Al Jazeera: Program due June 1

A new TV program featuring Willie Jerome Manning is scheduled to be broadcast on Sunday June 1 2014 (USA times: 9E/6P). The program is an episode in the Al Jazeera America series, The System, which sets out to examine the state of the criminal justice system in the USA. The episode that includes Willie, Flawed Forensics, focuses on the FBI’s faulty hair analysis and testimony. The episode also features a man, also originally convicted of multiple murders, who has been released and is waiting for a retrial.

When interviewed the director, Joe Berlinger, said the series tries to show all sides of an issue. He uses Willie’s case as an example:

“…it’s pretty clear that Willy Manning should have the opportunity for a new trial because the case was botched via FBI forensics handling. On the other hand, we don’t shy away from talking about the fact that he was not a good guy prior to his conviction. That doesn’t mean he should be sentenced to death for a crime he didn’t commit.

In addition, I think we have a very sympathetic portrayal of the family members of the victims in that episode.

Tiffany Miller’s mother, Pam Cole, she is utterly convinced that the guy is still guilty, and we’re not saying whether he’s guilty or not, we’re saying he needs a new trial, but I think there’s a very sympathetic portrait of family members who have come to believe what the police tell them and what prosecutors tell them.”

You can read a review of the series in the New York Times, and see a trailer for the series  here.

 

This entry was posted in African American, Al Jazeera, capital punishment, conviction, criminal justice USA, death penalty, death penalty injustice, Death Row, DNA testing, FBI hair review, fingerprint comparison, flawed testimony, Fly Manning, forensic hair testimony, hair testimony, Injustice, Jon Steckler and Tiffany Miller, junk science, Mississippi, USA injustice, Willie Fly Manning, Willie Jerome Manning, Willie Manning, Willie Manning documentary, wrongful convictions and tagged , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , , . Bookmark the permalink.