Innocent Until Proven Guilty(1999)

Innocent Until Proven Guilty is a documentary following James Forman, a 31-year-old public defender and son of a civil rights leader, as he represents black youth in Washington, D.C. who cannot afford private counsel. Director Kirsten Johnson's award-winning film takes viewers inside the criminal justice system, exposing the systemic barriers that trap defendants and ex-offenders in cycles of crime and incarceration. Through Forman's cases, the documentary examines the human cost of a system that often fails its most vulnerable members, revealing how poverty, race, and access to legal representation intersect to shape lives and futures.