Rule of Law 2016
Distributed by Bullfrog Films, PO Box 149, Oley, PA 19547; 800-543-FROG (3764)
Produced by Dan Iacovella and Carolina Fernandez
Directed by Dan Iacovella
DVD , color, 47 min.
College - General Adult
Constitutional Law, Constitutional Rights, Disabilities, Discrimination, Government, Human Rights, Law, Sociology
Date Entered: 09/20/2017
Reviewed by Douglas Reed, Department of Political Science, Ouachita Baptist University, Arkadelphia, ARInfluential Constitutional and due process rights cases are sometimes prompted by the most unlikely of plaintiffs. George Lane, a disabled person with a long criminal history, is such a litigant.
Rule of Law follows Lane’s story and his treatment by the Tennessee court system, which culminate in the Tennessee vs. Lane decision. Lane was asked to appear in court, but the courtroom was on an upper floor and the courthouse had no elevator. Lane was forced to crawl up the steps to the courtroom. Lane’s case was not heard that morning. That afternoon, Lane refused to crawl up the steps and was cited for failure to appear. The courtroom was a few hundred feet from his first floor location. Lane and Beverly Jones, a disabled court reporter, sued the State of Tennessee for violation of Title II of the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA). Their case focuses on the right to access courtrooms and participate in court proceedings. While the state of Tennessee declared “sovereign immunity,” both plaintiffs argued the ADA prohibited the state from denying them access to an important public service – use of the courts. Ultimately, the case reached the U.S. Supreme Court, where the justices decided 5-4 that states must make reasonable accommodations for handicapped individuals to exercise the essential right of court access.
Clear and insightful, the documentary effectively sorts out the issues in Tennessee vs. Lane and explains the workings of the legal system. Interviews with William J. Brown, Lane’s primary attorney, and Lane put a human face on the proceedings, especially the pressures placed on U.S. Supreme Court litigants.
Highly recommended for academic and public libraries, Rule of Law is a valuable resource for courses in Constitutional law, political science, and sociology. The film also includes optional SDH captions and a number of useful bonus features: over two hours of extended interviews; audio files of the Supreme Court's Hearing and Opinion of the case; legal documents related to the case; and a list of Web resources that correspond to select segments of the film.