Action,Drama,Mystery,Thriller
United States of America
Just Cause is a 1995 thriller film directed by Arne Glimcher and starring Sean Connery, Laurence Fishburne, and Kate Capshaw. The film is based on the novel of the same name by John Katzenbach.
The story revolves around Bobby Earl, a young black man who is sentenced to death for the rape and murder of a young girl in Florida. Eight years later, Bobby contacts prominent Harvard law professor Paul Armstrong, claiming his innocence. Armstrong, skeptical at first, agrees to take on Bobby's case after hearing his story.
As Armstrong investigates the case, he uncovers evidence that was overlooked during the initial investigation, such as a coroner’s report that states the victim’s body temperature was too low to be consistent with when she was found, and the fact that the police had coerced a confession from Bobby through physical abuse. He also discovers the existence of Blair Sullivan, a woman who provides Bobby with an alibi for the time of the murder.
Armstrong presents the new evidence to the local police, but they refuse to reopen the case. However, the governor of Florida commutes Bobby's death sentence to life imprisonment, and Armstrong continues to work on the case with the help of local journalist Laurie Prentiss.
They soon discover that an inmate at the prison where Bobby is being held, a convicted serial killer named Blair Sullivan, may have been the true culprit. Sullivan, who had been incarcerated near the time of the murder, had been linked to several other murders of young girls that took place in the same area around the same time and had apparently provided Bobby Earl with his alibi in exchange for a promise of protection.
After Sullivan confesses to the murder, Bobby is exonerated and released from prison. However, in a final twist, Armstrong realizes that Sullivan may not have acted alone and that there may be other accomplices, but Sullivan is killed before he can reveal any more information, leaving the case unresolved.
