Murder on a Sunday morning

This Academy Award winner (2002 Best Documentary) certainly deserves the attention it received. Filmed by a French crew in Jacksonville, FL, that was there on another assignment, Murder on a Sunday Morning is a compelling example of the injustice encountered by the African American community. Mary Ann Stephens, a white female tourist, is shot to death in a botched robbery attempt, and the only eyewitness is her husband, James. He gives a description to the local sheriff, who picks up Brenton Butler, a teenager on his way to apply for a job. Stephens identifies Butler as the assailant. Interrogated without an attorney and beaten into signing a confession, Butler is finally assigned to public defender Patrick McGuinness. The film is skillfully edited to show the highlights of the defense. McGuinness's interrogation of the detectives reveals their shoddy investigative procedure. The extra features on the DVD include deleted scenes, juror and participant interviews, and the original confession. Highly recommended for all collections, especially those with criminal justice interests.-Lori Lampert, SUNY Coll. at Brockport (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.