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AIBU?

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Original poster

Double Jeopardy film

26 replies

BastetsWhiskers · 04/07/2023 17:44

With Ashley Judd, SPOILERS

Woman gets sent to prison for years for killing her husband, she didn't do it.

At parole board she makes all the 'correct' responses and says that she killed him and is reformed.

My knee jerk response was no chance on earth would I say I had when I hadn't.

So:

AIBU: say you did to be released
IANBU: no way Jose!

OP posts:
MrsTerryPratchett · 04/07/2023 17:45

Have you ever been in a prison OP? I have. Several times. I would say anything to get out and clear my name after.

IAmAnIdiot123 · 04/07/2023 17:47

I've never been to prison but I imagine I would say/do just about anything to get out.

Original poster
BastetsWhiskers · 04/07/2023 17:50

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/07/2023 17:45

Have you ever been in a prison OP? I have. Several times. I would say anything to get out and clear my name after.

You work in that capacity though don't you?

No I haven't, but I would be highly indignant at being forced to say I had done something when I hadn't

OP posts:
Curtains70 · 04/07/2023 17:50

Yeah probably. Also in that film she realises her husband faked his own death and is shacked up with her son and the other woman. She is desperate to get out to her son and then be able to clear her name.

BoohooWoohoo · 04/07/2023 17:53

In movies, saying what the parole board wants to hear rather than the truth leads to release so I would lie too.

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/07/2023 17:53

Not any more but I did work in prisons. Bloody awful.

I'd be indignant too! But not that indignant.

AriettyClock22 · 04/07/2023 17:53

She said it so she could get out and find her son.

Lacucuracha · 04/07/2023 17:55

I admire people who maintain their rightful innocence but if given the opportunity to leave years before release date, I would take it.

Reminds me of Adnan Syed, who was jailed for life, and then 18 years later was offered to be released in 2 years if he confessed. He refused, even though it meant many more years in jail.

Mortgageportgage · 04/07/2023 17:55

Yes I absolutely would, the American system seems to be based on confession and repentance even more than ours. If she didn't "confess" she'd have been inside til the day she died.

BodegaSushi · 04/07/2023 17:57

Well, given that she realises her husband is still alive before she gets out (IIRC, it's been a while but I'm sure it's during a phonecall from prison with her son), then yeah she'd lie to get out and go kill him.

Tlolljs · 04/07/2023 17:57

She confessed to be let out to kill him though. All part of the plan.

verabarbleen · 04/07/2023 17:58

Haven't seen that film in years. I love it! Such a good popcorn movie . They don't make them like that anymore !

ErrolTheDragon · 04/07/2023 17:58

Mortgageportgage · 04/07/2023 17:55

Yes I absolutely would, the American system seems to be based on confession and repentance even more than ours. If she didn't "confess" she'd have been inside til the day she died.

Plea bargains in the US must mean a lot of innocent people 'admit' to a crime to get a short sentence rather than risking a long one.

I don't know what I'd do but if I'd got a kid or thought I'd be able to clear my name once out I guess I might lie as described. Needs must...

magicstar1 · 04/07/2023 17:59

She only confessed because her “friend”
had run away with her child, and she heard the boy call ‘Daddy’ when on the phone. So she knew he was alive, and went for parole to track him down.

Original poster
BastetsWhiskers · 04/07/2023 18:02

Curtains70 · 04/07/2023 17:50

Yeah probably. Also in that film she realises her husband faked his own death and is shacked up with her son and the other woman. She is desperate to get out to her son and then be able to clear her name.

It does make it different with a child, and I guess the whole premise of the film, that you can't be tried twice.

I would be spitting fury though!!

Haven't heard of Adnsn Syed, will Google.

In a way if you're saying you did kill your husband you're just reiterating what the judgment was and not what you did.

OP posts:
GlitchStitch · 04/07/2023 18:04

Yeah the whole point is she admits it because she wants to find her son, plus she wants to kill him as she can't be tried twice for the same crime.

Also love this film, 1990s thrillers were the best.

Original poster
BastetsWhiskers · 04/07/2023 18:07

@GlitchStitch yes! 👍

OP posts:
bucketoflego · 04/07/2023 18:10

BastetsWhiskers · 04/07/2023 18:02

It does make it different with a child, and I guess the whole premise of the film, that you can't be tried twice.

I would be spitting fury though!!

Haven't heard of Adnsn Syed, will Google.

In a way if you're saying you did kill your husband you're just reiterating what the judgment was and not what you did.

Show quote history

Adnan Syed was the biggest downloaded podcast, it featured on Serial. It was amazing to listen to but also heartbreaking because I don't believe he did it and the police made so many Brady violations (kept things from the defence which they are meant to turn over) used evidence they knew to be unreliable, even told the evidence was unreliable from the phone company but submitted it anyway.

I don't think that you can be released from jail on actual innocence, an appeal has to be made on other factors. I used to listen to Wrongful Convictions. The number of people jailed on just a crap defence, so unlike The Good Wife no one is investigating to prove their innocence.

I loved Double Jeopardy except the ending did piss me off slightly.

GrannyAchingsShepherdsHut · 04/07/2023 18:10

Thing is though, she wants to get out to kill him, so she's sort of confessing in advance.

Once she kills him, she is guilty of what's she's admitted to. I'm not sure I'm making sense, but it makes sense in my head!

But yes, if I've been wrongfully convicted, and exhausted appeals, then you bet I'm doing or saying anything to get the fuck out of there.

It's not even like here where you behave well and serve a fixed amount of time (or indeed half of it!) over there she'd be in for ever until she got parole, and the only way to do that is to be 'reformed'.

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 04/07/2023 18:16

GlitchStitch · 04/07/2023 18:04

Yeah the whole point is she admits it because she wants to find her son, plus she wants to kill him as she can't be tried twice for the same crime.

Also love this film, 1990s thrillers were the best.

Agree. Love this movie.

I wonder why they stopped making "1990s style thrillers." Now everything is CGI, kid stuff or action heroes. No good mysteries.

Hand That Rocks the Cradle is good.
Perfect Murder with Michael Douglas.

qazxc · 04/07/2023 20:05

I'm more concerned that she seems to be acting on really bad legal advice. The double jeopardy rule does not allow her to track down her husband and kill him without legal repercussions. You cannot be tried for the same crime twice but if the murder rakes place at a different time and location than the one she was tried for: it's a different crime, therefore double jeopardy doesn't apply.

yogasaurus · 04/07/2023 20:07

I love this film! She’s saying she did it so that she can get out and do it… that’s kind of the whole premise of the film.

also agree these kind of films are much missed these days

ZeldaWillTellYourFortune · 04/07/2023 20:49

qazxc · 04/07/2023 20:05

I'm more concerned that she seems to be acting on really bad legal advice. The double jeopardy rule does not allow her to track down her husband and kill him without legal repercussions. You cannot be tried for the same crime twice but if the murder rakes place at a different time and location than the one she was tried for: it's a different crime, therefore double jeopardy doesn't apply.

It's a movie!

MrsTerryPratchett · 04/07/2023 20:51

qazxc · 04/07/2023 20:05

I'm more concerned that she seems to be acting on really bad legal advice. The double jeopardy rule does not allow her to track down her husband and kill him without legal repercussions. You cannot be tried for the same crime twice but if the murder rakes place at a different time and location than the one she was tried for: it's a different crime, therefore double jeopardy doesn't apply.

Willing suspension of disbelief!

Dieldwork · 04/07/2023 21:47

I did wonder about that. Just imagine all the crimes that may have taken place because people relied on the "legal advice" in the film... Yes, I do understand that this is a pretty one-off situation.