So, in 1999 there was this terrible movie that was made with Ashley Judd called Double Jeopardy.
It was basically a high priced Lifetime original movie with more boobs involved; but, what's more, the movie's entire premise was false.
Of course "Double Jeopardy" refers to the legal protection that we all enjoy in the western world that says that the state can't continue to charge us for the same crime. The movie is about a woman whose husband faked his death and framed her for his murder; and, the movie was operating off of the assumption that she could kill him for real and she couldn't be tried again due to double jeopardy. That is, of course, false.
The thing is that I kinda expect this level of stupidity from Hollywood from time to time; but, if I had to guess based on how people have been talking particularly after the Rittenhouse verdict, I would have to assume that about 80% of people don't know what double jeopardy is and an additional 10% misinterpret it or think that we should get rid of it.
When the former president of the New York State Bar Association doesn't know that the state can't appeal an acquittal that tells you how terribly legally illiterate people are. I'm saying that as somebody who has never been to law school. Still, I know what double jeopardy is.
You combine this complete legal illiteracy with passionate opinions about who should be deprived of his or her liberty due to alleged crimes and one shouldn't be suprised that so many innocent people end up in prison.
It depresses me. It doesn't surprise me.