Accused of rape by a fellow student, Brian Banks accepted a plea deal and went to prison on his 18th birthday. Years later he was exonerated with the help of the California Innocence Project. He’s joined on Megyn Kelly TODAY by Project director Justin Brooks and former prosecutor Loni Coombs, with whom he now examines other potentially wrongful convictions on the series “Final Appeal.”
Have egg on your face
idiom informal
If you have egg on your face, you look stupid because of something that you have done:
This latest scandal has left the government with egg on its face.
Cambridge Dictionary
Met de gebakken peren zitten.
Both expressions convey the idea of being in an embarrassing or awkward situation, often as a result of one’s own mistakes or misjudgments.
Page Description
The case of Brian Banks
shows how fragile and vulnerable
the justice system is,
even without DNA evidence –
on the same day of false accusation
1 To touch a sensitive nerve
“To strike a chord” or “to touch a sensitive nerve.”
It means to say or do something that deeply affects or resonates with someone’s emotions or personal concerns. It implies evoking a strong reaction, often related to a sensitive or personal topic.
(De gevoelig snaar raken in het Nederlands).
1 Wrongfully Jailed For Rape As A Teen, He Now Helps Others Falsely Convicted | Megyn Kelly TODAY
Back to menu IMPORTANT CONTENT Listening recommended
English
Dutch
English
The story of Brian Banks – a sixteen year old boy – makes the heart ache, it hurts.
He spent five years in prison for a crime he didn’t do.
It was as if she was oblivious to what had actually happened and what her lies cause in my life.
Dutch
Het verhaal van Brian Banks – een 16 jarige jongen – doet pijn in het hart.
Hij zat 5 jaar in de gevangenis voor iets dat hij niet gedaan heeft.
Het was alsof ze zich niet bewust was van wat er werkelijk was gebeurd en wat haar leugens in mijn leven veroorzaakten.
Please listen to more about Brian Banks
The Brian Banks story is
“A wake-up call”.
Justice is shamelessly abused,
as with Liam Allan
like the other examples in higher-ranking list of 9 (point 2)
that include Brian Banks.
Throw sand in the gears.
English
Dutch
English
From the glow of life to hell
- In an incomprehensible way, the life of a child or teenager hangs by a thread.
- Finding oneself in troubled waters like a bolt from the blue.
- It’s what happens when, unjustly or to one’s dumbfounded amazement, one gets caught up in a shady legal system.
- To skate on thin ice, so to speak.
- Sixteen-year-old Brian Banks didn’t have the Samaritan of the day, someone who would give him the help he deserved.
- It follows the same pattern as The Central Park Five, The Scottsboro Boys, Ryan Ferguson, Ricky Jackson, etc.
- It is unfathomable. Justice could help, but it fails to do so…
- That’s stating the obvious and unnecessary, justice decide something that doesn’t apply.
Dutch
Wanneer de glans van het leven verdwijnt
- Het is onbegrijpelijk, het leven van een kind of een tiener hangt aan een zijden draadje.
- Je komt in een woelig vaarwater terecht, als bij een donderslag bij een heldere hemel.
- Het is wat je overkomt wanneer je onterecht of tot je stomme verbazing door een schimmige constructie bij justitie terecht komt.
- Je komt op glad ijs terecht.
- De 16 jarige Brian Banks had niet de Samaritaan van de dag, één iemand die hem de hulp gaf die hij verdiende.
- Het is hetzelfde patroon bij The Center Park Five, The Scottsboro Boys, Ryan Ferguson, Ricky Jakson, etc.
- Het is niet te begrijpen. Justitie zou kunnen helpen maar doet dit niet …
- Het is een open deur intrappen, justitie beslist iets die niet van toepassing is.
The case of Brian Banks shows how fragile and vulnerable the justice system is,
even without DNA evidence – on the same day of false accusation –
and yet being sentenced for something that couldn’t have happened!
Please watch and listen attentive to the video.
3 California Innocence Project Director Justin Brooks discusses Brian Banks’ case
Back to menu IMPORTANT CONTENT Listening recommended Must
4 FREEING THE INNOCENT | False Convictions, Corruption, Race and Death Penalty – Justin Brooks
In première gegaan op 23 mrt 2023
For this episode I spoke to Justin Brooks, criminal defense lawyer, law professor, and the Founding Director of the California Innocence Project and recent author of “You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You’re Innocent”.
( https://www.amazon.com/Might-Prison-T…)
The book and our interview focuses on Justin’s work which is the exoneration of falsely-convicted prisoners for crimes up to and including murder.
We spoke about the various ways in which false-convictions can come about due to dishonesty, incompetence and/or errors from police, prosecutors and judges. Justin shares stories from his most prolific and shocking cases including false- r!pe allegations and decades wrongly spent in jail.
Justin told me about problems with cross-racial identification, how difficult it is to over-turn a conviction, the damaging effect that prison has on the falsely convicted and the role that race plays in American trials.
00:00 Intro
01:40 HOW DO FALSE CONVICTIONS COME ABOUT??
09:40 How Innocence Project chooses it’s clients
12:30 Brian Banks case (Justin’s most well known case, false r@pe case)
15:30 Marty Tankleff case (False confession case)
19:10 Prisoners lying about being innocent ??
21:00 Are most false convictions due to incompetence or dishonesty?
22:01 RACE
27:05 Should you NEVER speak to cops during interrogation ??
29:35 Repercussions for police/prosecutors/judges who act dishonestly ??
38:10 How difficult is to get an appeal going ?
45:10 Success rate
46:30 Detrimental effect of prison on falsely convicted inmates ?
52:10 Breaking the bad news to a prisoner you can’t get freed
55:25 DEATH PENALTY
59:35 How good is US justice system compared to others?
5 New book explores how someone could get caught up in the system
6 apr 2023
“You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You’re Innocent.” It can happen and it is the subject of a new book written by Professor Justin Brooks the Director of the California Innocence Project.
Brooks has spent his career freeing innocent people from prison, including former NFL player Brian Banks. He joined the FOUR to explain how someone could get caught up in the system.
6 You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You’re Innocent – Justin Brooks
Tue, February 28, 2023 Dinner Program In his new book, You Might Go to Prison, Even Though You’re Innocent, Justin Brooks, director and co-founder of the California Innocence Project, puts readers at the defense table by forcing us to consider how any of us might be swept up in the system—whether we hired a bad lawyer, bear a slight resemblance to someone else in the world, or are not good with awkward silence. He offers up-close real-life accounts of wrongful convictions and innocence claims he has fought, embedding them within the larger landscape of the American justice system.
7 Frank Buckley Interviews: Justin Brooks
8 Prison Activist Justin Brooks
9 In Conversation with Justin Brooks of CA Innocence Project
10 Magical, mystical, mysterious clemencies | Justin Brooks | TEDxSanDiego
21 nov 2016
Clemency is a power that dates back to the Royal Prerogative of Mercy in the United Kingdom. It is the strange power that allows the sovereign to overrule the justice system. Justin Brooks walked 712 miles from San Diego to Sacramento, hoping to convince the Governor to use this power to free 12 innocent people.
Justin Brooks is the Director and Co-Founder of the California Innocence Project and a tenured professor at California Western School of Law. Over the course of his career he has served as counsel on several high profile criminal cases.
He has also worked extensively in Latin America training lawyers for the past 20 years and co-founded Red Inocente, an organization devoted to founding and supporting innocence organizations in Latin America.
11 Author & Lawyer Justin Brooks: California Innocence Project – Episode #102 #unimpressedpodcast
12 Brian Banks Trailer #1 (2019) | Movieclips Trailers
Based on the inspirational true story, Brian Banks starring Aldis Hodge is playing everywhere now! ► Buy Tickets for Brian Banks: https://www.fandango.com/brian-banks-…
“Throw sand in the gears”
To cause problems or prevent something from happening as it should:
I don’t want to give them a chance to throw sand in the gears.
He said “When mobile phone companies charge consumers fat penalties to leave, they’re throwing sand in the gears of competition.”
Cambridge Dictionary
“Throw sand in the gears” can be considered similar to the expressions “to throw a spanner in the works” and “to put a spoke in someone’s wheel.”
All three expressions convey the idea of deliberately creating obstacles or hindrances to disrupt or impede progress or success.
They are idiomatic expressions used to describe actions that interfere with the smooth functioning or forward momentum of a process or plan.
2 The blunt ax
Please listen and watch to more about the 14 year old George Stinney Jr
13 They Are Terrified To Teach This In School (George Stinney Jr)
18 jun 2023 The Erasure of Black History in American Education (Black Culture)
In the sweltering heat of Alcolu, South Carolina, a young boy named George Stinney Jr. became a tragic embodiment of the profound injustices that plagued a nation
Welcome to Black Journals, a channel dedicated to exploring and sharing the rich history, literature, and culture of the African American community. Our channel takes a deep dive into the pages of black journals and uncovers the hidden stories and untold truths of the black experience.
Come along with us as we turn the pages of black journals and uncover the pages of Black History.
14 George Stinney’s Tragic Story And His Brutal Execution!
15 Ohio Innocence Project 20th Anniversary
18 mei 2023
We’re proud to be a part of the University of Cincinnati, where we made our home in 2003. Since our inception, our work has led to the release of 42 wrongfully convicted Ohioans, who collectively served more than 800 years behind bars. That makes us one of the top-performing members among the international Innocence Network.
Our work includes helping develop and advocate for lasting criminal justice reform through legislation as well as launching Ohio Innocence Project University, an active network of student groups at colleges across the state.
– Mark Godsey, Co-Founder & Director, Ohio Innocence Project
It is repugnant a 14-year-old child on the electric chair.
3 The Dark Side of Justice
When justice lets you down as in a series of examples below, following the 9 examples in point 2 on this webpage.
Brian Banks: (in video 6 in point 9 above) accused of rape by a fellow student, Brian Banks accepted a plea deal and went to prison on his 18th birthday. Years later he was exonerated with the help of the California Innocence Project
Lamar Johnson Life sentence in a Missouri prison for murder, 28 year innocence in prison, until the real killer confessed. He was convicted in 1995, he was 21. There was no physical evidence. The murder was wearing face masks and no one could identified them. The witness was forced by police to declare Lamar Johnson was the murder. The witness wanted to help and he trusted the police. Lamar Johnson served more than half his life in prison for a murder he didn’t commit
Sheldon Thomas He was just 16 when he was convicted on basis of a photo and it was not him, december 2004. 19 year innocent in prison. He was 35 when he came free.
Daniel Villegas Daniel Villegas was just 16 when he was wrongfully convicted of double murder and sentenced to life in prison, spent 25 year innoncent in prison. After being exonerated in 2018 with the help of an unexpected hero, Daniel is now sharing his story, from the intimidation tactics that resulted in his false confession to the retrial that set him free.
Vincent Simmons 44 years in prison, tried 17 times for the last 30 years to change his convection, became 70 when he was free. He was 25 when convicted of attempted aggravated rape of twin 14-year-olds in 1977. Free but not exonerated. He got not a fair trial.
Absurd – inconsistent – incoherent
The website provides tangible observations, clear examples that demonstrate how, despite illogical data, nonsense, and contradictions, things can still go wrong within the justice system.
It is like using a blunt axe or a pendulum swinging too far in the wrong direction.
Wrongfully accused despite evidence to the contrary, as illustrated by the textbook case of Liam Allan.
As seen in widespread scientific fraud in part 2 of the website, everything is fabricated, yet the conman visits locations where he could supposedly refer to research that never took place!
The justice system is put to the test and creates a false perception of individuals who could not have been involved. They are backed into a corner and burdened with the task of fighting against a justice system that is completely clueless, breaking the lives of those who have done nothing wrong by imprisoning them in a situation from which they cannot escape.
English
Dutch
English
‘The dark side of justice’ resulting in harrowing conditions and avoidable misery
“The dark side of justice” refers to situations where the legal system or attempts to seek justice have unintended negative consequences, resulting in distressing conditions and avoidable suffering. These distressing situations and avoidable misery can arise from various aspects of justice, such as legal procedures, punitive measures, social repercussions, and structural issues. Here are some examples of how the dark side of justice can manifest:
Unjust punishments: The criminal justice system can create situations where the penalties imposed are disproportionate to the crime committed. Excessive punishments, such as long prison sentences for non-violent offenses, can lead to a cycle of crime and further socio-economic problems.
Wrongful convictions: Incorrect convictions of innocent individuals are a distressing outcome of the legal system. Faulty evidence, false testimonies, biases, and other factors can result in the wrongful incarceration of innocent people, causing irreparable damage to their lives.
Social inequality: The justice system can contribute to the perpetuation of existing social inequalities. Low-income groups and minority communities often have less access to legal representation, disproportionately affecting them within the system. This can lead to a cycle of poverty, injustice, and limited opportunities.
Abuse of power: Within the legal system, abuses of power and corruption can occur. This can result in arbitrary decisions, discrimination, and undermining the credibility of the system. Victims of such abuses often experience a sense of helplessness and injustice.
Traumatic processes: Legal proceedings can be prolonged and traumatizing for victims, witnesses, and even perpetrators. Reliving traumatic events during the process can cause severe emotional and psychological harm.
While justice is an important pursuit, it is crucial to acknowledge its dark side and strive for reforms that make the system fairer, more humane, and more effective.
Dutch
‘The dark side of justice’ met schrijnende toestanden en vermijdbare ellende tot gevolg
De uitdrukking “de donkere kant van gerechtigheid” verwijst naar situaties waarin het rechtssysteem of pogingen om gerechtigheid te bereiken onbedoelde negatieve gevolgen hebben. Deze schrijnende toestanden en vermijdbare ellende kunnen voortkomen uit verschillende aspecten van justitie, zoals juridische procedures, strafmaatregelen, sociale gevolgen en structurele problemen. Hier zijn enkele voorbeelden van hoe de donkere kant van gerechtigheid zich kan manifesteren:
Onrechtvaardige straffen: Het strafsysteem kan situaties creëren waarin de straffen die worden opgelegd niet in verhouding staan tot de misdaad. Overmatige straffen, zoals lange gevangenisstraffen voor niet-gewelddadige misdrijven, kunnen leiden tot een vicieuze cirkel van criminaliteit en verdere sociaal-economische problemen.
Onterechte veroordelingen: Onjuiste veroordelingen van onschuldige mensen zijn een schrijnende uitkomst van het rechtssysteem. Foutieve bewijsvoering, valse getuigenissen, vooroordelen en andere factoren kunnen leiden tot het opsluiten van onschuldige personen, waardoor hun leven onherstelbaar beschadigd wordt.
Sociale ongelijkheid: Het rechtssysteem kan bijdragen aan de versterking van bestaande sociale ongelijkheid. Lage inkomensgroepen en minderheidsgroepen hebben vaak minder toegang tot juridische vertegenwoordiging en kunnen daardoor onevenredig zwaar getroffen worden door het systeem. Dit kan leiden tot een cyclus van armoede, onrecht en beperkte kansen.
Misbruik van macht: Binnen het rechtssysteem kunnen machtsmisbruik en corruptie voorkomen. Dit kan leiden tot willekeurige beslissingen, discriminatie en het ondermijnen van de geloofwaardigheid van het systeem. Slachtoffers van dergelijk misbruik ervaren vaak een gevoel van hulpeloosheid en onrechtvaardigheid.
Traumatiserende processen: Juridische procedures kunnen langdurig en traumatiserend zijn voor slachtoffers, getuigen en zelfs daders. Het herbeleven van traumatische gebeurtenissen tijdens het proces kan ernstige emotionele en psychologische schade veroorzaken.
Hoewel gerechtigheid een belangrijk streven is, is het essentieel om aandacht te besteden aan de donkere kant ervan en te streven naar hervormingen die het systeem rechtvaardiger, menselijker en effectiever maken.
Out of the frying pan into the fire
also, out of the frying pan and into the fire
Meaning | Synonyms
To go from a bad to worse situation
Used to refer when a bad situation turned critical
Moving from a very difficult position to one that is considered much worse
Used to describe the situation of moving or getting from a bad or difficult situation to a worse one, often as the result of trying to escape from the bad or difficult one.
Example Sentences
- In a bid to gain independence, she agreed to get married early, not knowing she was jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
- Moving from my old school to this one is like jumping out of the frying pan into the fire.
- I wanted to fix the leakage but being so old the pipe was straight out of the frying pan and into the fire.
- Liza started shouting at me in public when I went to apologize. I was like out of the frying pan into the fire.
Van de regen in de drup
The English equivalent of the Dutch saying “van de regen in de drup” is “out of the frying pan into the fire.”
Both expressions convey the idea that a situation is going from bad to worse or that one problem is being replaced by another, often with a sense of irony or frustration.
English
Dutch
English
Justice fails catastrophically: out of the frying pan into the fire
There is a wrong perception about justice.
People with good character who have absolutely done nothing wrong end up in a mess.
One can bear a burden on their shoulders, disrupting a person’s life and creating a negative spiral.
Individuals who cannot be linked in any way to something are ultimately portrayed as villains in an illogical manner.
People end up in prison as a result of a flawed justice system or those who manipulate the system, to the extent that it boggles the mind.
Then you go from bad to worse, a system without guardrails, a context from which you can no longer escape.
When you listen to videos of those who experience this, it sinks in and you fully realize what those people have gone through, those who sometimes manage to escape by chance.
Such situations obviously have nothing to do with justice anymore. It is a component that exists within the justice system. The dark side of justice.
When justice heavily relies on an inconsistency, in other words, when someone cannot be associated with the character traits related to a specific event, specifically when the person is exactly a completely different type of person or the opposite, then other elements come into play, such as the pattern that emerges on the surface to unjustly condemn someone on the homepage and throughout the website.
This means that justice decides something that does not apply to the person.
Dutch
Justitie faalt catastrofaal: van de regen in de drop
Er bestaat een verkeerd beeld over justitie.
Mensen met een goed karakter die absoluut niets verkeerd hebben gedaan komen in een puinhoop terecht.
Men kan een last op zijn schouders krijgen waardoor het leven van een mens ontwricht wordt en er een negatieve spiraal ontstaat.
Mensen die helemaal op geen enkele manier in verband kunnen gebracht worden met iets worden uiteindelijk op een ongerijmde wijze als slechterik afgeschilderd.
Mensen komen in de gevangenis terecht als gevolg van een slecht justitie systeem of zijn die het systeem manipuleren, zelfs op een wijze dat zijn verstand erbij stilstaat.
Vervolgens kom van je van de regen in de drop, een systeem zonder vangrails, een context waar je niet meer uitgeraakt.
Wanneer je naar video’s luistert van zij die dit meemaken, het tot je doordringt en ten volle beseft wat die mensen hebben meegemaakt, zij die soms bij toeval er uit geraken.
Zo’n situaties hebben uiteraard niets meer met justitie te maken. Het is een component die bestaat binnen justitie. De schaduwzijde van justitie.
Wanneer justitie grootschalig steunt op een ongerijmdheid, met andere woorden wanneer iemand niet kan ondergebracht worden bij personen met karaktereigenschappen om in verband te brengen met een bepaald gebeuren, meer bepaald dat de persoon precies een totaal verschillend type persoon is of het tegendeel is, dan spelen er andere elementen, zoals in het patroon die aan de oppervlakte komt om iemand onterecht te veroordelen op de home pagina en doorheen de website.
Dit wil zeggen, justitie beslist iets die niet van toepassing is op de persoon.
16 Wrongful Convictions – A National Disgrace
English
Dutch
English
An act that cannot be explained or justified
When as a child you end up in a shady arrangement, such as the example of 14-year-old George Stinney or the 9 Scottsboro Boys in the list mentioned in point 2 on this webpage, and justice is abused in the most abhorrent way, it is an act that cannot be explained or justified.
This is not an isolated phenomenon within the justice system. It happens every day to this day in the most horrific manner.
When religion is a part of such an occurrence or the indispensable link to make it possible, then we are dealing with the ‘First Nation Residential Schools in Canada’ or ‘The mother and baby homes in Ireland.’ It is a horror story for which no words exist to describe the cruelty that children had to endure.
When justice is abused to commit terrible acts against people who could in no way be categorized as those who would do such things, it is clear that justice is being misused.
It is the well-known example of ‘The Central Park Five’ in 1989 in New York, where five children aged 14, 15, and one 16-year-old were imprisoned for 7 years, and the 16-year-old boy even for 13 years, fully aware that these young individuals had absolutely nothing to do with it.
Children were falsely incarcerated. These are the cases that other forces are at play. These are the cases where people go through hell.
Dutch
Een daad die niet uit te leggen valt en niet goed te praten is
Wanneer je als kind in een schimmige constructie terecht komt zoals voorbeeld de 14 jarige George Stinney of de 9 Scottsboro Boys in het lijstje in punt 2 op deze webpagina en justitie op de meest weerzinwekkende wijze misbruikt wordt, het is een daad die niet uit te leggen valt en niet goed te praten is.
Dit is geen randfenomeen bij justitie. Het gebeurt elke dag tot op heden op de meest verschrikkelijke wijze.
Wanneer religie onderdeel is van zo’n gebeuren of de onontbeerlijke schakel om dit mogelijk te maken, dan zitten we in het gebeuren van de ‘First Nation Residential Schools in Canada’ of ‘The mother and baby homes in Ireland’. Het is de horror story waarvoor geen woorden bestaan de de wreedheid te beschrijven die kinderen hebben moeten ondergaan.
Wanneer justitie wordt misbruikt om verschrikkelijke dingen te doen met mensen die men in niet het minst kan onderbrengen in de categorie van mensen die zoiets zouden doen, dan weet men erg goed dat justitie misbruikt wordt.
Het is het bekende voorbeeld van ‘The Central Park Five’ in 1989 in New York, waar men 5 kinderen van 14, 15 en eentje van 16 jaar voor 7 jaar opsloot in de gevangenis, de jongen van 16 zelfs voor 13 jaar, goed wetend dat deze jongeren er helemaal niets mee te maken hadden.
Men stak kinderen gefabriceerd in de gevangenis. Het zijn de zaken waar andere krachten aan het werk zijn. These are the cases where people go through hell.
17 Live Police Chase Gag
10 apr 2011
Wanted man puts on fake glasses, nose and mustache so as not to be recognized by a pursuing cop and it works. A presentation of the Just For Laughs Gags. The funny hidden camera pranks show for the whole family. Juste pour rire les gags, l’émission de caméra caché la plus comique de la télé!