InJustice producer: “I don’t come up with solutions. I bring awareness”
Wednesday, June 13th, 2012Last week I wrote about the film “InJustice: A Film About Greed & Corruption in America’s Lawsuit Industry” which interviewed a number of Mississippians and featured the wrongdoings of other Mississippians. The film was screened in Jackson, Mississippi as part of a nationwide tour. Here is a quick video recap of the reactions.
As a follow up to my column (read here: ‘InJustice’ and state’s trial lawyers) I was able to sit down with Brian Kelly, the film’s producer, before the screening.
Kelly’s background includes 27 years in network filmmaking including senior roles at Discovery and Investigation Discovery. What peaked his interest in this subject was an article from Reader’s Digest on the silicosis case thrown out of court in Texas when Judge Janice Jack determined many of the medical records were falsified. Kelly said the article provided a great outline for a film including trial transcripts and story action.
Kelly explored that case along with Milberg Weiss scandal involving among others William Lerach and Mel Weiss, and of course in Mississippi the Scruggs Scandal. Of Lerach, Weiss and Scruggs, Kelly said, “The film is not meant to bash lawyers…[these lawyers] had one thing in common when we finished the film, they were all in jail.”
With the Scruggs Scandal, Kelly said what bothered him the most was how attorney Johnny Jones described the Scruggs legal strategy as a stool with three legs: politics, public relations and the law. He said when looking at how politics and public relations played into the cases he thought, “Wait. Isn’t this supposed to be about justice?”
He said the film cut a lot of “man on the street” interviews for time sake, but generally the response was “that’s just lawyers; that’s what they do.” He said that apathy is troubling and it is difficult for anyone or any business to do the right thing if they’re afraid of getting sued by lawyers who use the law as a club and a threat.
That fear of uncertainty extends beyond big companies, and the apathy in the average citizen toward certainty in the law diminishes confidence in the legal system.
Kelly asked, “If you’re IBM and you can’t get justice, how can a single mom going into court in Jackson, Mississippi get justice?”
Kelly said the film is about abuse in the legal system by specific individuals and does not deal with policy issues. “I’m a film maker. I don’t come up with solutions. I bring awareness,” Kelly said. He said if the film somehow makes things better, that’s a great thing. But it doesn’t keep him up at night trying to change the world because that isn’t his job: “I doubt I’m going to change policy. State legislators: that’s their job.”
As to a follow up film on legal abuses, Kelly said there is a great appetite for more, “I feel like there’s another movie ready to be made.” But he wouldn’t elaborate on his next project, he said, until it has the green light for production.
Kelly said his favorite part of this project is connecting with the viewers. In television, his feedback essentially was make a show, get the ratings, make another show. Now he gets direct interaction from e-mail and social media, as well as in the screening tour questions and answers and watching an audience react.
As to suggestions that this film is an answer to the movie “Hot Coffee” he said he was unaware of that production until after he had finished “InJustice.” He said sometimes people are better able to dismiss a film they don’t like if they label it. So some people call this a “tort reform” film and put it in that box so they don’t have to confront it.
But you can confront it anytime you want, now, even if you missed the screening. The film is available for purchase as a digital download ($4.95) or DVD ($13.20).
