#murder trial

For those of you of a northern hemisphere persuasion, here's a er 'taster' of the inevitable Netflix documentary coming to you later this year (probably in time for watching after Thanksgiving/Christmas lunch).

TL:DNR version Erin Patterson invited a bunch of friends and family around to her house for a lunch of beef Wellington. She'd foraged the mushrooms for the Wellington, three of the guests later died from eating it, another was seriously ill.

She's now on trial for three counts of murder and one of attempted murder.

One of the items featured at our open house this week was this manuscript with a copy of the death sentence from an 1828 murder case. Richard Johnson was one of the last two people publicly executed in New York, alongside Catherine Cashiere, on May 9th, 1829.

This manuscript includes a couple extracts: a stanza from Gray's "Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard," paraphrases of Mark 9:48 and Revelation 18:19, and part of Book I of Robert Pollok's The Course of Time, which summarizes the damnation sections of the Book of Revelation.

Probably our favorite part, however, is a recipe for "Potatoe Pudding," scrawled upside down at the bottom of the first page.

Bigfoot was not involved. But...

The case involving Larry Doil Sanders, who was convicted of murdering Jimmy Knighten under peculiar and tragic circumstances, raises numerous questions about the nature of his defense and the psychological state he was in at the time of the crime. Specifically, the fact that Sanders believed Knighten was summoning Bigfoot and that he was defending himself from being sacrificed suggests a severe detachment from reality.

Given the details, it prompts an inquiry into whether an insanity defense was considered or utilized by Sanders' defense team. The testimony that Sanders was suffering from methamphetamine-induced psychosis, as stated by a forensic psychiatrist, is particularly critical. This condition could significantly impair a person's ability to distinguish reality from delusions, potentially qualifying them for an insanity defense under certain jurisdictions which require the defendant to either not understand the nature of their act or not understand that their act was wrong due to a severe mental disease or defect.

However, according to the reports, Sanders' attorney claimed that the act was in self-defense rather than arguing Sanders was legally insane at the time of the incident. This could reflect strategic decisions by the defense based on various factors including how they perceived the credibility of an insanity defense versus a self-defense claim in front of a judge, especially since Sanders waived his right to a jury trial.

Should have been titled 12 Angry Men 2: Now It’s Personal. C’mon Warner Bros, sort your marketing out!

Plot: A juror for a high-profile murder trial finds himself struggling with a serious moral dilemma that could influence the verdict and potentially convict, or free, the accused killer.

I feel oddly special for managing to seek this one out at the cinema, as in the US seemingly hardly anyone is able to watch it as studio Warner Bros are burying this movie completely, only showcasing it in 50 screens in the country. Granted I am in the UK and here the film has had a proper release, but still I liked to see it as if I’ve been able to attain the unattainable fruit. Especially as this may be the final film directed by Hollywood legend Clint Eastwood, and yet no one is talking about this movie! Truly baffling, especially as this is a genuinely engaging piece of courtroom drama, and very much a perfect “dad movie”.

Taking inspiration from the likes of Anatomy of a Murder and 12 Angry Men, with the latter even references through straight up imagery copy as Nicholas Hoult stands in the jury room staring out through the blinds of the window like Henry Fonda did in 12 Angry Men when he is first introduced. Only difference is while Fonda’s juror was simply trying to act in the name of justice and doing the right thing, in Juror #2 the main character played by Nicholas Hoult is intent on doing the same thing, expect for the reason behind is that maybe, just maybe he is actually the murderer himself. It’s an interesting spin on the classic courtroom thriller genre, and one that Eastwood manages to unravel in a very well paced and enticing way.

The performances are all great across the board. Nicholas Hoult showcases a lot of emotion through his expressions, especially with his inner conflict of wanting to do the right thing whilst also saving his own skin, whilst also balancing his responsibility of building a new family. Zoey Deutch as his pregnant wife is a solid counterpart, and the extra gravitas with them having lost their first child added that extra layer to the relationship. Toni Collette enjoying a little About a Boy reunion there I see with Hoult, but she delivers a strong turn as a lawyer on the case who’s also an election candidate. Then JK Simmons does his usual shtick and also OMG Kiefer is in this?! I bloody love Kiefer! What a lad! Glad he’s in this, even though he doesn’t get to do much, but he’s always welcome.

Juror #2 is very sturdy, very classical stuff, a tale of moral suspense. Feels like it could have been made 75 years ago, in the best way. It of course isn’t Clint Eastwood’s best work, but it’s perfectly reliable and intelligent entertainment that had me engaged throughout, due to its great concept and execution. There are a couple of silly moments such as when Toni Collette’s lawyer googles the wife’s name + “husband” and multiple photos of them together showed up, cause that’s definitely how Google Images work! Or how Nicholas Hoult acts super shifty throughout that even a blind man would suspect something. But look, I’m not here to knit-pick - I had a good time! It’s real old-school, so again, get your dad to watch it - he’ll have a ball!

Overall score: 7/10

〰️ T H E S M I T H S 〰️

David & Maureen (Hindley) Smith

The Smiths: Band Name

David Smith: Moors Murders