Crime of Innocence (1985)

A family seeks justice after a girl is assaulted in jail, and the law does nothing to protect her.

Director:

Michael Miller

Writers:

Michael Berk, Douglas Schwartz

Stars:

Andy Griffith, Diane Ladd, Steve Inwood

1 nomination.

Cast

Cast overview, first billed only:
Andy Griffith	...	Judge Julius Sullivan
Diane Ladd	...	Rose Hayward
Steve Inwood	...	Dennis Spector
Shawnee Smith	...	Jodi Hayward
Ralph Waite	...	Frank Hayward
Jordan Charney	...	Spencer Mulholland
Brent Spiner	...	Hinnerman
Tammy Lauren	...	Rene Peterson
Michael Champion	...	Jailor
John M. Jackson	...	Police Officer
Alex McArthur	...	Cory Yeager
Brian Robbins	...	Lonnie
Michele Rogers	...	Sarah Thompson (as Michelle Rogers)
Khrystyne Haje
Oceana Marr	...	Mrs. Rodgers

Storyline

Two teenage girls are locked up for a minor offense by a harsh judge who thinks a night in jail will do them good. It's a traumatizing experience that includes an assault. Afterwards, one of the girls and her family seek justice against an unfair legal system.

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Plot Keywords:

teenage girl | judge | women's prison | degradation | corruption | 

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Taglines:

It's no use throwing yourself at the mercy of the court - because THIS court HAS no mercy.

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Genres:

Drama

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Details

Country:

USA

Language:

English

Release Date:

27 October 1985 (USA)

Also Known As:

Crime Sem Culpa

Filming Locations:

Santa Barbara, California, USA

Company Credits

Production Co:

Ohlmeyer Communications Company, Telepictures Productions

Technical Specs

Runtime:

96 min

Sound Mix:

Mono

Color:

Color

Aspect Ratio:

1.33 : 1

Did You Know?

Trivia

Inspired by a federal civil rights class action suit known as Doe v. Burwell, which challenged the incarceration of children in the Lawrence County jail in Ironton, Ohio.

User Reviews

Where are they now update

In answer to a previous person's email, the judge in the story is indeed passed away. He was my father. He passed on the day of the OJ verdict (although that was not the cause). By the way, please realize that this movie was produced by liberal movie makers who intended to paint the judge in the story as the villain. Anyone familiar with the real story felt my father was correct in the way he treated juveniles who came before his court, and he was re-elected (more precisely, elected after being appointed) in a landslide.

The true villain in the story was the jailer, someone who was a childhood friend of mine, and who tried to take revenge on me because of how determined my father was to get him for raping that girl. The parents should have sued the sheriff in my opinion, since he was the one who hired the jailer and didn't protect her.

I never found out for sure, but Andy Griffith must have met my father before doing this movie, because he reminded me of him in many ways.