The previous post about this episode was about the symbolism of the events that occurred. I mentioned that it was similar to the story of Jim Riddick and how he was accused of raping an Italian woman, Fannie Pollozzi. There was not sufficient evidence to prove that Jim Riddick had raped her, so he ended up sitting in jail until he was eventually lynched in the midst of a passionate hate crime. In the episode, True Believers, Michael Wedmore is arrested for being suspected of raping music student, Sarah Walsh. While the audience does see that Michael did rape Sarah, it is not clear to the detectives, which is where the justice system comes in. Bayard Ellis is hired as Michael's attorney because of his reputation as a top defense attorney dedicated to civil rights. Bayard Ellis fights hard for Michael's case because men of color have historically been accused of such crimes that they did not commit. Detective Benson feels defeated when Sarah loses the case and Michael is found not guilty.
This is an important episode because it shows the struggle to prove innocence for a black man. Law and Order: SVU has an interesting take on the justice system in this episode. It is the first civil rights based case that appears so far in this season. Bayard Ellis is the lawyer of a black man and is committed to serving justice for African Americans who have historically been served unfairly in a court of law. It is interesting in this case because those behind the camera in this episode of Law and Order SVU chose to show the audience that this African American, Michael Wedmore, was actually guilty. It is difficult to identify the true intentions that the creators had for this episode, but on one hand they want to show that a black man is guilty for threatening and raping a white woman and on the other hand, that the trial of a black man matters. In so many cases, African Americans are accused of crimes that they did not commit. It is vital that there are people that work in the justice system that are "true believers," so to speak, because without that belief the struggle of blatant discrimination would be a lot easier to navigate. Even though in this case, there was enough evidence for the audience to determine that Michael Wedmore was guilty, other African Americans in an innocent position have never been given "justice."
This is an important episode because it shows the struggle to prove innocence for a black man. Law and Order: SVU has an interesting take on the justice system in this episode. It is the first civil rights based case that appears so far in this season. Bayard Ellis is the lawyer of a black man and is committed to serving justice for African Americans who have historically been served unfairly in a court of law. It is interesting in this case because those behind the camera in this episode of Law and Order SVU chose to show the audience that this African American, Michael Wedmore, was actually guilty. It is difficult to identify the true intentions that the creators had for this episode, but on one hand they want to show that a black man is guilty for threatening and raping a white woman and on the other hand, that the trial of a black man matters. In so many cases, African Americans are accused of crimes that they did not commit. It is vital that there are people that work in the justice system that are "true believers," so to speak, because without that belief the struggle of blatant discrimination would be a lot easier to navigate. Even though in this case, there was enough evidence for the audience to determine that Michael Wedmore was guilty, other African Americans in an innocent position have never been given "justice."