Blind Themis
Amblin Partners will reveal one of the most egregious mistakes in the history of the US judicial system. Steven Spielberg's company is filming the memoir of Sonya "Sunny" Jacobs, Stolen Time.In 1976, Jacobs traveled to Florida with her husband Jesse Tafero, two children and family friend Walter Rhodes. On February 19, they stopped at a recreation area and spent the night right in the car. The next morning they were woken up by two patrol inspectors. The police noticed the gun and asked the men to get out of the car. A scuffle ensued, in which Rhodes shot and killed both servants of the law. The suspects gave opposite testimony. Jacobs and Tafero claimed that the gun was in Rhodes' hands. Meanwhile Walter swore and swore that Jesse had pulled the trigger. Since Tafero already had a criminal record, investigators believed Rhodes' version. Jakebs and Tafero were sentenced to death, and Rhodes was sentenced to three life sentences. He was released in 1994 for exemplary behavior.  Other defendants in the case were less fortunate. Tafero was executed in the electric chair in 1990. There is a legend that the prison officers deliberately disabled the unit to torment Jesse: due to the weak current, the procedure lasted about seven minutes. This story inspired Stephen King to create one of the storylines of The Green Mile. Jacobs escaped her husband's fate only because Florida authorities banned the death penalty for women. In 1992, Sonya's case was finally reviewed and evidence of her innocence was found. Jacobs was released and set up a center to help unjustly accused Americans. Source: The Hollywood Reporter The Topic of Article: Blind Themis. |
