Now, this is a niche sub-genre: documentaries made by defense attorneys for judges to persuade them to hand down a lenient sentence for their convicted clients. These films provide a shred of humanity in a system full of inhumane treatment, numbers and statistics, quotas, and guideline sentencing. The fact that this specific type of filmmaking, championed by lawyer/filmmaker Doug Passon, reflects an American criminal "justice" system in dire need of an overhaul. "Is documentary filmmaking the literal absolute truth? No, it's not," states Passon, "What it is, is the emotional truth." Whether you agree with him or not, if you want proof that films can manifest a change or sway an opinion, talk to a judge whose mind was changed by one of these courtroom films. Or better yet, speak to the defendant spared from a lengthy prison sentence by a documentary.