that is why he turned out that way. His wife who was pregnant still believed that Jason was innocent even after all the evidence and hoped that he would be free one day.

Question Three

I believe that life sentence in prison was a fair judgement for the case considering all the crimes both of the boys had committed. However, I feel like it was an unfair judgement for Michael Perry to be executed while Jason was not, yet they were together committing all the crimes stated earlier only because Jason’s father showed up at his trial. It would have been fair if both were sentenced to lifetime in prison or both executed.

Question Four

I believe that the creator and director of the film was fair to all viewpoints since they involved both the defendant’s and victims’ family to talk about what had happened and how they felt about it. They even involved their friends who lived nearby and knew them at an individual level. However, I feel like Perry’s family were absent. I believe if Perry’s family would be around, he would have received a different punishment and not execution. This is because Jason eluded a death penalty because his Attorney to Jason’s trial and as a result he was not executed like his “partner in crime.”

Question Five

The utilitarian theory of crime and punishment/ utilitarianism has been showcased in the film ‘Into the Abyss’ whereby when both Jason and Perry had murdered and robbed three people, the were sentenced to a lifetime in prison. Retribution or also known as the ‘Retributive theory of crime and punishment’ was later showcased when Perry was executed by injections as a form of punishment inflicted for the crimes he had committed.

I do not believe in execution as a form of getting justice for a crime done and would rather implement life sentence in prison instead. The ruling was quite fair since they did not only murder but also robbed the victims. They could have also received the same punishment as they were together while they were committing the crimes and evidence was found.