video and film

Pro Se Defendants Questioning Victims

Mary Whisner
February 14, 2012 02:36

One day in 2010, a woman who was to be questioned by the man who had abused her through her childhood did not return to the courtroom after a recess. Instead she kept climbing the courthouse stairs until she emerged on the roof, pondering whether to jump. Q13 broadcast an interview with her on Feb....

Hot Coffee -- Documentary about Tort Reform

Mary Whisner
December 17, 2011 00:27

A new documentary explores the rhetoric and politics of "tort reform." Hot Coffee: Is Justice Being Served? begins with the the case that has been fodder for comedians and politicians, Liebeck v. McDonald's.Seinfeld mocked it. Letterman ranked it in his top ten list. And more than fifteen years...

Miranda and Kids

Mary Whisner
June 17, 2011 17:46

Marcia Coyle, In Miranda Calculus, Age Should Be a Factor, Court Says, Nat'l L.J., June 16, 2011.Stressing that children are not "miniature adults," a divided U.S. Supreme Court on Thursday held that the police must consider a juvenile suspect's age in deciding whether the child is in custody and...

"Hot Coffee" Documentary Challenges "Tort Reform"

Mary Whisner
February 16, 2011 03:13

Oregon Attorney's Documentary 'Hot Coffee' Makes the Sundance Cut, ABA Journal, Feb. 1, 2011. Susan Saladoff explains her project here:The movie's website includes links to resources. And this page gives links to Democracy Now! segments with film clips and interviews. One person interviewed is...

Documentary on Media, Race, Crime, and Punishment

Mary Whisner
February 14, 2011 19:44

Juror Number Six (2008) -- a short documentary on the Web -- explores the media, race, and the criminal justice system. Dozens of clips from television news, drama, and reality programs vividly illustrate how media shapes our perceptions (and jurors' perceptions) of crime and criminals. Crime has...