Leonard Peltier Research Paper

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Is Leonard Peltier innocent? In June 26, 1975 on Pine Ridge Indian Reservation two agents by the name of Jack R. Coler and Ronald A. Williams were shot in killed. Supposedly the defendant is Leonard Peltier, chief of the Native American Reservation. This case can go both ways but due to lack of physical evidence and invalid testimonies Leonard Peltier is an innocent man. I will be arguing how Peltier is a innocent victim based on misconducted evidence, fundamental attribution error, observer bias and discriminatory decision making. In the case Leonard Peltier is known to be the leader of a a Indian Reservation located in Pine Ridge. Peltier represents a symbol of an active movement in which protests political opponents which the movement …show more content…

Why did the agents only fire 5 rounds? Why would the agent go to the truck to retrieve a gun while being fired at? Wouldn’t both agents still have even bullets to keep shooting? After a few months on September 245 day passed without finding someone guilty of murder two agents and the first person on the run was Peltier. The FBI automatically assumed he was guilty of the murder, making the FBI assume the person is automatically guilty without physical evidence also known to be a Fundamental Attribution Error. During this time Native Americans stated how there were many stereotypes against Native Americans saying how the community is violent. Since Peltier left the country believing no one will believe that he had nothing to with the murder the FBI came up with three witnesses. Having three witness testifying against Peltier in order to run him out of Canada to be arrested by the FBI. All three witness later illustrated how the FBI forced the witnesses to testify against Peltier, describing the crime on June 26, 1975. Why would the FBI falsify evidence in order to put Peltier in jail? Is Peltier having a fair case? Later on the defendants lawyers had found information that was with held from the FBI stating none of the gun shells Peltier had been shot towards both agents Coler and

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