"Kill the Messenger" with Jeremy Renner and Andy Garcia (2014)

This film; based on the true story of reporter Gary Webb; exposes the machinations which take place in our society; often by our own government; to stifle the truth even as they accelerate the decline of that society in some of the most callous and insidious ways. Such is the history of the crack epidemic which began with the Reagan Administration taking an end run around the Boland Amendment to arm the Contras in Nicaragua in the 1980’s.

Though the actual events of the story took place in the 1980’s it wasn’t until the 1990’s that Gary Webb was able to piece together all of the events and publicize the story. It was the beginning of an arduous and dangerous road for the young journalist.  Although the seeds for the story had been sown in the public’s mind for several years already, he was the first one to go public with the story. And when he did, he incurred the wrath of the Intelligence Community and his own government.

The story is a very simple one, the United States; through the operations of the CIA and it’s contacts in the world of organized crime; began to import cocaine in huge amounts to fund the not so secret war against the Nicaraguan government. The money from the cocaine was to be used to fund the Contras; which was the rebel army. Actually, this was nothing new; it had been done before; but never on such a large scale. This is the operation that brought Governor Bill Clinton and Vice President George Bush together in an unholy alliance which later made it possible for Clinton to become President. The transport of the arms and drugs went through the state of Arkansas, with the full knowledge of the Governor.

As is often true with any operation of such scope, things quickly got out of hand. When someone discovered that cocaine could be “cooked” with baking soda to form what is known as “crack cocaine”, all hell broke loose on the streets of Los Angeles; most notably in the Compton area, which was decimated by the epidemic. A whole generation was destroyed, along with the economic viability of the area, bringing problems with crime and addiction that persist to this day.

The reward for Gary Webb’s efforts was that he was driven to the point of suicide by the government smear campaign launched against him. His sanity was called into question as he was called upon to defend the facts of his story; an impossible task due to the very nature of clandestine operations. They are cloaked in layer upon layer of secrecy and subject to the effects of “sheep dipping” and the use of “cutouts” to throw off chance of real detection. There can only be speculation; and no one goes to jail for “speculating”.  Just look at Wall Street.

This film delivers on several levels, beginning with the story itself. As we struggle to fight crime; much of which is caused by drug addiction; it is hard to understand the motives of a government which, on one hand, calls for an all-out war on drugs and terror; and then fuels the former with an influx of drugs; all while helping to fund the latter.

The casting of the film is also notable. Jeremy Renner plays Gary Webb, the ill-fated reporter. Veteran actors Andy Garcia, Ray Liotta and Tim Blake Nelson are also expertly casted in their roles as some of the faces behind the scenes.  

Gary Webb’s “Dark Alliance” articles sparked the book “Kill the Messenger” by Nick Shou which became this film of the same name. Directed tautly by Michael Cuesta it will both inform and infuriate you.

"Rise of the Warrior Cop" by Radley Balko (2013)

There can be no timelier book than this. With the recent troubles in Ferguson, Mo., the issue of police “over reach” has come to the forefront of conversation. Particularly alarming to most people is the militaristic buildup of the local police forces with the use of cast off military gear.

For instance, I live in a small town in Huntersville. We have a tank; maybe two. We also have body armor and riot gear that is more than sufficient for the unrest which will undoubtedly accompany the Second Coming of Christ. The question is whether or not we really need it. And if not; what danger does having it pose to the average citizen?

In this book by Radley Balko you will find enough information to come to your own conclusion. From the Magna Carta on through our own Constitution, Mr. Balko has explored the path of the “Castle Doctrine” through an ever changing world. Whether or not you agree with his conclusions, this book will give you more than enough information to think things through on your own. To my mind that is the definition of a good book.

The author charts the course of the Castle Doctrine; which simply put states that your home is your castle and you have the right to defend it. It was the cornerstone of English law, and became the corner stone of our own Constitution, enshrined in the 3^rd and 4^th Amendments by implication, if not design. He also charts the rapid decline of those rights as interpreted by an increasingly conservative Supreme Court. And it’s not a pretty picture.

Beginning as early as the 19^th century our rights under the Castle Doctrine were already being displaced by an increasingly large Police Force. To some extent this development has been necessary to meet the problems of growth. In colonial times there were almost no rapes, robberies were rare because you couldn’t sell stuff locally; making it unprofitable; and murder was not commonplace. That all changed as we changed; bigger cities, bigger problems.

In the 1950’s Los Angeles Chief of Police Parker ushered in a new age of policing; basing his tactics on military strategy and firepower. By the Watts Riots of 1965 he saw the need for more militaristic policing and formed a squad of snipers and assault men. These were the first SWAT team. The term was invented after the fact by Parker himself.

With the advent of the War on Drugs, and the War on Terror, the government has gained even more power and arms. The cast offs from the Patriot Act funding alone have armed most small towns and large cities in America to alarming levels.

For the most part I agree with the author’s assessment of things. There is too much emphasis on military tactics rather than “Protect and Serve.” But at the same time these SWAT teams would never have happened had there not been a clear threat to law and order; as in the Watts Riots. And now, with homegrown terror groups openly advertising for the citizenry to arm, I have to start thinking of which gang I want to be part of.

There’s Nazi’s and Aryans; they won’t do as I am Jewish. Then there’s the Right Wing Fascists; but they are Christian; again the Jewish thing prevents me from joining up with them. The Leftists are too far left and would muzzle me with politically correct speech; I talk too much and would never fit in there. The other various and sundry groups are all too small to make a difference and; for one reason or another; they won’t have me either.

So, I’m left with the over militarized Police and Armed Forces. I guess I will have to take my chances with them for now. The one thing which bothered me about this book; which has a lot to offer; is that when covering the 1960’s and 1970’s the author never once mentioned the assassination of scores of officers; at least 4 in New York City alone; who were gunned down from rooftops while walking their beats. There was an epidemic of these shootings across the nation at the time.

People in those neighborhoods mourned their loss. For a balanced account of how the militarization of the police occurred, these events must be taken into account. To leave them out calls into question the agenda of the author. There are abuses; to be sure; but to place the blame wholesale upon the police is a bit much. It took 2 to dance this waltz. At least some of the heavy handed tactics came about after the rise of the drive by shooting in the wake of the crack epidemic. It would have been nice to at least see this fact acknowledged by the author. 

To see a list of the police who were assassinated in New York City during 1971-1972, use this link to the NYPD Roll of Honor. These men were walking the street, armed with .38 revolvers; in their holsters at the time of their murders; by killers armed with high powered rifles shooting from rooftops in broad daylight. Some helicopters and automatic weapons would have been of great help in stemming the tide of these tragic murders, but the militarization of the police had not yet begun in earnest.

http://nypd.police-memorial.com/list-of-nypd-fallen-heroes/

"The Poppy Is Also a Flower" with Grace Kelly and Omar Sharif (1966)

The War on Drugs has been going on a long time now. This film was produced with funds from the United Nations. It stars many of the big names in Hollywood at the time. It was written by Jo Eisinger from a story by Ian Fleming. The 100 minute film was directed by Terence Young and produced by Euan Lloyd and aired in an 80 minute format on ABC before it was released in its full form to the theaters the following year.

The stars include Stephen Boyd, Senta Berger, Yul Brynner, Trevor Howard, Rita Hayworth, Angie Dickinson and Marcello Mastroianni. Trini Lopez and E.G. Marshall also make appearances in the film, which opens with Grace Kelly explaining what a poppy is, setting the stage for a story about drug smuggling and its effects upon society.

What makes the film so compelling to watch; in spite of it’s being a bit dated; is that it is the same story that is still being played out on the world stage today. “Narco-states”; with plenty of cash to spend; allow the heroin trade to flourish in spite of the best efforts by the entire world to stem the flow of illicit drugs into their own countries.

In this film the heroin trade is coming from the Iranian-Afghan border, where agents working for the United Nations place a nuclear tracking device in a shipment of heroin in order to track it on its journey to Europe.

Some of the filming was done in Iran itself, with weeks spent on location. It was funded by Xerox and the stars all accepted $1 apiece in compensation for their work. Terence Young actually left his job as Director on the film “Thunderball” to take on this project. 

The film was the last of a 4 part series of movies made for television by the United Nations to shed light on some of its lesser known activities. It was also released in Europe under the titles “Poppies Are Also Flowers”; “The Opium Connection”; and also as “Danger Grows Wild.”

No matter what you think about the War on Drugs, this film will give you pause to mull over the fact that since at least 1966 the world has expended an awful lot of time and energy; along with money; fighting a battle it cannot ever hope to win.

You can view the full 100 minute film here or watch it on You Tube;

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JJto5OmHWLw

"Busted" by Wendy Ruderman and Barbara Laker (2014)

There are no good guys in this book; save for the authors, Wendy Ruderman and Barbara Laker, 2 reporters who won the Pulitzer Prize in 2010 for their searing expose of corruption on the Philadelphia Police Force. After that, everyone else is; how shall I say it; tainted. Even the victims aren’t quite squeaky clean. Of course, the worst offenders are the cops, who are paid to “protect and serve”, but in the end only served themselves.

You’ve seen this whole story before, in every major city across the country; vice cops on a crime spree of their own, similar to the antics of Vic Mackey on the TV show “The Shield.” The police charged with protecting us all have gone astray in the misguided war against drugs. This is a war which they will never win; and don’t really want to. There’s too much “loose change” at the bottom of the ladder to be “harvested.”As I said, there are no good guys here. 

There are the bodega owners, who make money selling everything from “loosies”; single cigarettes at about 50 cents each, making a pack cost $10; to the little plastic baggies for packaging weed and crack cocaine. The bodega owners claim that they are used for valuable coins and jewelry, but they know better than that. In a neighborhood where you sell “loosies” there are no valuable coins or jewelry. And the discarded empty baggies end up in the street right by the bodegas, where the owners can see the litter. Nope, no good guy there.

Then there are the people in the neighborhood; who are in need of work that just isn’t available. I can almost justify their claim to “just be making ends meet in the only way that we can”, except when “making ends meet” comes to include $200 Air Jordan’s for your kids; among other luxury items which are not a legitimate expense in the struggle to survive. These are the people who live a life of comparative wealth while feeding off the “sickness” of their neighbors. Nope; no good guys there.

The politicians who campaign for office on the promises that they will clean it all up; then take office and don’t even show their faces on that side of town until the next election; are no exception. They live a life of privilege and know full well that they will never, ever really do anything for the poorest of the poor. These are the ones who give false hope to the truly disenfranchised, with no intent to do anything but take the taxpayers money. I know you weren't expecting a good guy there.

Barbara Laker and Wendy Ruderman have written a very terse and to the point book. It’s based on their experiences in covering what became known as the “Tainted Justice” series in the Philadelphia Daily News. They each went; individually in most cases; to the worst parts of the drug zones in search of the veracity of the story they were told by a police informant, Benny; as in Benny Blanco from the Bronx.

Benny claims that he was used by a corrupt police officer; who, along with his fellow officers and at least one relative; had created a cottage industry by using a Confidential Informant to point out different drug houses. He would then make the buy, the officers would document it, and then they would raid the house. It sounds pretty straightforward.

But what if the cops began to use the raids to rob the dealers instead of arresting them for all of the drugs? What if they were raiding houses on the pretext that the Informant had pointed them out when he hadn’t? What if one of the officers involved was using the raids as an excuse to sexually assault some of the wives and mothers of the accused? Would you call the police?

These are the tough questions faced by not only Benny and the other victims, but also by a whole bunch of local store owners who were the victims of police raids in which their security cameras were destroyed by police officers, who then stuffed their pockets with cash from the register and carried off cases of cigarettes and other merchandise. The owners of these stores were largely immigrants who would never trust the police back in their homeland. And when faced by this type of behavior here, they just assume it is business as normal.

Ms. Ruderman and Ms. Laker both have tough rows to hoe as they try to track down the culprits; even fearing for their lives at times.  The hours spent on the story even take a significant toll on Ms. Ruderman’s marriage. This is a book which will take you from the newsroom of the Daily News to the file room of the police department, and then into the seedy streets of the very worst areas of Philadelphia.  

The two fearless reporters develop one lead after another, eventually building a case which rocks the police department and catapults them to a Pulitzer Prize. But; in the end; nearly 4 years after the facts were laid bare and the Pulitzer won, not a single officer has been disciplined beyond being assigned to desk duty. I say it again; there are no heroes here. This is a good, gritty account of the absurdity of the war on drugs.

""El Cartel" with Jose Luis Franco (2009)

When a young and naïve journalist approaches a major Mexican drug lord for a story about drug trafficking, he gets much more than he bargained for in this tense, well-constructed film about what happens on our Southern border. José Luis Franco plays drug lord Angel Santana, and Freddy Douglas plays Jules Land, the journalist.

Angel had been a priest, but the lure of the money to be made, along with the indifference of the authorities, have turned him into one of Mexico’s most notorious drug lords. He has, along the way to his success, developed a set of rules which he now teaches to Jules.

Soon, Jules realizes that he is in way too deep for his own health, but knows too much about the operations of Angel’s cartel to quit with his life. Complicating matters are the advances of Angel’s wife, a beautiful woman whose father was murdered by Angel when his father-in-law threatened to turn him in for trafficking in narcotics.

What makes this movie work so well is the way it is put together. The film starts with what the viewer perceives to be the ending, and then the director uses flashbacks to each of the points which have led to the predicament Jules finds himself in; tied up aboard a fishing boat and waiting to die.

Along with the clever direction the film also moves back and forth between Spanish and English dialogue, giving an edgy real life feel to the film. If you do not use the close captioning, you can feel left out of some of the conversations, leaving you feeling just as uneasy and unsure as Jules would have felt in the same situation. The story is filmed flawlessly; with the heat of the desert by day, as well as the coolness of the night air on the fishing boat, both coming to life; adding to a sense of realism in this film.

Mexico is not the biggest producer of drugs, but the largest distributor of both the cocaine and marijuana which come up from South America. This film is a timely, and also fairly accurate, look at the drug cartels which rule our neighbor to the south; as well an insight into what makes all of this possible to begin with.

"American Desperado" by Jon Roberts and Evan Wright

The very last thing which I expected when I began to read this book were lessons in morality. If this were an Inspirational Book it would not have caught me off guard in the way it did. This is, after all, the memoirs of a self-described very "evil" man. Jon Roberts learned long ago, from his father, that Evil is stronger than Good. And he took that lesson to heart as he robbed, killed and schemed his way through life, first in the streets, then in the jails, to Vietnam and then back to the streets.

Born Jon Riccobono, the son of a New York wise guy, Mr. Roberts had many opportunities to observe the evil in his father. When he was only 8 years old he witnessed his father shooting a man because he wouldn't back down off a one lane bridge. This incident sets the stage for the life Mr. Roberts would go on to lead.

The author has set the book up in an unusual way; it's almost a conversation. Mr. Wright asks a question, and Mr. Roberts tells a story in answer, often branching out into new areas. The book has a fluidity to it which makes it a very quick read at about 500 pages. Literally, the reader can turn to any page in this book and begin reading. The stories stand on their own, as well as being a part of a larger picture.

There are so many stories in this book, from robbing local drug dealers as a kid, to setting up his own drug operations, and eventually becoming a killer. The story takes the reader from Mr. Roberts’ beginnings in New York, to Vietnam, where he served in a LLRP unit, and then to Florida in the 1970's, just before the cocaine trade hit big time.

Eventually Mr. Roberts becomes involved in that cocaine trade, dodging the bullets of his rivals, as well as those of the American government. Only a secret deal with the CIA keeps Mr. Roberts from eventually paying the full price for all of the illegal things he has done.

To his credit, the author has no illusions about the "evil" things he has done. His beliefs concerning God and Satan are plainly expressed. This is no shallow, bullet headed mobster. This guy has his own set of morals, and is very adept at explaining them.

Extensively annotated with footnotes, this book throws a light on the failure of the drug war, and also explores just what it is that we seem to love about "gangsters." When Mr. Roberts, at the opening of the book, is introduced as the "Cocaine Cowboy" during a break in the game at Miami's American Airlines Arena, the place goes nuts! You would expect that the team had just won the championship.

A very engaging book which mirrors the society we live in, this book, with the careful guidance of the co-author, is at once a great story about mobsters and what they do; as well as a compelling look at ourselves and the human weaknesses which allow those mobsters to reign over a criminal empire; at times with the protection of our own government.

"El Narco" by Ioan Grillo

One of the few positive effects of the recession has been the decline in the use of cocaine in the United States. Since 2009 use of cocaine has dropped from 2.4 million users, to about 1.6 million. This shrinking market has had a profound effect upon the levels of violence along our southern border with Mexico, as well as in Mexico itself, where whole provinces have become victims of what has increasingly become a narco-state. As the cartels vie for control of this shrinking market, they make it abundantly clear that they run much of Mexico. There are whole police forces on the payroll of some cartels. Journalists are killed for reporting it. Last year, at a military funeral, the grieving family were gunned down, simply as a warning to others.

In this fascinating book by Ioan Grillo, the author examines the history of the drug trade, encompassing both the powerful political and criminal forces which allow this trade to continue unfettered. He also manages to delve into the relationship of the Columbian cartels of the 1980's and how they shifted the distribution part of the business to the Mexicans in an attempt to avoid the anti-drug efforts of the DEA. Eventually, the Mexicans took over the entire trade, from cultivation to distribution.

Almost daily, the newspaper holds more stories of the drug related violence, beheadings, rapes, shootings and assassinations that occur with increasing frequency, while the governments of 2 nations are seemingly rendered powerless by the cartels. We have almost become desensitized to the violence at this point. We even extoll these "anti-heroes" in movies, books, and songs. In Mexico there are groups, such as the Grupa Cartel, who make their livings singing about the exploits of the cartels. Some are even on the cartel payrolls. There is even a fledgling movie industry cranking out gangster films for the cartels, all extolling the the lifestyles of the El Narcos.

The author also explores the re-emergence of the PRI, the political party which ruled Mexico for over 70 years after the Mexican Revolution of the early 20th Century. Under the leadership of that party, drug distribution was somewhat controlled, albeit with graft and corruption. But, in retrospect, this system was preferable to the wholesale lawlessness which prevails today, spilling over the border, threatening to turn parts of our own nation into "narco-states" of their own.

This is a very carefully researched book written in an engaging style. The historical aspects of our relationship with Mexico are explored here in an effort to understand just how our “neighbor to the South” became such a thorn in our side. The answer lies not only with Mexico, but also in our own history and politics, as well as with our nation’s continued thirst for the contraband which fuels the fire.

"The Wire" - Any Season

This is the explosive, street level drama that takes place in the neighborhood where I used to work in Baltimore during the 17 years in which I lived there. It is so realistic and factual in its portrayal of life in that neighborhood, that I have no doubt as to the veracity of the plots, or of the writing. It's shown exactly as I remember it.

Speaking of the writing, Ed Burns and David Simon are the two award winning fellows who brought you "Homicide:Life on the Street", the Emmy Award winning TV show, and the prize winning book "The Corner", which was later produced by PBS as a series, prior to this one. The lives depicted in this series are identical to the real lives portrayed in the pages of that book.

This is the main area of the action in "The Wire." The west side of Baltimore, from Martin Luther King Blvd to Monroe Street is a daily battleground between law enforcement and the street level drug trade. Stopping for a red light in this area produces all sorts of people coming up to the car window; prostitutes, drug dealers, rip off artists, you name it - they got it. And it goes on 24/7. In the daytime, the police are on top of things, but at night it's a different story, as the drug dealers and their customers steal, shoot and beat their way to the evenings "high". This usually involves at least one shooting and an assorted number of overdoses.

This series is well produced, and has an excellent theme song, which was re-recorded each year by a new group. Season 4 is my favorite version, which was arranged by Doreen Vail and recorded by the members of a Baltimore Boys Choir.

As usual, I'm about 5 years behind the rest of the world in watching this realistic and cutting edge show. The only excuse I have is that I was probably catching up on something else at the time, no doubt something which was 5 years old then. Like the neighborhood depicted in "The Wire", somethings never change.

"1969 - The Year Everything Changed" by Rob Kirkpatrick

This book is a chronological review of the year 1969. With so much having been written about 1968, sometimes 1969 gets lost in the shuffle. I have always considered 1969 to be the year that the "Woodstock Nation" died. The era of peace and love sort of ended at Altamont Speedway in California that December when the Rolling Stones hired the Hells Angels to be the "security" for the concert. A crowd of over 500,000 people allowed themselves to be intimidated by less than a couple of hundred bikers. The fact that someone was murdered in front of the stage, while the Rolling Stones kept playing, underscores the myriad of problems which plagued our society throughout the 60's and would spill over into the 70's. Some might say that the seeds for some of todays problems were planted back then.

The year itself was just as exciting as 1968, but in a different sort of way. While 1968 was a year of great hope, 1969 was a year when the "hippie" movement clearly became commercial. Capitilizing on the sexual revolution, "O! Calcutta" became the number 1 show on Broadway. "I Am Curious (Yellow)" was considered a landmark movie.

In California Charles Manson was able to use the mind expanding properties of LSD to control a band of followers, directing them to murder for the dubious purpose of inciting a race war. San Francisco was reeling under the threat of the "Zodiac" killer, while Lt. William Calley was charged for his role in the systematic killings of unarmed women and children in My Lai, Vietnam.

In politics, President Nixon was in office and beginning his slow descent to his place in history. Ted Kennedy was busy partying with his own campaign staff and made his famous "swim" against unbeatable currents, leaving Mary Jo Kopechne to die, trapped in his car at the bottom of Chappaquiddick. Although this would end his hopes of ever becoming President, it had no effect on his position as head of the Senate Ethics Committee, a post he would occupy for 41 more years, until his death in 2010.

In the midst of all of this there were some very positive things going on as well. Man landed on the Moon, and the first Boeing 747 "jumbo jet" took flight, enabling more people than ever before to travel at an affordable rate. Gays grew tired of being harassed for their sexual orientation and fought back against police in New York City's Greenwich Village, in what would become known as the "Stonewall Riots." This would be the beginning of the Gay Rights Movement.

The Arts and Music scene were active. The Who released the first so-called rock opera, "Tommy." Neil Young and Steve Stills left Buffalo Springfield to form their own bands. Neil Young formed Crazy Horse and Steve Stills founded Crosby, Stills and Nash, which Neil Young would later join.

In Sports, there was Joe Namath, quarterback for the New York Jets, losing his career because he owned a restaurant where alcohol was served. The New York Mets were on the way to their first World Series against the Baltimore Orioles, which they would win. (I think I went to Game 5, at Shea Stadium, with John DiStefano.)

The book is augmented by a time line showing the news events of the year. And it was a busy one. Reading this book makes you aware that 1969 was not only the turning point of a decade, but also a watershed year, both in who we were and what we have, as a society, become.

"Original Gangster" by Frank Lucas

From the very first page this book keeps you riveted to every word. The story opens in 1936 North Carolina on the morning that three white men, Ku Klux Klan members, come to the Lucas home and kill his 13 year old cousin, Obadiah. The crime was typical, he had looked at a white woman. For this, they blew his head off.

What follows is the real life story of Frank Lucas, notorious for decades as the reigning boss of the drug trade in Harlem; protege to "Bumpy" Johnson, the Al Capone of Harlem. This is a rare and fascinating look behind the African-American organized crime scene from the 1940's through the 1970's. It included drugs, gambling and prostitution. Flavored with many underworld characters, among them "Detroit Red", later to be known as Malcolm X, the book takes in politics, the code of the streets and the corruption that allows it all to exist, unhindered.

The book begins with a short dedication, admonishing the reader to stay in school, get a degree and not to follow in the path of it's author. For anyone who has seen the film "American Gangster" with Denzel Washington and Russell Crowe, this book will seem familiar. It should. That film was a synopsis of the life of Frank Lucas and his relationship with Bumpy Johnson, his mentor. This book offers so much more. This is the real story, told by the man who lived it. No special effects, just the words, plainly written to chronicle a life spent hustling to the top.

Written a few years after the release of the movie, the reader cannot help but wonder if Mr. Lucas saw the film and then decided to write the book to set the record straight. I believe he did.

Movie Review- American Violet with Alfre Woodward and Charles Dutton

This is a true story. It happens in every major city across America. The War on Drugs creates such enormous profits for the Government Agencies tasked with upholding the drug laws that Justice is often left far behind.

A single working Mom, who lives in the Projects, is caught up in a drug sweep. She is completely innocent. Represented by a Public Defender she tries to fight the charges. If convicted at trial she faces 16-25 years behind bars for a crime she did not commit. So she remains in jail, unable to post a $70,000 bond. She is offered a plea bargain, prison time suspended, but she has to fight the charges as even accepting the plea bargain will make her a Felon. This would result in her losing her Housing Subsidy, Food Stamps, Medical Care and leave her and her children homeless.

Between the Prosecutor and the Public Defender this woman is just a statistic. If she pleads guilty the State makes their quota and gets more Federal money to fight the War On Drugs. If she beats the charges the prosecutor looks bad. (Hence the empty offer of the plea bargain.) Money and Politics are at stake here- and when that happens Justice is denied.

Strong performances by all. Alfre Woodward as the Mother of the accused and also Charles Dutton as the Preacher are exceptional. With strong direction the movie makes it's point about Justice in America today.