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After reading a number of articles, and attending the “Picking Cotton” lecture. I have come to the

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After reading a number of articles, and attending the “Picking Cotton” lecture. I have come to the conclusion that, without the breakthrough of DNA extraction technology. Many people would still be convicted of a crime they never committed. One of the biggest pushes for this change in the judicial system, was the Thompson Vs. Cotton case. Ronald Cotton was accused of raping twenty two year old college student, Jennifer Thompson. During a lecture at Ferris State University, Thompson recalled thinking over and over again that “once I [survive] and live, I will make sure that I know everything about you […] to help the police find you”. Little did she know, the man that she chose in both picture and physical lineup was an innocent man. …show more content…

In Eller’s book of Cultural Anthropology, he notes that Anthony Wallace says that Revitalization Movements “are conscious, deliberate, and organized efforts on the part of some member(s) of a society to create a new better, and more satisfying culture” (Eller). People were beginning to realize how out of date the judiciary system was, and were beginning to be skeptical on how accurate it really was.
It is a horrifying idea to think that so many people were accused and locked up in prison. They were average people who had families, friends, and jobs, and were taken away from them and they don’t even know why. Ronald Cotton was only twenty two, when he walked into the police station to clear his name of any misidentification he may have had. What he didn’t know was that was the last time he would have freedom.
Eleven years was taken from him because of a poor system that relied on the human brain’s capability to recall memory. If the human brain cannot instantly recall a memory the odds of having a correct recall drops dramatically. This is because the brain begins to piece faulty items into the memory. This makes it seem so real, that it had to be what the person thought they saw. Improvements are slowly beginning to make their way to the judiciary system. With these strides toward new developments and strategies, the police can help reduce any more incidents like the

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