Criminal Justice: My Cousin Vinny, Movie Review Example

This paper is based on the movie title my cousin Vinny, which was directed by Jonathan Lynn and released in 1992. This thrilling comedy is stared by both Joe Pesci and Ralph Machio. This is a construction of contrast and comparison essay based on the movie my cousin Vinny and criminal justice. The movie evolves around the life of two young teens (Bill and Stan) and Bill’s cousin lawyer (Vinny) who has never had a case in court as a lawyer. Having been awarded a scholarship to university on another state, they agreed to go to college via road to minimize flying expenses for they are not well of and don’t have enough money to cater for this expenses.

However on the way they come across a convenient store and stop for gas and supplies, they are later stopped and arrested just some miles away from the convenient store, circumstances point them as having murdered the convenient store clerk. The financial condition they are in can not cater for an attorney and so after critical thinking and analyzing their hopeless case, Bills comes with this idea that he has a cousin who is a lawyer they call him up and he agrees to represent them in their hearing. However Billy who just passed the bar exams after six tries has never represented anyone and he is incompetent. He however complicates matters and bring along his fiancée who just talks too much without even considering if the evidence she is giving is misleading and against Vinny cousin. This case will be used by this paper to compare and contrast it with a real case in the criminal justice.

In criminal justice laws the police in the movie did no give room for reason of doubt to the two fellows but arrested them on circumstantial evidence (Cjsonline, 2010). In areal justice case the suspect can not be arrested on circumstantial based evidence and be held up for twenty four hours without the police providing concrete evidence that show the link of the suspects to the murder case.

If the suspected are then indicted for murder, they are entitled for an attorney and a phone call. According to Johnson, (2010) if the suspects can not afford an attorney or does not have one then the laws confirms on the taxes expenses they be provided one for a fair hearing for one cannot represent them selves in a court of law. In this movie the two character had some financial difficulties and whe4n they called their parents for help they also got the same response.

However, one of the two friends mother suggested that because of the high fees of hiring an attorney to represent the two boys in court, their family has a lawyer from New York, Vinny who plays the cousin to Billy arrives to rescue his cousin not informing the family members that he is a neophyte personal injury lawyer and not qualified to represent anybody in a murder trial. In a real murder trail if the counsel is found not fit or qualified to represent a suspect in a court of law especially a murder case considerate of the weight on such a case, then this is a serious crime of contempt of court and fraud of impersonation.

The court entitles all suspect arrested for any charges before interrogation there be their attorney presence in the interrogation room with them or before the write any written statement but in the movie the boys rights are violated and they are not even appointed an attorney as they are forced to write a statement without their lawyers presence (Marvin, 2003). Further adding to the injury they are been arrested basing their statement on not murder but shoplifting, this confusion is seen when Billy accept that they had shop lifted and this the police change to acceptance of committing murder and robbery in the inconvenient store.

The police in the movie are very reluctant to search for concrete evidence and rely on the description of the two men who robbed the convenient store and the color of Billy’s car as evidence fit enough to prosecute a suspect on murder trail inconsiderate of the consequences that the victimized person faces if they are found guilty by the jury.

Ina real murder case circumstantial evidence cannot be sufficient enough for a prosecutor to bring a suspect in a murder trial for the law does not upholds cases based on circumstantial evidence especially on cases that have weight like murder and their penalties if convicted are harsh even resulting death penalties. According to Marvin, (2003) the description based evidence that the Federal Bureau Investigation officer offered on the forensic evidence are here seen as police assumption and negligence of the work of the police and the real criminal justice law if a person who is maliciously indicted on false account can sue the state and the person who offers this false information to the court of law.

Because of the nature of the true justice system the federal agent who was under oath in the court when he gave out false witness to a court of law is entitled to be arrested and indicted on contempt of court and bearing false witness.

The sheriff also in a real justice system set up also has a case to answer as he did not fully investigate the matter. He however with held the real evidence of obstructing the law and providing wrong and misleading information under oath in a court of law jeopardizing the life of two youthful boys with incriminating evidence of murder and robbery (€Johnson, 2010). A case by the boys filed for nominal damages against the sheriff in a real justice court can uphold and be paid damages that are relevant of the consequences the young boys could have undergone if the case would have gone hay wire.

Vinny lying to the judge about his change of names and having had represented another murder case in New York is also another crime against the arm of justice which umbrella truth and sincerity. The nature which the real judge is exquisite about the way Vinny is handling the case on the First hearing and his arrogance that crosses court rules and is jailed for contempt of court in the first session. Vinny un attorney like conduct and dress code is also un ethical and show his inexperience as a criminal attorney mannerism, a real criminal attorney should be well prepared on the evidential part to pin point the errors the police did when searching for evidence and also the manner which he was cross examining the witnesses and arrogantly speaking to the judges shows his inexperience as a criminal judge although through the movie Vinny reforms and act as a qualified lawyer and proceeds and wins the case.

The other big conflicting factor is the way after the sheriff found out the real killers of the convenient stores clerk; he did not come to inform the court about the new proceeding but just with held the information. The real court of justice would have settled for harsh remedies on the case of the sheriff for holding key information about a critical criminal case of murder and knowing well that they had aligned the wrong people for this trial and charged them unlawful with only circumstantial evidence and also not giving them their right of writing a statement without the present of their attorney.

The way the evidences are badly handled in this case contrast with the way in an original court of law the evidence is arraigned in court. The prosecutor with only circumstantial evidence that hold no motives or merit and lack of the killing gun as evidence creates a case based on this evidence and in a real court of justice due to fairness of the court and the motto of all court that a person shall be considered guilty upon prove and is given reason of doubt and a chance to prove their innocence and is innocent until proven guilty.

Vinny drama in the court with his fiancée as they patch their differences during a hearing is not acceptable in a real court of law and again they should be held in contempt of court.

References

Cjsonline, (2010). “Criminal Justice: Aims & Objectives: Scottish Executive Consultants. Retrieved on February 17, 2010 from http://www.cjsonline.gov.uk/the_cjs/aims_and_objectives/index.html.

Johnson, E. (2010). Important Facts about the Criminal Law. Retrieved on February 17, 2010 from http://ezinearticles.com/?Important-Facts-About-the-Criminal-Law&id=3581400

Marvin, W (2003). “Crime & Punishment in Renaissance Florence. Criminal Law and Criminology Journal. 81(7): 567–568