Guilty Until Proven Innocent

This is a very good film that shows how justice in our American system is sometimes lacking. The film centers on a young man (Bobby McLoughlin) with Brendon Fraser giving an excellent performance, who is wrongfully accused of a murder and the trials and tribulations that he and his parents must endure to prove his innocence. Martin Sheen and Caroline Kava give very good performances as the foster father and mother of McLoughlin.

I was particularly disturbed by the apparent lack of legal representation McLoughlin received at his initial trial at the hands of a so-called Public Defender. Also, the film depicts disturbing elements in law enforcement of police errors that are very slow in being corrected at the expense of the wrongfully accused. Had Mr. McLoughlin been wrongfully convicted of first degree murder, he could very well have been executed.

I highly recommend this film for those who may have known someone who was wrongfully accused or themselves accused. It is a thoughtful film that will hold your attention.

This is the true story of 19-year-old Bobby McLaughlin, accused and committed for a murder that took place in a Brooklyn park in 1979. 15-year-old Jimmy O'Neil, the only eyewitness to the murder, is eager to please the place and incorrectly identifies Bobby as the murderer and helps convict him.

For the next six years Bobby's foster father, Harold Hoeny (Martin Sheen), fights to find new evidence so the case can be re-opened. Does he succeed?

you'll have to watch the movie to find out. Luckily, watching this is a pleasure.

This movie is about someone I actually grew up with. This movie is worth watching. It's scary how something like this can happen to a childhood friend. Bobby had a lot of courage and was very strong willed during such a difficult time in his life. He found the positive in a horrible situation. The message from all of this is to never give up, and always believe in yourself. Family is so important. A lesson also learned from this is, time is so precious, you can't turn back the hands of time so make the best of any situation, and cherish what you have in your life at this time. Bobby's teenage years was taken from him, his freedom and sharing precious times with family when a child is most vulnerable. It's sad something like this had to happen to any person especially one that I knew and only had fond memories of.