Fernandez, Stephanie Praise T.

HRD42

DOUBLE JEOPARDY FILM REVIEW

Double Jeopardy is a 1999 Crime Thriller film that is about Libby (Ashley Judd) being
framed for the murder of her husband Nick (Bruce Greenwood) while they were out
sailing. The morning Libby woke up to find her husband missing, blood all over her and
all over the boat, she got up to the deck to find a bloodied knife on the deck. It was a
mistake touching the knife because that meant her prints would be on them and surely
enough, the coast guard appeared just as she was holding the knife. When Cutter and
Bobby, the police and lawyer, showed up at Libby’s house they immediately arrested her
without telling her her rights. According to Article 3 Sec 12 Paragraph 1 of the 1987
Constitution, “Any person under investigation for the commission of an offense shall have
the right to be informed of his right to remain silent and to have competent and
independent counsel preferably of his own choice. If the person cannot afford the services
of counsel, he must be provided with one. These rights cannot be waived except in writing
and in the presence of counsel.” During Libby’s trial, it has already been imprinted into
their minds that she is guilty due to the fact that Nick has a $2 million life insurance which
made them to believe that that was her motive for killing him. Under the 1987 Constitution
of the Philippines Article 3 Section 14 Paragraph 1, “No person shall be held to answer
for criminal offense without due process of law.” They were in violative of due process
because they imprisoned her even without hearing her out. She was not able to exercise
her freedom of expression. No one listened to her not even Cutter who was a family friend.
It is also stated in Article 3 Section 14 Paragraph 2 that, “In all criminal persecutions, the
accused shall be presumed innocent until contrary is proved, and shall enjoy the right to
be heard by himself and counsel, to be informed of the nature and cause of the accusation
against him…” While she was in prison, she felt all the hurt and devastation finding out
that Nick staged his own death so that he could disappear from his business financial
problems and set her up but, a fellow inmate of hers told her about double jeopardy. As
stated in Article 3 Section 21 of the 1987 Constitution, “No person shall twice be put in
jeopardy of punishment for the same offense…” She cannot be tried for the same crime.
After 6 years, she was eligible for parole but in order for her to be released she must
confess to the crime of her murdering her husband. During her parole, she did everything
she can to search for her friend Angie to whom she left her son, Matty, with. As she was
looking for Matty at his old school, police officers took her down without telling her her
rights once again which was a violation under Article 3 Section 12 of the Constitution.
Overall, the film was very intriguing and very mind-boggling. Learning about your rights
is important now adays because if circumstances as portrayed in the movie arises, you’d
know what to say and what to do because you know your rights as a citizen of this country.