Eric M. Van This is simply a riveting and intensely moving documentary on an important subject. It was shot over a period of years, and the true story takes unexpected turns; I was reminded of Hoop Dreams. Perhaps I'm biased because I've had first-hand experience with out horribly flawed justice system*, so let's just say that if you are interested in the subject, you *have* to see this. I saw 17 documentaries that were released in 2011, and it was a great year for them. I'm a ferociously tough grader; an 8 is an A- grade. Pina earned a 10 (A+) for its use of 3D, Fat, Sick, and Nearly Dead earned a 9 (A) for being life-changing, and this led the 8's ahead of Bill Cunningham New York, If a Tree Falls, and We Were Here. The 7's (equivalent to a B+ grade) were Project Nim, The Interrupters, Into The Abyss, and Senna. If you see a lot of docs, that should give you an idea of just how good I thought this was. See it!* My roommate was convicted of a crime after my exonerating testimony was thrown out by a judge's egregious error. The verdict was overturned unanimously on appeal, but not until he'd spent nearly two years in prison.

amazon-41 I can't understand the low IMDb rating. Since there are no bad reviews posted here as of April '12, I can't speculate as to why I see a 5.7 rating. Irregardless of the political or legal viewpoint one might develop of the particular case in question, this is a well made film. Though I can't imagine anyone would question the fact that this film documents an INCREDIBLE miscarriage of justice.Although come to think of it, I can imagine a scenario in which the L.A. District Attorney's office sent a super-secret memo to its staff demanding that all employees log on to IMDb and give it one star...If you are a fan of compelling legal documentaries à la "Murder on a Sunday Morning", "Paradise Lost". "The Trials of Darryl Hunt" or "The Thin Blue Line", you will absolutely love this one. All the elements are here: DA misconduct, Interesting plot turns, recanting witnesses, dedicated and interesting attorneys... you name it.This is great drama.

David Ferguson Greetings again from the darkness. 80% of women in US prisons are survivors of domestic violence, rape and/or abuse. This statistic is crucial to understanding not just the story in this documentary, but moreso, the underlying issue that is screaming for attention. Wrongful incarcerations have a disproportionate impact on poverty-stricken families and communities.This film focuses on the story of Deborath Peagler. Her charismatic, drug-dealing boyfriend violently abused her, forced her into prostitution and abused her daughters. At her mother's suggestion, she asked a couple of crips' gang members to convince her boyfriend to leave her alone. The convincing got out of hand and Deborah was arrested.The Los Angeles District Attorney office threatened Deborah with the death penalty if she didn't confess to planning the murder. See, there was a $17,000 life insurance on her boyfriend and they were sure they could pin a murder-for-profit scheme on her. Deborah believed the DA and chose not to die. Her confession got her a 25 year to life sentence. This was 1983.While in prison, Deborah earned two associates degrees, held a top prison job and was a social leader amongst the women prisoners. A model prisoner by any standard. In 2002, California passed a law allowing courts to reconsider decisions when evidence of physical abuse had been withheld from the original trial. Enter two young pro-bono attorneys, Joshua Safran and Nadia Costa.I won't go into detail with all of the corruption and cover-up and injustice that occurred over those next 7 years, but clearly it is a disheartening story that sheds light on the downside of a political office being responsible for justice. The Los Angeles District Attorney, Steve Cooley, is exposed for his power hungry ways and need to avoid scandal regarding poor law work from his office.The film is both inspirational and motivational. Witnessing the spirit of Deborah Peagler over the years gives you hope for humanity, while also acting as expose' on a system that has many problems.Look, I am no bleeding-heart liberal, but I do recognize injustice when it slaps me upside the head. I firmly believe justice is compromised given the politicized system we now have. District Attorneys campaign based on their conviction rate ... their ability to be tough on crime. Is it possible that corners are cut and poor judgement supersedes compassion and doing what's right - all for the sake of a high conviction rate? After the film, there was a panel discussion that included attorney Alan Bean from friendsofjustice.net and Reverand Gerald Britt from CitySquare (CitySq.org). Both of these men, and their many associates are fighting daily for JUSTICE over procedure. I am not pushing any agenda or any specific organization, but I do believe more conversation and insight is needed to ensure our Justice system is actually providing justice, and not just a system to serve those running for office.

djdavig The Hurricane (1999 with Denzel Washington) ain't got nothing on this. I've never seen a score so out of line with reality. 5.6 is way to low for this gem. The young male viewership buried the score for the usual reason, lack of action. Women rated it a 9.6 overall a much better barometer. A riveting story, a compelling theme, and a truly remarkable lead. I just don't get it. I saw it in Hollywood and the tough crowd loved it erupting in cheers at the end. As I told the male attorney who was in the cast this film is a no brainer for a feature length drama. It has everything any producer could want. Not only is the story arc filled with roller coaster hairpins and drops with great editing but even the natural timing of what happened to Debbie defies description. I can understand the youth not having the patience for all the set up that was artfully done but the payoff is there in the end and is overwhelming. I am convinced someday this story will get its just rewards.