AMERICAN VIOLET EXPOSES INSTITUTIONAL RACISM IN TEXAS’ CRIMINAL JUSTICE SYSTEM
Based on a true story, American Violet first establishes the reputation of Dee Roberts (played by Nicole Biharie) as a well-qualified waitress in Melody, Texas, who is a fine mother of four. One day one of her daughters is in the parking lot of a low-income housing project when police engage in mass arrests of supposed drug dealers. The following day, Dee is arrested at work, jailed with four other women, and threatened that she could walk free if she would admit her guilt in exchange for a suspended sentence. She fights courageously, backed by ACLU attorney David Cohen (played by Tim Blake Nelson) and local lawyer Sam Conroy (played by Will Patton), and is vindicated. The most important part of the story is not the ending but the revelations about how political power works in a small town as well as titles at the end reporting that 2.3 million persons are incarcerated in the United States and that more than 90 percent of all criminal cases are settled by plea bargains. The film reveals that the white power structure picks on blacks because they rarely have legal resources, although one title reveals that Conroy took on black clients after the case. Dee was arrested on the basis of a single informant, Byron White (played by Malcolm Barrett), who was pressured to give five names of drug dealers to lighten his sentence. Dee is one of the names because she was the rival of his sister, who lived with her former husband, both of whom wanted custody of two of Dee’s children. One of the five cops a plea to get out of jail, but when Dee wins her case, the convictions of those who pled guilty remain. At the center of political power is the county district attorney, Calvin Beckett (played by Michael O’Keefe), whose racism is provoked during a deposition after his daughter and former wife confirm that he frequently used the word “nigger” at home. The biggest bombshell of the film is that funding to the DA’s office is allocated by the state on the basis of the number of convictions, something only bolstered by raids and mass arrests. Directed by Tim Disney, American Violet has been nominated for awards as best film exposé and best film on human rights of 2009. MH