Educational Media Reviews Online

Beginning with some chilling statistics showing rates of domestic violence against women, Sin by Silence delves into the stories – both personal and legal – of incarcerated women who have murdered their abusive spouses. Ostensibly, the film is about a change to the California Evidence Code (section 1107, to be exact) that allows expert testimony on domestic abuse, specifically, “intimate partner battering and its effects, including the nature and effect of physical, emotional, or mental abuse on the beliefs, perceptions, or behavior of victims of domestic violence… Expert opinion testimony on intimate partner battering and its effects shall not be considered a new scientific technique whose reliability is unproven.” The specific murder case that first included expert testimony on domestic abuse, or Battered Women’s Syndrome, was Glenda Crosley’s, and she is interviewed in Sin by Silence. After the change to the evidence code, some of the incarcerated women interviewed were eligible for retrial, though Glenda was not eligible since she did have an expert at her trial, though that expert testimony was repeatedly referred to as “an illegal defense” by the prosecution. Glenda has been an inmate in the California Institute for Women for over 20 years.

Instigating the change to the evidence code was an inmate support group – Convicted Women Against Abuse - formed by fellow inmate Brenda Clubine. A product of the support group was a letter to the governor of California and to the California Women’s Caucus which resulted in a public hearing held at the California Institute for Women. As a result of the hearing, through a ten year legislative process, the evidence code was changed in 2005. Brenda also killed her abusive husband but was one of the inmates to receive a retrial based on the change to the Evidence Code and was subsequently found not guilty after serving 26 years of her original sentence.

While an empowering story about legal reform, the film is compelling because of the personal stories told by women in Glenda and Brenda’s same situation. In addition there is a lot of expert input on domestic violence from psychologists, police, lawyers and professors, all of whom dispel myths about domestic violence. For instance, it is commonly held that abused women should “just leave” their abusers. One of the psychologists interviewed states that leaving abusive relationships often results in “separation assault” and puts women at a 75% greater chance of being killed and the woman remains at an increased risk for two years after she leaves. While murder is not advocated as a response to abuse, the film makes clear that introducing expert testimony at trial legally allows jurors to take the abuse, and not only the facts of the murder evidence, into consideration when determining guilt or innocence.

Sin by Silence is a great alternative to dramatized versions of domestic abuse trials, such as The Burning Bed (1984), starring Farrah Fawcett. It is full of gripping narratives, offers expert information from a variety of quarters and has a somewhat empowering ending. At 49 minutes long, it is an excellent choice for in-class viewing and the DVD offers bonus features designed for classroom, shelter and non-profit settings.

Awards

• Winner, Sacramento Film & Music Festival 2009
• Official Selection, Audience Award Runner Up, Cleveland International Film Festival 2009