Fighting for Life in the Death-Belt (2005)

FIGHTING FOR LIFE IN THE DEATH-BELT considers the controversial institution of capital punishment in America through the eyes of Stephen Bright, the nation's leading anti-death penalty lawyer. For twenty years Bright has defended death row inmates deep in the heart of America's death-belt - the Southern states, where 90% of all executions occur. Bright teaches at elite universities like Harvard and Yale, but is no stranger to the harsh reality of death row, once witnessing the execution of two clients in one week. He does not work for money or acclaim, and has never accepted a client who could afford to pay him. In this twenty-year struggle, Bright has built one of the most renowned public interest law firms in the nation, the Southern Center for Human Rights (SCHR). Located in Atlanta, GA the SCHR attracts young lawyers from the most elite law schools in the country to work for little money, under extreme conditions, for poor clients facing the harshest punishment. In the film we follow Bright and the SCHR in the final days and hours, as they desperately fight to spare two clients from execution. Although both men stand convicted of horrible crimes, these defense attorneys never waiver in their dedication, and present compelling arguments against the criminal justice system that seeks to end their client's lives.