MovieChat Forums > Felon (2008) Discussion > It seems strange that Wade Porter was ch...

It seems strange that Wade Porter was charged with a crime!

posted 12 years ago by brokedickdog7
9 replies | jump to latest

I just found this DVD on my shelf an am going to watch it again. I saw it once 3 or 4 years ago.

I remember Wade was arrested for murder. Not manslaughter- murder. I can see the police detaining him for questioning and a possible (but unlikely) manslaughter charge later. At which time he would be arrested.

OK he struck the fleeing burglar outside the house. But arresting him that night for murder when he was clearly a solid citizen defending his home?

Wasn't that odd? I know about the Texas Castle Doctrine but this was not in Texas. Still it seems unlikely that he would be arrested and charged with murder. Or even arrested that night and charged with a crime. Yes?

[–] BShepherd24 12 years ago

It's murdermbecase he shot the guy in the back as he was running away. If you shoot someone trying to leave your property it's no longer defending your property

[–] Queequegg 12 years ago

"It's murder because he shot the guy in the back as he was running away."
______________________________________________________________
Well, he didn't shoot the guy...he hit him in the head with a bat.

But yes, the thief was outside the house and running away, and that's the important point and the only reason he was charged with murder. If somebody is fleeing your house they are simply no longer a threat to you or your family, so there is no justification for murder. Sure, you might be pissed off, you may want revenge (both of which are completely understandable), but this is not an acceptable reason to kill a fleeing thief who represents zero threat.

However, in the movie we see the thief reaching for his pocket or waistband, and Wade assumed (incorrectly as it turns out) that he was reaching for a weapon. So he swung the bat at the guy's head. Unfortunately, the cops arrested him anyway, and apparently Wade's lawyer couldn't successfully prove self-defense in court since there was no way of proving Wade's version of events. Of course, we the viewer know what happened and naturally sympathize with Wade, but the judge and jury had no such knowledge, and so... "guilty".

[–] creatorof2002 12 years ago

I find its interesting that if a POLICE OFFICER shoots a person by mistake like the person is reaching for a wallet or their asthma inhaler or something they usually get off, at most lose their job but rarely get prison, there are some exceptions like that Meserly guy who shot a man in the back after the guy was restrained, so if a cop is EXTREMELY irresponsible or negligent than SOMETIMES they get prosecuted but its pretty damned rare and even then cops in prison get special protections that the main character in this movie did not get.

I believe that with a better lawyer the guy from this movie could have either gotten off scott free or gotten a more lenient sentence than he ended up getting.

[–] wrgavin 12 years ago

I thought that was the point, was that the system kinda *beep* Wade over. He had a public defender. People have a perception that a public defender is simply a lawyer appointed by the court to help those who can't afford a lawyer. The difference is, a paid lawyer has your interests in mind, a public defender is charged with the duty of keeping things moving. Like the line where she tells Wade she'll try to get things moving quickly.

Unlike a paid lawyer who is going to take their time and make sure they build a solid case, a public defender's most important influence is in keeping things moving. Keeping things moving is far from, if not undoubtedly not the most ideal way to face any kind of criminal case. It's not that a public defender hates you or is there to screw you, it's just that they often don't have your best interests in mind. Not out of greed or anything like that, but they are expected to keep cases moving swiftly through the system. It's a practice that is designed to not achieve optimum results for a client.

There's no joke about the saying that if you can get a good lawyer, you can literally get away with murder, where as if you have a public defender, you're more likely to get falsely accused of it.

[–] the_la_baker 11 years ago

I thought that was the point, was that the system kinda [phuks] Wade[everybody] over.

Yup.

[–] dreez-vector 10 years ago

I think people like Wade should get a medal for killing a burglar and pest to society.

One less scum walking the streets, and i wouldn't lose any sleep over it.

[–] AdvanceIstheMan 11 years ago

I agree. He was woken up in the middle of the night by a burglar that put his wife and child in danger. It's not like he chased him down the block and beat him to death. He hit him once with the bat in front of his house. You would think the police would give him the benefit of the doubt until they investigated further. And how was he supposed to know the guy didn't have a weapon in the heat of the moment?

[–] kameljoe21-1 11 years ago

regardless

he commited a serisous felony that dictates if the police feel that the person may flee, be a risk to him self or to others that dictates an arrest

[–] dreez-vector 10 years ago

Beating a criminal isn't a felony, it's a civil rights.
Killing a gangsta isn't a felony, is a civil favor.

Less pests walking the streets.