“A Murder in the Park” is a stunning and mature look at capital punishment. Taking the case of Anthony Porter in 1983, we see how special interests were used to free the man and have Illinois’s use of the death penalty abolished. But, it appears that the college students that worked on the case omitted details to fit their overall political plan. As we live in the PC manipulated climate of fear, it’s amazing to see how the climate has existed sporadically for the last four decades.
The documentary examines many perspectives about the case, such as how conviction reversals are never clean balances. Sure, the criminal system in Illinois has very major issues. It’s just that the process used to convict Alstory Simon showed sharp errors in judgment that undermine the efforts to free Anthony Porter. Some might say the end justifies the means, but that is where the documentary hits you for one final stinger.
Alstory Simon was pressured into giving a false confession due to the media scrutiny surrounding the Northwestern School of Journalism’s students’ discovery. Simon would later be exonerated in 2014, while the class Professor was suspended from the school due to lying on a subpoena and falsifying information. While Anthony Porter would later sue the city of Chicago and fail, Simon has yet to get his day in court. Meanwhile, the legal experts believe that Simon did commit the crimes. It’s just that it’s now been 32 years and it’s next to impossible to prove anything anymore. Thanks a lot, hack journalist students of the world. The DVD comes with a trailer as the sole special feature.
Release Date: 9/29/15