MovieChat Forums > Soldier's Girl (2003) Discussion > Justin Fisher's Early Release

Justin Fisher's Early Release

posted 18 years ago by Hershe
19 replies | jump to latest

I am sickened. I just read this on Calpernia's webpage that I found linked in one of the postings on this board.

http://www.calpernia.com/justin_fisher_prison_release.htm

October 24, 2006

(from http://www.sldn.org/templates/press/record.html?record=3242 )

Former Army Specialist Justin Fisher, who was convicted of conspiracy in the murder of Private First Class Barry Winchell at Fort Campbell, Ky., has been released from prison after serving seven years of an original 12 ½ year sentence. Winchell was attacked by Calvin Glover, a former soldier based at Fort Campbell, in July 1999, in what was later revealed as an anti-gay hate crime.

The rest of this article and others are available via the link above.

[–] cubearcub 18 years ago

This is a disgrace.

[–] KarlynDarlin 18 years ago

My God, I had no idea. As if his sentence weren't too light to begin with. Thanks for posting the information here.

That wasn't true, about your mum...
|Shaun of the Dead|

[–] beach_df 17 years ago

I am so outraged about this. I heard he was up for parole as of 2007 but had no idea he's already been released. In my opinion, he deserved to be put away for life. How someone can do what he did is just inconceivable to me. Justin Fischer should be ashamed of himself.

[–] NukeIt2 17 years ago

Fisher never killed anyone... He did 7 years, thats a long time in a person's lifespan... and I for one personally believe he deserves this second chance he is being given. For Christs sake... I know of several people who actually commited murders and didn't get as harsh of a punishment as Fisher, Look at OJ Simpson and Robert Blake

[–] Lightning-Rose 17 years ago

Simpson and Blake, sadly, were not convicted of murder.

[–] NukeIt2 17 years ago

Dan White walked into City Hall and kills both the mayor and supervisor Harvey Milk and gets sentenced to 7 years (only served 4 or 5, I believe), and you're upset that Fisher is being given a second chance, a man that WANS'T EVEN THERE when the murder took place. Unbelievable.

[–] hathor008 17 years ago

I am so outraged about this. I heard he was up for parole as of 2007 but had no idea he's already been released. In my opinion, he deserved to be put away for life. How someone can do what he did is just inconceivable to me. Justin Fischer should be ashamed of himself.

If the movie was true to real life, I think 7 years was enough for the guy. I mean he wasn't the one swinging the bat, he was just drunkenly provoking a highly unstable kid. I'd suggest that he is more guilty of manslaughter than murder. Although, I'm making this assessment based on the movie script and not based on sitting in the jury on the murder trial.
---
Jesus wasn't a homophobe.

[–] screaminalleycat 17 years ago

One does not have to be the person swinging the bat/pulling the trigger/doing the stabbing/flying the plane to be the one who plotted and instigated a murder, therefore guilty of first degree and should be held just as responsible. To follow this logic, we should leave Osama bin Laden alone. He wasn't on any airplane, after all. He only provoked a bunch of religious zealots.

[–] vcarson101 17 years ago

If not for Fisher provoking Glover and not letting it go after Barry had apologized, he may have been alive today. He deserved much more time in prison. he was the catalyst to the whole crime.

[–] beach_df 15 years ago

vcarson101- I couldn't agree with you more. I met Calpernia a couple years ago and to hear how Fischer repeatedly instigated things with Barry many times in front of Calpernia, this just saddens me to no end. I also think that while Fischer didnt pull the trigger, so to speak, he did act as the motivation to kill Barry and therefore is in many ways responsible for the loss of Barry Winchell to all of his friends and family.

[–] Jussie1014 15 years ago

One does not have to be the person swinging the bat/pulling the trigger/doing the stabbing/flying the plane to be the one who plotted and instigated a murder, therefore guilty of first degree and should be held just as responsible. To follow this logic, we should leave Osama bin Laden alone. He wasn't on any airplane, after all. He only provoked a bunch of religious zealots.

Well said. I agree with you 100%.

This was also a hate crime, which should carry a heavier sentence.

Of course, the military probably perceived Winchell to be gay and in the this time of "don't ask, don't tell," anyone perceived to be gay cannot expect justice. This misconception also probably influenced the light sentences for the perpetrators.

Can you imagine what would have happened if two gay soldiers formed a conspiracy to kill a straight soldier and one of them commited the murder? They would probably both get the death sentence.

"Genitalia is just God's way of accessorizing." Debbie Novotny, QAF

[–] herzogmarkf 16 years ago

Disclaimer: I saw the movie and was not on the jury...I can only draw my opinions from the script as it was presented. I think that Fisher was not an altogether unsympathetic character. I think he was conflicted sexually and had feelings for Barry that he was not able to come to terms with. Whether that was, in fact, true I do not know. He was portrayed as familiar with gay nightlife in Nashville...an example of a conflicted, self-identified straight man who developed a love for another man who didn't return that feeling. I think he was at the same time, attracted to and repulsed by Barry. Remember, Fisher too was drunk at the time and likely was just spouting off to Glover. Have you ever uttered something in a drunken stupor that you're thankful upon the light of day was not carried out by an all-too-insecure peer? I think in no way did Fisher condone what happened. On the contrary, I think he was heart-broken.

Fisher was NOT convicted of conspiracy to murder, as noted in the opening entry. He was convicted of obstruction of justice and providing alcohol to a minor. I did not really understand, from the movie, how he obstructed justice, but I trust the jury evaluated the evidence and came rightly to that conclusion. Most of his time was surely spent for the obstruction conviction and 7 years is not unreasonable, in my humble opinion.

For the record, I am a gay man who believes that hate is hate no matter who it is directed toward. Gay people are no more and no less valuable than the next human being. Calvin Glover is the real perpetrator here.

[–] lightkeeper-1 16 years ago

Since neither were sentenced to die for their crime, I hope both of them while in prison got gangbanged. Many times in fact.

[–] coolaree 16 years ago

I don't know the facts of the real case as well but 7 years seems adequate relative to his actions in the movie...

I don;t think he actually ment to encourage or suggest murder,
but he did instigate conflict and violence for his own twisted ...

[–] NukeIt2 16 years ago

Exactly. And it certainly seems Fisher NEVER wanted Winchell to die, watch the way the movie shows him react when it starts sinking in what Glover has done... And the way he was cursing the police and medics for not getting there sooner.... I believe Fisher cared for Winchell's life, so I think he got an even harsher punishment than he deserved. He may have had no idea Glover was capable of really going through with such an act... People threaten to kill others verbally all the time, every day... We've all done it. How many times do you take it seriously when you've pissed off an acquaintance and they say they're gonna "kill you"???

[–] nyshrink 16 years ago

I am not so familiar with the real case but, NukeIt2, I think you misunderstood that scene in the film. Did you notice that the director cut to the applause for Calpurnia during that scene? It was supposed to suggest that Fisher was acting!

[–] am_buglet_82 15 years ago

"Did you notice that the director cut to the applause for Calpurnia during that scene? It was supposed to suggest that Fisher was acting!"

That's what I got from it too!

I think what Fisher really needed was professional psychiatric help.
I mean, he was overly neurotic and prone to fits of violence (and so was Glover)
He was also and clingy with Winchell, and he kept saying cryptic things "we should all live for one another...and die for one another...right?" or something like that.
He even admitted he needed help after hitting Winchell with the dustpan.

He seemed okay one moment and crazy the next.
A man like that would freak me out if I knew him.

-Amanda

"She will remember your heart when men are fairy tales in storybooks written by rabbits"

[–] beach_df 13 years ago

Calpernia came to my college to speak for "National Day of Transgender Remembrance" and spoke about both anti-trans and anti-gay hate crimes, including the one that robbed Barry Winchell of his life (as the fact that he was dating a pre-op trans woman in Calpernia's and those in the murder trial believed served as motive for Fischer & Glover's actions and threats). The film "Soldier's Girl" was shown (during which Calpernia was not in the room for obvious reasons) and she answered questions the audience had. On the subject of Fischer and Glover she said she felt that Glover was more or less a device - much like any other weapon such as a gun, knife, etc...- that Fischer used to execute what had happened to Barry. She believed based on both her own interactions with Fischer and Glover that both were psychologically unstable and that Fischer had unresolved issues with his own sexuality (as alluded to in the film, he went on a few dates w/ a drag queen but got skittish as things became more intimate, at which point he promptly ended things.) As suggested in the film, Calpernia and others believe that Fischer was obsessed with Barry to an unhealthy degree and that this was partly the reason why he shifted between seeking acceptance for everything from Barry and getting angry, aggressive and even violent when Barry chose to remain distant from him. Calpernia mentioned that while she misses Barry very very very much, she feels no hatred toward Glover or Fischer because she feels that if she were to hate them then she would be just as bad as them in a way. I find this to be just incredible that someone who's significant other was stolen from them in such a horrific act of violence still has such a pure heart regarding those who committed that horrible act. She did go on to explain however that she believes Fischer was the reason Barry Winchell was no longer here and that he should serve time for his crime. I still find it remarkable that she is able to not harbor hatred for those responsible in the murder of Barry Winchell.

[–] amaryllix 12 years ago

Wow I sincerely wish the rest of his life will be a living hell. And I can't believe anyone would sympathize with that sad excuse of a human being. Such a waste of precious space.

Justin Fisher, please go rot in hell soon.