William Kunstler: Disturbing The Universe is a documentary produced by sisters Emily and Sarah Kunstler as a narration of the life of their father, William Kunstler. The personal narration of the film brings to light the underlying significant perspectives of the famous 1960s lawyer on morality, legal process and the myths of established judicial mechanisms. It utilizes archival footages, news and court information to show the character of William Kunstler as a lawyer and an advocate against racial, political, and social injustices. He perceived the American judicial system as ineffective in the administration of justice and fairness due to bureaucracy, racial segregation, political interference, and legal constrictions. The paper will evaluate
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The American social setting was undergoing a great metamorphosis in the early 1960s when civil rights activists vehemently campaigned against any form of racial segregation and oppression. There were oppressive laws that bound certain people from riding on buses. The narrative was changing and the rigid social structure was reluctant to allow change take its inevitable course. At the request of American Liberties Civil Union (ALCU), William accepted to represent southern freedom riders as an attorney. The riders were being arrested, oppressed, aligned in courts, and charged with riding in buses against the set rules. As noted by William, legality is a confinement of the powerful who dictate what is right and wrong in the society. Therefore, the law is not a universal threshold to ascertain the correctness of people’s actions because but its nature it has …show more content…
He notes that the powerful people are politicians and most often than not they preach fairness that is not attainable in the current justice context. William drew a thin line between political witch-hunting and racism whenever a black person or a member of the minority groups was charged against a law enforcement officer. He sensationally and broadly classified most of his cases as political. In the defense of the Chicago eight, William expresses his deeper opinions on the negative effects of politics on legal processes. The eight were charged with rioting and demonstrating illegally in the Democratic National Convention. William and the entire defense team noted that the case was a political conspiracy targeted at the defendants primarily because of their background. To signify his experiences in the trial process, the film focuses on the weaknesses and structural bias of the process. First, the jurors’ statements that condemned the eight and their attorneys based on their conduct during the proceedings. Two, William and other members of the defense team were sentenced by Judge Hoffman for playful acts, acts of disrespect, and questioning the integrity of the court. The decision was later reversed by the court of
The American social setting was undergoing a great metamorphosis in the early 1960s when civil rights activists vehemently campaigned against any form of racial segregation and oppression. There were oppressive laws that bound certain people from riding on buses. The narrative was changing and the rigid social structure was reluctant to allow change take its inevitable course. At the request of American Liberties Civil Union (ALCU), William accepted to represent southern freedom riders as an attorney. The riders were being arrested, oppressed, aligned in courts, and charged with riding in buses against the set rules. As noted by William, legality is a confinement of the powerful who dictate what is right and wrong in the society. Therefore, the law is not a universal threshold to ascertain the correctness of people’s actions because but its nature it has …show more content…
He notes that the powerful people are politicians and most often than not they preach fairness that is not attainable in the current justice context. William drew a thin line between political witch-hunting and racism whenever a black person or a member of the minority groups was charged against a law enforcement officer. He sensationally and broadly classified most of his cases as political. In the defense of the Chicago eight, William expresses his deeper opinions on the negative effects of politics on legal processes. The eight were charged with rioting and demonstrating illegally in the Democratic National Convention. William and the entire defense team noted that the case was a political conspiracy targeted at the defendants primarily because of their background. To signify his experiences in the trial process, the film focuses on the weaknesses and structural bias of the process. First, the jurors’ statements that condemned the eight and their attorneys based on their conduct during the proceedings. Two, William and other members of the defense team were sentenced by Judge Hoffman for playful acts, acts of disrespect, and questioning the integrity of the court. The decision was later reversed by the court of