Presumed Guilty

Verzio FF "Presumed Guilty" uncovers staggering facts about the Mexican judicial system: 93 percent of defendants never see a judge; 93 percent of inmates are never shown their arrest warrant; 95 percent of verdicts are "guilty"; 92 percent of verdicts are based on no physical ev...

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Bibliographic Details
Other Authors: Hernandez, Roberto, Smith, Geoffrey
Institution:Open Society Archives at Central European University
Language:Spanish
Published: Instituto Mexicano de Cinematografia 2008
Mexico
Subjects:
Online Access:http://hdl.handle.net/10891/osa:531a6eab-19fa-4050-9962-7cc90cd008a7
Description
Summary:Verzio FF "Presumed Guilty" uncovers staggering facts about the Mexican judicial system: 93 percent of defendants never see a judge; 93 percent of inmates are never shown their arrest warrant; 95 percent of verdicts are "guilty"; 92 percent of verdicts are based on no physical evidence; police officers are rewarded for the number of arrests they make; and any court official can preside over court hearings (not just judges). The film focuses on the case of Jose Antonio Zuniga Rodriguez, who was incarcerated in 2005, accused of killing someone he claims he did not know, and sentenced to 20 years in prison. Two young Mexican attorneys attempt to exonerate the wrongly convicted man by making a documentary. A film about the contradictions of a judicial system that presumes suspects guilty until they are proven innocent.
Published:2008