Witch Hunt (2008)

The story of several families who have their lives destroyed when their hometown is whipped into a frenzy by allegations of child molestation.

Directors:

Don Hardy Jr., Dana Nachman

Writer:

Dana Nachman

Stars:

Jack Cummings, Jackie Cummings, Allen Grafton

1 win.

Cast

Credited cast:
Jack Cummings	...	Himself - Accused of Child Molestation
Jackie Cummings	...	Herself - Accused of Child Molestation
Allen Grafton	...	Himself - Accuser
Ed Jagels	...	Himself - Kern County District Attorney (archive footage)
Brenda Kniffen	...	Herself - Accused of Child Molestation
Scott Kniffen	...	Himself - Accused of Child Molestation
Carla Modahl	...	Herself - Daughter of Jeffrey Modahl
Jeffrey Modahl	...	Himself - Accused of Child Molestation
Victor Monge	...	Himself - Accuser
Sean Penn	...	Himself - Narrator
Marcella Pitts	...	Herself - Accused of Child Molestation
Rick Pitts	...	Himself - Accused of Child Molestation
Kathleen Ridolfi	...	Herself - Northern California Innocence Project (as Kathleen 'Cookie' Ridolfi)
Ed Sampley	...	Himself - Accuser
Linda Starr	...	Herself - Northern California Innocence Project

Storyline

Executive Producer Sean Penn presents "Witch Hunt," a gripping indictment of the American justice system told through the lens of one small town. Voters in Bakersfield, California elected a tough on crime district attorney into office for more than 25 years. During his tenure he convicted dozens of innocent working class moms and dads. They went to prison, some for decades, before being exonerated. He remains in office today. This story on a micro level mirrors what the US has experienced over the last eight years. When power is allowed to exist without oversight civil rights are in jeopardy.

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Plot Keywords:

prison | civil rights | child molestation | scandal | 1990s | 

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Taglines:

Some convictions are criminal

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Genres:

Documentary | Crime

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Details

Official Sites:

Official site

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

2 November 2008 (USA)

Also Known As:

An American Witch Hunt

Company Credits

Production Co:

KTF Films

Technical Specs

Runtime:

91 min 91 min (original)

Sound Mix:

Dolby Digital (Dolby 5.1) Dolby SR

Color:

Color Color (HDCAM)

Aspect Ratio:

1.85 : 1

Did You Know?

Quotes

[first lines]
title cards: There are more than 2 million people in American prisons today. This film is dedicated to the thousands of them who are actually innocent.
Narrator: [narration] The images of your life, picture them, on your refrigerator, in albums, frames. They capture every stage, change, celebration. Without them, how much do you remember? How much do you rely on these photos to remind you of the journey you've taken in life. Now imagine them gone. This is the first photo John Stoll has of is life. The ...

User Reviews

Haven''t watched the movie yet, but a little background...

To give everyone a little background of what was happening before Jagels was elected, there were many named city and government officials, as well as business owners and campaign managers, who were involved in a loosely knit society of abusing 10-14 year old boys. These children were being used as sex slaves, and many other completely horrendous acts that these men forced upon these kids. The most famous (or infamous) of these children was Robert Mistriel, who was accused of killing a high official, Edwin Buck. Apparently Mistriel was a hustler (male prostitute) when he was referred to Buck from another molester, who at the time was a co-owner of the newspaper. Mistriel was needless to say treated as a sex slave, among other things, and eventually could not take the abuse any longer and apparently conspired to kill Buck with an acquaintance. Mistriel was put on trial in 1983 and was sentenced to 31 years to life in prison, and has adamantly stated he was not the one who killed buck. Here's the kicker... all those officials who molested these children were well- known by law enforcement for doing these acts; they were never reprimanded for their actions, and never denied they had taken part in these actions.

Here's my take on WHY they concocted the entire child molestation ring; to deflect the fact that Bakersfield had molesters in the highest positions of city government.