Release Date: 9/8/80 (TV Movie, HBO)
Genre: Drama
Rating: R
Director: Andy Wolk
Studio(s): Elysian Films, Home Box Office (HBO), Warner Bros.
Running Time: 90 mins.
Cast: Forest Whitaker (Jessie Williams), Rosie Perez (Denise Moore), Anthony LaPaglia (David Ringel), Jennifer Grey (Liz Carter), Tony Todd (Detective Riley).
Story: Criminal Justice tells the story of a 19-year-old prostitute named Denise who is brutally robbed as she leaves a Brooklyn crack den. In addition to stealing her night’s earnings, her assailant leaves a knife slash across her cheek. From a pile of mug shots and a lineup, Denise identifies her attacker as Jesse Williams, an unemployed man in his early 20’s who lives only a couple of blocks from the crime scene in East New York. Jessie claims he is innocent but is quickly arrested. The plot proceeds to follow Jesse through every stage of his prosecution, from the time a detective throws him down on a desk and sarcastically snarls his Miranda rights at him, through his incarceration, to the resolution of the case six months later. Sources: IMDB; Newyorktimes.com.
Trailer:
Black Cinema Connection 