In the heart of the justice system lies a complex web of stories, some full of joy, but many full of tragedy. Bennie Starks’s journey makes its way through both. This particular story highlights the prevalence of errors within our justice system. From wrongful imprisonment to eventual vindication, Starks story proves how easily lies are manipulated to appear as the truth within the justice system. In 1986, twenty-six year old Bennie Starks was charged with aggravated criminal sexual assault, attempted aggravated criminal assault, aggravated battery and unlawful restraint towards an elderly woman. He was sentenced to one hundred years in prison. However, during Stark's quest for truth, compelling evidence was uncovered. On the 18th of January 1986, a sixty-nine year old woman was assaulted while on her evening walk. She was grabbed from behind, beaten, bitten and raped near a ravine. During a search of the crime scene, a black coat, watch, scarf and gloves were found. Linking Starks to the crime scene was a dry cleaning slip found in the coat. Although not matching the described appearance of the assailant, Starks was put on trial. Despite having an alibi, along with witnesses, for the night of the crime scene, the victim had ‘evidence’ that Starks was the criminal. According to a …show more content…
The thought that someone entirely innocent can have their life changed and their freedoms and rights taken away so quickly due to an error or lie is disheartening. These acts of injustice highlight the need for improvement within our current system. The issues causing these horrifying mistakes must be addressed. Things such as police misconduct, inadequate legal representation, flawed forensic evidence, and bias need to be eliminated. As a society, we must not turn a blind eye to a lack of accountability, transparency, and fairness in our justice