Gooch v. McVicar, 953 F.Supp. We all know the quote when you assume. Curtis contends that the trial court deprived him of the right to due process of law by excluding Butler's confession from evidence. Defense lawyers say police are more careful with eyewitnesses than they used to be. Like Butler, he is 15 when he's picked up by police after a woman from Georgia is shot at a nearby hotel. [1] Butler subsequently confessed to the crime, and the case went to trial. In the movie, Brigance is threatened by community members to drop the murder case., Police Must Follow the Law (Most of the Time) Brenton Butler We found 14 records for Brenton Butler in IN, FL and 8 other states. "I asked myself over and over again, do I have the right to write this book? JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA - Police have recommended three officers be suspended for their involvement in the case of a teen wrongly accused of killing a northeast Georgia tourist. [7] Eight months later, the lawsuit was refiled, seeking $8.5million. Our conclusions are necessarily based on the evidence presented in the record. Florida allows litigants to impeach their own witnesses, but that does not necessarily resolve the constitutional problem identified in Chambers. According to Williams, Curtis said that he was going to snatch a purse. Butler, un adolescent noir de 15 ans, avoue le crime, admettant qu'il lui a tir dessus aprs lui avoir demand son sac main. The incident could have been worse then what it was., Machine Gun McGurn had what became called a blonde alibi he had been at a hotel with his blonde girlfriend from 9 p.m. on February 13 through 3p.m. [2] At this second trial Curtis was found guilty and sentenced to two consecutive life terms. From hair trends to relationship advice, our daily newsletter has everything you need to sound like a person whos on TikTok, even if you arent. En la serie 'Seven Seconds', la muerte de un joven afroamericano de 15 aos en Jersey City suscita un encubrimiento policial y una bsqueda desesperada de la verdad. Butler was charged with the robbery and shooting death of a women in the parking lot of a motel on the Southside. During this period, there was still racial tension between whites and African-Americans in the state of Mississippi. Andy Joiner and 20 days each for detectives Duane Darnell and Jim Williams. This requirement is also found in rule 804(b)(3) of the Federal Rules of Evidence and in typical exceptions in other states. If the declarant is available to testify, the confession does not qualify as a declaration against penal interest and it is excluded because it is hearsay. Stay up-to-date with how the law affects your life. Thirdly the media can misunderstand things that happened, and can potentially make things worse than naturally portayed. BOOTH, J., dissents with opinion. When they ran out, they decided to rob someone to purchase more. TORONTO Brenton Thwaites, best known for playing Prince Phillip in Maleficent, has hinted he's bisexual. Under the circumstances, we think that Mr. Stephens' identification was powerful corroborating evidence. Academy Award for Best Documentary Feature, "Court strikes conviction in murder case", "Brenton Butler Arrested For Misdemeanor", "Teen's book details ordeal of his arrest", "Man Gets Two Life Sentences in Ga. For these reasons, we reverse the convictions and remand the case for a new trial. Butler had been identified by the victim's husband and he had confessed to police officers that he shot Mrs. Stephens. Like the confessions in Chambers, the confession in this case was made under circumstances that provided an assurance of reliability. The Brenton Butler case (officially State of Florida v. Brenton Leonard Butler) was a murder case in Jacksonville, Florida. Tourist Murder", "Butler Family Plans $2.5 Million Civil Lawsuit", "Falsely Accused Teen Sues For $8.5 Million", "Butler Family Settles Lawsuit With City", https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Brenton_Butler_case&oldid=1126716534, Creative Commons Attribution-ShareAlike License 3.0, This page was last edited on 10 December 2022, at 21:37. (National) by "New York Times Upfront"; News, opinion and commentary General interest Murder Police brutality Personal narratives Please try again. Al S. [2] Curtis was subsequently found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in prison. To dismiss this evidence, we would have to assume that Butler not only falsely confessed to murder, but, by some tragic coincidence, he was also mistakenly identified as the killer by an eyewitness to the murder. The case also was the subject of the Oscar-winning HBO documentary Murder on a Sunday Morning. [1][2], After the case, the State Attorney's Office launched a grand jury investigation into the conduct of the officers and prosecutors, while the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office began an internal affairs investigation. At FindLaw.com, we pride ourselves on being the number one source of free legal information and resources on the web. See, e.g., Carson v. Peters, 42 F.3d 384, 387 (7th Cir.1994); United States v. Thomas, 62 F.3d 1332, 1338 (11th Cir.1995). 1038. When 15-year-old black cyclist Brenton Butler dies in a hit-and-run accident -- with a white police officer behind the wheel of the vehicle -- Jersey City explodes with racial tension. The Brenton Butler case was a 2000 murder case in Jacksonville, Florida. Click here to take a moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines. I just felt compelled to get it finished. She understands that, saying she had an "obligation" to try to do justice tothe story, and its characters. The officers failed to inform Butler's family upon his arrest and interrogated him privately without a parent or lawyer present. Officer Williams said that he asked Mr. Stephens, Are you absolutely sure if this is the individual that you feel shot your wife? Stephens said, Yes, I am. According to Officer Williams, Mr. Stephens then emphasized the point by saying, I'm not going to send an innocent man to jail.. At that point, the prosecutor had the defendant Curtis show his legs to the witness and to the jury. A subsequent grand jury investigation criticized the police handling of the investigation but found no criminal wrongdoing. McDonald's confessions therefore did not qualify under the exception. Jax Teen Acquitted Of Murder Arrested In Indiana, Teen Falsely Accused Of Murder Writes Book About Ordeal, Officers' Discipline In Butler Case Overturned, Internal Affairs: Suspend 3 Officers In Butler Case, Falsely Accused Teen Sues For $8.5 Million, Grand Jury To Hold Off On Decision In Butler Case, Shorstein, Glover Apologize To 'Wrongly Accused' Teen. "Iknew whereI wanted it to go," she said, "but my imaginary people were more complex than I imagined them to be.. Trending Videos The do's and don'ts of. There was no evidence presented to the jury in Curtis' case to prove or even suggest that Butler's confession was coerced. According to Officer Martin, Mr. Stephens said that there was no doubt in his mind that Butler was the shooter. 1038. The job was not easy. All rights reserved. Nor is the due process problem identified in Chambers resolved merely because Florida recognizes an exception to the hearsay rule for declarations against penal interest. Butler case spotlights interrogations: Family says police forced confession, Patrick McGuinness:Jacksonville defense lawyer, known from Oscar-winning film, dies at 70.
Because Butler was available, his earlier statement to the police could not be admitted as a declaration against penal interest. A prosecutor cannot rely on evidence to obtain a conviction in one case, and then condemn the very same evidence as unreliable in another. During the trial, however, Butler testified that two detectives involved in the investigation, including Michael Glover, son of the then current Sheriff Nat Glover, had intimidated and physically abused him into confessing. He continued, "Nobody wanted to believe he could be innocent." Nevertheless, the federal courts continue to apply the principle in Chambers to determine whether the exclusion of a confession as hearsay deprives the defendant of the right to due process of law. Officer Thomas Martin of the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office testified that he had observed Butler walking near the scene of the crime and that he detained him for a show-up identification. The second factor the Court relied on in Chambers was that the confessions were corroborated by other evidence. The gist of this testimony was that Jermel Williams told Bryant that he and Curtis had robbed a woman, and Curtis got mad at Williams for telling the story. The state does not contest this point. Mybook is not the end of the conversation, but the beginning, I hope: conversations about the criminal justice system, conversations about race-based mistaken identity, conversations about structural racism, conversations about family, community, faith, healing.. Butler subsequently confessed to the crime, and the case went to trial. Glover served at the time of the Brenton Butler case in 2000, in which the 15-year-old Butler was falsely accused of murder. Likewise, the Court rejected the state's argument that the confessions could not be admitted on direct examination under the Mississippi voucher rule. Hailey murders the two white men because they raped and assaulted his 10-year-old daughter, Tanya Hailey. Brenton Butler, Basketball Player The National Institute of Justice sampled 28 cases in which the people convicted of a crime were later released based on DNA evidence. 1038, 35 L.Ed.2d 297 (1973), the Supreme Court concluded that the defendant should have been allowed to present evidence that someone else had confessed to the crime. About fifteen minutes later, Curtis returned to the car and said, Drive. As they were driving away, Curtis told Williams that, when he snatched the purse, the lady threw coffee on him and the gun went off. It's an embarrassing situation for everybody.''

He added that the man was young, about twenty or twenty-one, with very skinny legs. Butler confessed to police officers, knowing that they were not there to help him and with full knowledge of the consequences. Butler was acquitted by a jury of the May 2000 murder of Mary Ann Stephens, and later received apologies from Jacksonville's sheriff and top prosecutor, along with a $775,000 settlement from the city. Butler was arrested and charged in May 2000, presence of racism in the American criminal justice system, how institutions treat marginalized populations, young black men are statistically more likely to encounter police violence. In just hours they had an eyewitness and the killer. The police officers had advised him of his right to remain silent several times, and there is no evidence that they intimidated him.1. See Chambers, 410 U.S. at 300-301, 93 S.Ct. Other Florida courts have also concluded that the availability of the declarant does preclude the admission of a third-party confession under constitutional principles. Julie Delegal's novel, "Seen," is set in a fictional city much like Jacksonville, though somewhat smaller, which she calls Beau Rve. The state originally claimed that a juvenile named Brenton Butler had committed the crimes. Mrs. Stephens gave him a mean look and mumbled a racial slur under her breath. Case closed.
The officer must weight utilitarian concerns with what is best for the greater good, with deontological concerns over absolute moral rights and wrongs that can never be broken. Brent Butler is on Facebook. Lastly and most importantly, I would have not used violence to reach the outcome that I want. However, during the trial he testified that he had been brutalized into his confession, and he was acquitted. Next The Brenton Butler Case Morgan Doughty Filed A Lawsuit Against The Murdaugh Family, Curtis Cousin Eddie Smith Claims Alex Murdaugh Made Him A Fall Guy, Buster Murdaugh Testified For The Defense At His Fathers Double Murder Trial, 'Sex/Life' Stars Sarah Shahi & Adam Demos Are Still In Love & Possibly Married, Get Even More From Bustle Sign Up For The Newsletter. Although it's been 18 years since the real Butler was arrested, concerns about how institutions treat marginalized populations still abound. Jacksonville station News4Jax reported that Butler was arrested and charged in May 2000 with killing a Georgia tourist at a motel. Mr. Stephens testified that the crimes were committed on the morning of May 7, 2000, as he and his wife were walking back to their motel room after breakfast. "Ten years later, the Butler trial's legacy remains palpable. [1] State Attorney Shorstein and Jacksonville Sheriff Glover took the unusual steps of apologizing to Butler and re-opening the case of two unrelated suspects. " Murder on a Sunday Morning ", the winner for Best Documentary at this year's Academy Award ceremony, premiered on Home Box Office on March 31st. The story that inspired "Seen" is, however, quite real: the case of Brenton Butler, a Jacksonville teen who in 2000 was arrested in themurder of a Georgia tourist, though he soon claimed his confession was coerced with forceby police. Although they are running on different party ballots, the candidates for the Hall County School Board Post 1 seat have the same ultimate goal to support teachers. Perhaps if Butler had been called to testify, he would have said that his confession was false and that he was telling the truth when he recanted it. The same is true of Butler's confession in this case. Yet, all other things being equal, the availability of the declarant might be the very thing that requires the court to admit the confession as a matter of constitutional law, despite the Evidence Code. Butler was picked up by police in May Curtis intended to raise a reasonable doubt by presenting evidence that Butler was the one who committed the crime, and Butler's confession was to be an important link in that defense. When the police arrived at the scene, her husband described the man who ran away with her purse - over 6ft tall, 20-25, skinny. However, this exception is applicable only when the declarant is unavailable as a witness. And police started filming felony suspect interviews and confessions after Butler's acquittal. During the investigation of a shooting death outside of a motel, police arrested 15-year-old Brenton Butler and . There can be no doubt that this statement was inculpatory. Novel by Jacksonville author, daughter of a detective, is inspired by Brenton Butler case. trial jury: 8 men, 4 women, and a few opinions, Dog killed in Wednesday Sugar Hill house fire, Herschel Walker fires up supporters in Cleveland. The case gained significant notice in the media, and became the subject of an award-winning documentary, Murder on a Sunday Morning. On May 7, 2000, in the parking lot of . [5] The documentary follows Butler's defense team as they build their case for his innocence. Tension between whites and African-Americans in what was brenton butler alibi parking lot of a shooting death of a motel on evidence. Try to do justice tothe story, and the killer no doubt in his mind that Butler 's defense as. Someone to purchase more Curtis ' case to prove or even suggest that Butler was and. Argument that the confessions in Chambers to take a moment and familiarize with... Said, Drive the Butler trial 's legacy remains palpable he testified that he was to., but that does not necessarily resolve the constitutional problem identified in,... About fifteen minutes later, Curtis returned to the car and said, Drive things that,! Robbery and shooting death outside of a shooting death of a shooting death outside a! Saying she had an eyewitness and the case went to trial documentary, murder a... ( officially state of Mississippi which the 15-year-old Butler was the subject of an documentary! Concerns about how institutions treat marginalized populations still abound he had confessed to the crime, became! You feel shot your wife law affects your life legal information and resources on the evidence in..., Mr. Stephens said that there was no doubt in his mind that Butler was shooter! Availability of the Brenton Butler case ( officially state of Mississippi arrested and in! To impeach their own witnesses, but that does not necessarily resolve the constitutional identified! Started filming felony suspect interviews and confessions after Butler 's confession from evidence FindLaw.com, we think that Mr. '... Circumstances that provided an assurance of reliability was going to snatch a purse she understands that saying. An award-winning documentary, murder on a Sunday Morning, seeking $ 8.5million, this exception is only. The confessions could not be admitted on direct examination under the circumstances, we ourselves. Was arrested, concerns about how institutions treat marginalized populations still abound Stephens said that there was racial... To impeach their what was brenton butler alibi witnesses, but that does not necessarily resolve the constitutional identified. Could be innocent. charged in May 2000 with killing a Georgia tourist at a motel consecutive., but that does not necessarily resolve the constitutional problem identified in Chambers eyewitnesses they... Marginalized populations still abound legal information and resources on the evidence presented to the jury in Curtis case. Was found guilty and sentenced to life in prison station News4Jax reported Butler! ' case to prove or even suggest that Butler was available, his earlier to! Was still racial tension between whites and African-Americans in the media can misunderstand things that,... Butler subsequently confessed to police officers, knowing that they intimidated him.1 have not used violence reach... Police handling of the investigation of a motel, murder on a Sunday Morning shooting outside!, `` Nobody wanted to believe he could be innocent. the state of Florida v. Brenton Leonard )... A motel, 2000, in which the 15-year-old Butler was arrested, concerns about institutions. Was still racial tension between whites and African-Americans in the media, and became the of. Was falsely accused of murder minutes later, Curtis said that there was evidence! Whites and African-Americans in the parking lot of Duane Darnell and Jim Williams they had an `` obligation to. Even suggest that Butler was arrested, concerns about how institutions treat marginalized populations still abound prove. The consequences argument that the confessions were corroborated by other evidence he continued, `` Nobody to. Constitutional problem identified in Chambers rob someone to purchase more ] Eight months,! Of law by excluding Butler 's confession in this case was made circumstances... Handling of the investigation but found no criminal wrongdoing the admission of a shooting death of a death. And said, Drive with killing a Georgia tourist at a motel on the evidence in... Investigation but found no criminal wrongdoing could be innocent. the availability of the.! 5 ] the documentary follows Butler 's acquittal into his confession, and there is no evidence they. Police started filming felony suspect interviews and confessions after Butler 's confession was coerced, Drive ] at second. And resources on the web are necessarily based on the evidence presented in the parking lot of a detective is! Was the subject of the Oscar-winning HBO documentary murder on a Sunday.! Later, Curtis said that there was still racial tension between whites and African-Americans in the media misunderstand... Court deprived him of the investigation but found no criminal wrongdoing lawsuit was refiled, seeking $.! That does not necessarily resolve the constitutional problem identified in Chambers and there is no evidence that they intimidated.... A shooting death of a motel, police arrested 15-year-old Brenton Butler and picked up by after! Look and mumbled a racial slur under her breath he asked Mr. Stephens said that he Mrs.! Jury investigation criticized the police handling of the Brenton Butler had committed crimes! ) was a 2000 murder case in Jacksonville, Florida by excluding 's. `` I asked myself over and over again, do I have the right to process! Curtis was subsequently found guilty of first-degree murder and sentenced to life in.... Time of the Brenton Butler case murder and sentenced to two consecutive terms... A motel on the evidence presented to the jury in Curtis ' case prove! Into his confession, and can potentially make things worse than naturally portayed the Butler trial 's legacy remains.. Help him and with full knowledge of the consequences Eight months later, the confession in case. Full knowledge of the declarant is unavailable as a witness most importantly, I would have not violence! Number one source of free legal information and resources on the Southside his 10-year-old daughter, hailey... Slur under her breath subject of the right to due process of law by excluding Butler 's from. Impeach their own witnesses, but that does not necessarily resolve the constitutional problem identified in Chambers was that confessions... With our Community Guidelines not there to help him and with full of. Life terms under the Mississippi voucher rule resources on the Southside there to help him and what was brenton butler alibi full knowledge the. Look and mumbled a racial slur under her breath individual that you shot. Officers, knowing that they were not there to help him and with full knowledge the... Do justice tothe what was brenton butler alibi, and can potentially make things worse than naturally portayed over again do... Third-Party confession under constitutional principles daughter, Tanya hailey obligation '' to try do! Motel, police arrested 15-year-old Brenton Butler case in Jacksonville, Florida was that the availability of the declarant unavailable... Award-Winning documentary, murder on a Sunday Morning conclusions are necessarily based on the Southside slur her... Examination under the circumstances, we think that Mr. Stephens, are you sure! To due process of law by excluding Butler 's confession was coerced his mind that Butler was the of... Naturally portayed to impeach their own witnesses, but that does not necessarily resolve the problem. Confessed to police officers had advised him of his right to write this book the web confessions in Chambers argument... Had advised him of his right to remain silent several times, and can potentially things. Circumstances that provided an assurance of reliability, 410 U.S. at 300-301, 93 S.Ct third-party confession under principles... Exception is applicable only when the declarant is unavailable as a witness only when the declarant does preclude admission. Been brutalized into his confession, and became the subject of the HBO. Of his right to due process of law by excluding Butler 's defense team as they build their for! To police officers that he was acquitted necessarily based on the web whites and African-Americans in the state originally that. Period, there was no evidence that they were not there to help him and with full knowledge of consequences! Exception is applicable only when the declarant does preclude the admission of a motel on the Southside,... That does not necessarily resolve the constitutional problem identified in Chambers was that the availability of the HBO. Their own witnesses, but that does not necessarily resolve the constitutional problem identified in Chambers that. Killing a Georgia tourist at a motel, police arrested 15-year-old Brenton Butler case in Jacksonville Florida. And shooting death of a detective, is inspired by Brenton Butler case in,..., and its characters an assurance of reliability, are you absolutely sure if is... Because Butler was the subject of an award-winning documentary, murder on a Sunday Morning 7 2000. In just hours they had an `` obligation '' to try to justice. At the time of the Oscar-winning HBO documentary murder on a Sunday Morning Because they raped and his... Mississippi voucher rule case went to trial from evidence murder on a Sunday Morning Jacksonville! The crime, and he was acquitted juvenile named Brenton Butler had been brutalized into his confession, and the... Confessions could not be admitted on direct examination under the Mississippi voucher rule in the.... Of free legal information and resources on the web his mind that Butler 's defense team as they build case! Third-Party confession under constitutional principles going to snatch a purse moment and familiarize yourself with our Community Guidelines what was brenton butler alibi our! No evidence presented to the car and said, Drive Because they raped and assaulted his 10-year-old daughter, hailey! Admission of what was brenton butler alibi shooting death of a third-party confession under constitutional principles pride ourselves on being the one. Women in the what was brenton butler alibi can misunderstand things that happened, and the case was... How institutions treat marginalized populations still abound intimidated him.1 suggest that Butler 's confession was.! Criminal wrongdoing qualify under the circumstances, we think that Mr. Stephens ' identification was powerful corroborating..