Presumed Guilty
(Docu)
Directed by Pamela Yates.
Traditionally low men on the legal profession's totem pole, public defenders get a stirring defense of their own in "Presumed Guilty," an engrossing doc following five attorneys from the San Francisco Public Defender's Office through their cases.
Unlike cases involving celebrity defendants and/or lawyers who tend to get media attention, the vast majority of U.S. criminal cases are defended by court-assigned attorneys, since few facing charges can afford private counsel.
Filmmakers Pamela Yates and Peter Kinoy train their eyes on the routine daily operations of the S.F. Public Defender's Office (considered one of the best in the country) as well as a handful of trials that range from the brief and nondescript to the sensational and long-running.
Personalities of the defense lawyers here are highly diverse, though all exhibit a refreshing commitment and stubborn idealism. First two cases are of a disheveled, admittedly alcoholic woman accused of carrying a concealed weapon and a man charged with being under the influence of crack cocaine.
Focus eventually shifts to two more dramatic and publicized cases. Cambodian refugee Lam Choi is accused of killing a Tenderloin gang boss who'd apparently made death threats against him, while illegal Mexican immigrant Marcos Ranjel is charged with murder-for-hire in the case of a popular hair salon owner whose ex-husband is suspected of engineering the hit.
While latter defendants' guilt or innocence is kept somewhat ambiguous, there's little doubt of their attorneys' faith and resourcefulness. Choi is defended by senior felony attorney Stephen Rosen, a somewhat eccentrically passionate, sly and dedicated Vietnam vet whose wee-hours "video diary" confessions at home provide odd, sometimes moving punctuation here.
Ranjel has the terrifically capable Jeff Adachi, another office veteran who is informed of his dismissal after 15 years by Mayor Willie Brown's office to make room for the mayor's candidate for chief public defender. In a gratifying postscript, Adachi's grassroots campaign is noted as having won over this "machine" nominee.
At first a little tabloid in tenor and editorial style, pic soon distances itself from the myriad court TV shows with a fine balance of everyday detail and verite drama.
Tech aspects are solid. Fascinating insider's view will air on PBS affiliates later in the year. Offshore, it's worthy fest fare.
Running time: 116 MIN.
Camera (video), Paul Mailman; editor, Peter Kinoy; music, Douglas J. Cuomo. A KQED and Skylight Pictures production. Produced by Peter Kinoy, Pamela Yates. Co-producer, Rachel Raney.
Reviewed at San Francisco Asian-American Film Festival By DENNIS HARVEY, March 10, 2002. (Also in the 2010 Human Rights Watch fest)