This is a documentary film that was developed in 2008. The film revolves around Carroll Pickett, who was the death house chaplain to the villainous Walls Prison Unit in Texas. Steve James and Peter Gilbert with their team produced and directed the documentary film. They had previously reaped massive success from other films like Kartenquin films documentary known as Hoop Dreams. Pickett supervised more than 95 executions in his career, with the main one being the lethal injection. He could audiotape any activity that he handled, but he kept it away from his family. Later he became an anti-death penalty activist (Steve, 2008).
The worst experience for Pickett was following the execution of Carlos Deluna. Pickett believed that Deluna was innocent. This forms that basis and the theme of the film. Prosecutors did not pay attention to any evidence that would have prosecuted another person for committing crimes that made Deluna be convicted. Deluna was executed of having killed a 24 year old man who was an attendant at a gas station in 1983 (Steve, 2008).
This film is a meaningful indictment of the death penalty. It presents death penalty as a definition of sad moments, which are often heart-breaking moments. Although, Pickett was not usually moved by convictions by the court, this one touched him. He found it unfair for Deluna to be convicted developing mental torture and pain for him (Steve, 2008). He believed that Deluna was innocent, and it was unlawful to convict him without fair testing before the court.
Pickett was justified of the grief he developed against the conviction of Deluna. The film shows that another man had come up to the court with evidence that Deluna was never involved in the killing. The court was not ready to listen to any process that would prove that Deluna never committed the murder. The truth was later known that Carlos Hernandez who was a man who looked alike with Deluna had committed the murder (Steve, 2008).
This is a representation of how unfair execution of justice may be some time. However, long a court ruling process may take; it is worth taking the time to avoid penalties that will cause undeserved pain. It was unlawful and against human rights to ignore the man who was defending Deluna and giving evidence that Deluna was being confused to another person (Steve, 2008). This ditched people who knew the truth into painful memories and poor attitude towards the law of the country.
Capital punishment, which is well known as the death penalty, should be a hasty decision by any court. It counts on losing the life of the criminal. Therefore, this process should call for exhaustive research and fact finding to aid in making the right decision and avoid identity confusion, which may lead to execution of the wrong person.
When it comes to a case concerning murder, all opinions and facts should be well laid on the table. There should be neither mini nor mega evidence. All opinions should be equally considered with ideas being evaluated on equal measures. In Deluna’s murder case, some opinions were observed as mini and without any reliable evidence. It was later discovered that the idea had the real definition of who had caused the murder. Through ignorance for the opinion, the wrong person was convicted. This left regrets in the court.
Decision making, process by courts should be based on adequate facts and consideration of all evidences. This would minimize wrongful executions like what happened to Deluna. Capital punishment should be passed after a critical evaluation of the case in the court.
Work Cited
At the death house door. Dir. Steve James. Perf. Carroll Pickett. Distributed by Facets Multimedia, 2008. DVD.
