Brendan Ray Dassey, age 27; a name which alone can speak controversy in the living room. For those unfamiliar with the name, I ask that you turn to your local Netflix subscriber to ask about the Netflix Original Series, "Making a Murderer". The show, which aired in late 2015, follows the proceedings of one Brendan Dassey and Steven Avery in the court of law. Dassey and Avery allegedly committed the crimes as follows: murder in the first degree, rape and mutilation of a corpse. This victim, one Teresa Halbach (age 30), a photographer in Wisconsin. The show follows the trial is Dassey and Avery and the legal proceedings that lead to their incarceration. These are the facts that are known by the general public.
The Netflix series also gives a run down if the legal troubles given to Dassey, who at the time of the crime wad still a minor. It is apparent in an obvious notion that Dassey had had multiple wrongdoings and institutional flaws stacked against him. These wrongful acts show not only that there is a critical flaw within the Justice System as a whole, but also within the Enforcing units that we are trusted so blindly.
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The first wrongdoing to Dassey comes in the form of his confession. A confession that was strangled out of him over a period of 48 hours, 24 of which was spent without legal counsel present. During those interrogations, a technique referred to as the "Reid Technique" was applied. This technique requires the interrogator to question the subject in an attempt to ascertain the credibility of the backstory and the alibi of the subject. This technique also requires the interrogator to tell the subject that they are guilty beyond a doubt. The technique has been wideley critiqued for it's large margin of error in regards to false testimonies. A margin made even greater if the subject is highly suggestible or a minor; Dassey was both at the time of the interrogation.
The second wrongdoing is the actions taken by Dassey's rather lackluster counsel, who was forced to recuse himself after interacting with the prosecution in order to secure Dassey's conviction. Imagine that: You are finally given the opportunity to have your story heard by someone who is ensured by the constitution to hear it out and to do everything in their power to fight for you in a court of law, and to finally learn they are actively attempting to put you behind bars.
These wrongdoings are unconstitutional in regards to violating the Fifth, Sixth and Fourteenth Amendment Rights, ANY of which alone should guarantee some form of legal protection. This story of a 17 year old kid is so emotionally invoking as it parallels stories throughout the world. Thus public outcry is nothing short of revolutionary, a movement that is both strong and multidimensional. This show has done exactly what I believe was it's purpose: to educate a nation in the wrongdoings of the court and to better address this monumental gap in institutional processes which realistically cannot be morally black or white. There is an infinitely large grey area, where similar cases disappear into the Void of wrongful convictions.. even wrongful deaths. Too often, the wrongdoings of these supposed "cornerstones" of modern society fail to serve true justice. Too often are young adults sentenced to a wrongful fate. Too often is it that a story comes to an abrupt end, a flame extinguished far too soon.
This article serves to further continue the process of education set forth by this series. To further show that although there have been many wonderful cases of the legal system doing it's job, there is still much more wrongdoings. I ask you, the reader, to take away two things. That your voice is not a silent one and that there is still much more work to be done.
This is a societal shift that simply cannot be avoided or stopped.
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