American Violet

American Violet is a 2008 drama film directed by Tim Disney and starring Nicole Beharie. The story is based on Regina Kelly, a victim of Texas police drug enforcement tactics.

Even though Dee has no prior drug record and no drugs were found on her in the raid or any subsequent searches, she is offered a hellish choice plead guilty and go home as a convicted felon or remain in prison and fight the charges, thus jeopardizing her custody and risking a long prison sentence. Despite the urgings of her mother Alfre Woodard, and with her freedom and the custody of her children at stake, she chooses to fight the district attorney. Dee works with an ACLU attorney Tim Blake Nelson and a former local narcotics officer Will Patton to take on the Texas justice system.The film is based on the civil rights lawsuit Regina Kelly v. John Paschall, filed on behalf ofAfricanAmerican residents of Hearne, Texas who were indicted in November 2000 on drug charges after being rounded up in a series of drug sweeps the ACLU referred to as paramilitary. The lawsuit accused Paschall and the South Central Texas Narcotics Task Force of conducting racially motivated drug sweeps for more thanyears in Hearne. In 2005, the ACLU and Robertson County settled and the plaintiffs agreed to dismiss the individuals named in the suit, including Paschall. The fictional Harmon County represents Robertson County, Texas, where John Paschall was defeated for reelection in 2012. Regina Kelly continued to live in Hearne until 2009. ........

Source: Wikipedia