Death penalty documentary to be previewed this week
by Minnesota Lawyer Staff Reporter
This week, the Advocates for Human Rights, Innocence Project of Minnesota, and St. Joan of Arc Church will host a special preview screening of IFC’s documentary film “At the Death House Door.”
The film is a personal look at the death penalty in Texas through the eyes of Pastor Carroll Pickett, who served 15 years as the death house chaplain to the infamous “Walls” prison unit in Huntsville and presided over 95 executions, including the world’s first lethal injection. After each execution, Pickett meticulously recorded an audiotape account of his trip to the death chamber. The film also focuses on the story of Carlos De Luna, a convict Pickett counseled and whose execution troubled him more than any other. Pickett firmly believed De Luna was innocent, and the film tracks the investigative efforts of the Chicago Tribune reporters who turned up evidence that strongly supports he was wrongly executed.
“At the Death House Door” is co-directed and co-produced by Steve James and Peter Gilbert, who began their filmmaking partnership on the landmark documentary, “Hoop Dreams.”
Following the screening, moviegoers will discuss issues relating to wrongful convictions and capital punishment, including lethal injection, the unlikely victims and the flaws in our criminal justice system.
The event will take place at 7:00 p.m. on May 14 at St. Joan of Arc Church in Minneapolis.
