The Second Execution of Romell Broom (Die zweite Hinrichtung - Amerika und die Todesstrafe)

Year: 2012
Country: GERMANY, USA
Run Time: 90 minutes

In 1984 Romell Broom was convicted of murdering 14-year-old Tryna Middleton in East Cleveland, OH. His execution attempt in September 2009 took two hours of trying to find a suitable vein for the lethal IV before the governor granted a one-week reprieve. This documentary offers a rare perspective into our nation's death penalty and the unique consequence of a failed attempt. Delving into the initial court case from 1984, we see how evidence and eye-witness accounts may have tipped the scales against a man innocent of the crime he was sentenced to death for committing. Through interviews with the lawyers, government officials, and Cleveland police detectives in charge of the Middleton murder, THE SECOND EXECUTION OF ROMELL BROOM gives an unparalleled look into one of the biggest issues of our criminal justice system. Do we, as a society, have the right to re-attempt the execution of someone who could be innocent, just so the state can feel some sense of closure? A real-life crime drama of incomparable circumstances in our own backyard, this film raises questions we must all answer. What price are we willing to pay for justice? –T.W.

• Tweet