Sophia Scorziello editor Gordon Proudfoot was both a lawyer and a disc jockey. Before the internet provided quick answers to almost any kinds of questions, Gordon ran an on-air “dial-a-law” segment where listeners could call him with legal queries about car accidents or whatever trouble they may have gotten into.
So, when Gordon died in May 2020, his filmmaker son Ben Proudfoot decided to make a film that honored his dad’s philanthropy and dedication to serving the public.
Proudfoot’s 2023 short documentary “Forgiving Johnny” follows Los Angeles County public defender Noah Cox as he seeks forgiveness from the justice system on behalf of his disabled client Johnny Reyes, who is facing 20 years in prison, while simultaneously embarking on journey of forgiveness from a bygone classmate. “I saw that there was this confluence of the California justice system, attempting to be more forgiving to developmentally disabled clients who need who need the support and help,” Proudfoot told Variety. “The miracle of the internet and all the technology that we have at hand every day is finally reaching the most analog corners of the universe in the legal system.” With the help of digital transformation company, the L.A.
County Public Defender’s Office was able to digitize case files for quick and easy access. Proudfoot’s doc gives a glimpse of the previous analog system, with forklifts moving stacks of file boxes around a storage warehouse. “When technology is enabling forgiveness, that’s an interesting story,” Proudfoot says.
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