Dewey Bozella: Murderer or Victim
Adaobi Ikejiofor March 21, 2012 Dewey Bozella
Injustice
Injustice was a big theme in this documentary. Dewey Bozella was sentenced to serve twenty years to life in prison for allegedly murdering a ninety-two year old woman named Emma Crapser. After twenty-six years though, it was revealed that Bozella was not the criminal. However, when Bozella was first put on trial, he was put in front of an all-white jury. Keep in mind that this was all in 1983, nearly 20 years after desegregation, so America was a little bit hazy from racism. Being a black man put in front of a white jury for a crime he did not commit, Bozella knew he was going to get convicted. He knew this not only because of the fact that he was colored, but because two other men had testified to get Bozella into jail so that they could get out of it.
To add to all of this, after contacting the Innocence project, who then contacted WilmerHale, Bozella found out that prosecutors withheld information that was key to him getting his life back. He found that witnesses were contradicting what the two men who testified against Bozella, had said. Moreover, the witnesses information made more sense than what the two men testified. The fact that the prosecutors held evidence that could have changed a man’s life, but decided not to release the evidence just because he was black, serves to prove that injustice is an ugly and downright despicable monster.
Perseverance
If the message of the story were to be summarized in one word, that one word would be perseverance. Not only did Bozella strive to persevere in winning his freedom, but also at getting his shot at a dream that he had wished for for many years: to be in a professional boxing match. Despite the fact that he was in jail, Bozella still persevered. He earned his Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and 52 certificates. He did not let jail get in the way of being who he wanted to be; a great man.
After jail, Bozella strived to make his dream
Injustice
Injustice was a big theme in this documentary. Dewey Bozella was sentenced to serve twenty years to life in prison for allegedly murdering a ninety-two year old woman named Emma Crapser. After twenty-six years though, it was revealed that Bozella was not the criminal. However, when Bozella was first put on trial, he was put in front of an all-white jury. Keep in mind that this was all in 1983, nearly 20 years after desegregation, so America was a little bit hazy from racism. Being a black man put in front of a white jury for a crime he did not commit, Bozella knew he was going to get convicted. He knew this not only because of the fact that he was colored, but because two other men had testified to get Bozella into jail so that they could get out of it.
To add to all of this, after contacting the Innocence project, who then contacted WilmerHale, Bozella found out that prosecutors withheld information that was key to him getting his life back. He found that witnesses were contradicting what the two men who testified against Bozella, had said. Moreover, the witnesses information made more sense than what the two men testified. The fact that the prosecutors held evidence that could have changed a man’s life, but decided not to release the evidence just because he was black, serves to prove that injustice is an ugly and downright despicable monster.
Perseverance
If the message of the story were to be summarized in one word, that one word would be perseverance. Not only did Bozella strive to persevere in winning his freedom, but also at getting his shot at a dream that he had wished for for many years: to be in a professional boxing match. Despite the fact that he was in jail, Bozella still persevered. He earned his Bachelor’s degree, Master’s degree, and 52 certificates. He did not let jail get in the way of being who he wanted to be; a great man.
After jail, Bozella strived to make his dream