It’s every lawyer’s worst nightmare that their client will be falsely convicted and serve time for a crime they didn’t commit. In a chilling new Netflix documentary series, Making a Murderer follows a story of a Wisconsin man who was the victim of an over zealous criminal justice system.
Steven Avery was born and raised in Manitowoc County, Wisconsin. He admittedly lived a far from perfect life and wasn’t exactly a model citizen. Avery was arrested several times in his youth for everything from animal cruelty to burglary.
In 1985, he was charged with the sexual assault of Penny Ann Beernsten. The prosecution acted swiftly and arrested Avery with little hesitation. After a hasty trial, Avery was convicted and sentenced to a lengthy prison sentence.
After serving 18 years in prison, DNA evidence proved that Avery was in fact innocent. Once he was released, Avery filed a $36 million lawsuit against the state of Wisconsin for false imprisonment.
A few years after being released Teresa Halbach came by Avey’s home to take pictures of Avery’s car for a magazine. Halbach disappeared that day and her body was found a few days later. Avery was the primary suspect in the case and was soon after arrested.
Avery adamantly claimed the evidence was planted by the police to prevent him from winning his pending civil case. Unfortunately for him, Avery’s words fell on deaf ears and he was convicted of murder and is now serving a life sentence in prison.
Making a Murderer sheds light on several glaring issues. The system can be broken. It’s heartbreakingly sad, terrifyingly scary, and incredibly more likely to happen to you or your loved one than you will ever know. If you have an interest in real lawyer shows and want a behind scenes look at being in a real trial watch Making a Murderer. If you’ve been falsely accused or convicted of a crime, your case isn’t hopeless. Criminal defense attorney Jacqui Ford stands ready to fight for your case no matter what the charges are.
