On September 26, 1991, Greg Taylor’s Nissan Pathfinder got stuck in mud near a cul-de-sac in Raleigh, NC. The next morning, the body of a young woman was found roughly 100 yards from where the vehicle ran into problems. Taylor and his traveling companion, Johnny Beck, were arrested for murder, but while the charges against Beck were dropped, Taylor was convicted and sentenced to life in prison. Taylor’s case was eventually taken up by the North Carolina Innocence Inquiry Commission, which found substantial prosecutorial misconduct, including sloppy forensic work by investigators, crucial evidence that was withheld from defense attorneys, and a reliance on two convicts who gave false testimony against Taylor in exchange for favorable treatment. After serving 17 years for a crime he did not commit, Taylor was exonerated by a three-judge panel in February 2010. Filmmaker Gregg Jamback presents a disturbing and provocative examination of Taylor’s case, detailing the viciously deliberate attempt by prosecutors to frame an innocent man, while also telling the heartbreaking story of Taylor’s family’s indefatigable belief in his innocence and the severe emotional and financial hardship they suffered in order to secure his freedom. While the film makes it clear that this is not a broad indictment of law enforcement and the legal system as a whole, it does effectively illustrate how the fragile legal system can be brutally manipulated. Highly recommended. Aud: C, P. (P. Hall)
In Pursuit of Justice
(2018) 98 min. DVD: $89: public libraries; $295: colleges & universities. DRA. The Video Project. PPR. Closed captioned. Volume 34, Issue 5
In Pursuit of Justice
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