"Stephen Bright and a group of idealistic lawyers, many of whom gave up six-figure incomes, tirelessly fight against the death penalty in Georgia. Cameras follow Bright and his colleagues as they attempt to stay the execution of Wallace Fugate, a man convicted of killing his ex-wife. Bright contends the woman’s death was accidental and Fugate received inadequate representation from his court-appointed lawyer. Filmed in the weeks preceding Fugate’s execution, Bright speaks eloquently before the media and in the courtroom, filing appeal after appeal to save his client’s life. Bright is shown encouraging his team, comforting Fugate and family, and arguing convincingly against the injustice of capital punishment. Although ultimately accepting defeat, Bright and his colleagues continue to fight for what they believe is right."
-Candace Smith- Booklist
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3 ½ Stars
In the Southeast, home to 90% of the executions in the U.S., attorney Stephen Bright and his colleagues at the Southern Center for Human Rights have represented death row inmates for over 20 years. Narrated by Ani DiFranco, Fighting for Life in the Death-Belt follows the efforts of Bright and his legal team to save the lives of two men. One case ends quickly and favorably with the prisoner’s sentence commuted to life without parole. The other, however, goes through a rollercoaster of appeals, with Bright arguing that his client received an unfair trial. The prisoner, Wallace Fugate, was sentenced to death for accidentally shooting and killing his ex-wife during a domestic dispute. After his court-appointed lawyer failed to present evidence supporting his claim, the jury quickly decided his fate. Interwoven are interviews with Bright, his colleagues, and legal scholars (such as Charles Ogletree from the Harvard Law School), as well as footage of Bright testifying before Congress, all of which connect the drama of Fugate’s story to the larger capital punishment issues. Filmmakers Jeff Marks and Adam Elend’s documentary will make viewers question whether the guilty deserve death sentences that are handed down not for terrible crimes but for shoddy legal representation. Highly recommended."
-J. Wadland - Video Librarian
SummaryFighting for Life in the Death-Belt considers the controversial institution of capital punishment in America through the eyes of Stephen Bright, the nation's leading anti-death penalty lawyer. For twenty-five years Bright has defended death row inmates deep in the heart of the nation's death-belt - the Southeastern states where ninety percent of executions occur.
In the film, we follow Bright during the final days and hours as he desperately fights to spare two clients from execution. Although both men stand convicted of horrible crimes, Bright never waivers in his dedication, and presents compelling arguments against the criminal justice system that seeks to end his clients' lives.
