CITIZEN VERDICT

Year: 2003
USA: Innovation Film Group
UK: Georgia Films
Cast: Armand Assante, Jerry Springer, Roy Scheider, Justine Mitchell, Raffaello Degruttola, Dorette Potgieter, Clive Scott, Lynn Blades, Andre Jacobs, Langley Kirkwood, Danny Keogh, Nicole Sherwin, Louw Venter, Terry Norton, Brendan Pollecutt, Bo Peterson, Natasha Napoli, Adrien Fernandez, Sarah Martinez, Douglas W Miller, Adrian Galley, Anthony Fridjohn, Patrick Lyster, Grant Swanby, Brett Goldin, Peter Butler, Peter Spyropoulos, Peter Krummeck, Gideon Emery, Jenny Stead, Hakeem Kae-Kazim, David Crichton, Carol Burke, Victoria Bartlett, Philippe Vidal, Michael Dube, Shirley Bester, Mathew Wild, Omar Hogben, Marc McQue, Melissa Shaw, Anna Breuer, Freya Wissing
Director: Philippe Martinez
Countries: UK / Germany
USA & UK: 98 mins
USA Rated: R for language, sexual content and violence
UK Certificate: 15 contains strong language and sex references
USA Release Date: 6 May 2005 (Limited Release)
UK Release Date: 12 September 2003


Synopsis

Marty Rockman (Jerry Springer), the notorious producer of the hit reality-TV show SO SUE ME, has a brand new concept: CITIZEN VERDICT. Each week a real criminal case will be tried before the American people, but this time they're also the jury. If the defendant is voted guilty in a death penalty case, Rockman will televise the execution.

An escalation in violent crime and terrorism has hit the state of Florida hard. Governor Tyler (Roy Scheider), desperate to be seen as a tough-on crime Republican leader in the upcoming Presidential race, decides to give Rockman his chance and CITIZEN VERDICT goes into production in Tampa.

Sam Patterson (Armand Assante) is a well-respected liberal law professor trying to survive an expensive divorce when Rockman offers him a huge signing bonus to become the show's defense attorney. Convincing himself that the show has a valid purpose, Sam joins the team. Working as his assistant is the beautiful and brilliant prosecuting attorney, Jessica Landers (Justine Mitchell), who is an ambitious law student. Now all Rockman needs is the first case for the viewing public to judge.

Selected by phone-in vote, Sam's first client is Ricky Carr (Raffaello Degruttola): accused of the rape and murder of popular celebrity-chef Dolly Hamilton, the case is a sure-fire ratings winner. But when Sam starts to investigate, he finds evidence that Ricky may be innocent of murder.

CITIZEN VERDICT was shot on location in Cape Town, South Africa, New Brunswick, Canada and Clearwater and Tampa, Florida.