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PBS Premiere: June 1, 1999Check local listings »
Synopsis
Shocking murders, massive manhunts and win-at-all-cost political campaigns propel this extraordinary story behind the enactment of California's "Three Strikes and You're Out" initiative, which in 1994 became the nation's toughest mandatory sentencing law. Filmmaker Michael J. Moore follows the turbulent relationship of two grief-stricken fathers whose daughters' senseless murders sparked a political firestorm and media frenzy that would change the face of criminal justice in America. A chilling commentary on life in an age of sound-bite democracy, the film reveals the controversy behind laws of this kind and examines how the two men most responsible for "Three Strikes" went from being fervent allies to bitter rivals.