A decent man in the dark, murky world.
Netflix’ seminal Making A Murderer was a gripping watch. There is something about the tangled web of crime, corruption and courtroom intrigue that draws us in, and has each of us playing detective to solve the unsolvable.
Part of the attraction (probably the wrong word for a murder case) is the characters involved. The Averys, the Dasseys, Ken Kratz, Len Kachinsky, Michael O’Kelly, etc – there’s almost a Dickensian feel about the key players.
For many, the moral centres of the series were defence lawyers Dean Strang and Jerry Buting. The duo weren’t interested in personal gain or self-promotion, but rather the truth, and crawling through the muck of state corruption.
Strang in particular showed admirable sensitivity towards those incarcerated for what seems like dubious reasons, and his empathy towards Brendan Dassey was especially touching. So much so that it even made him an unlikely sex symbol.
Now the real-life Atticus Finch is getting his own show. He will host Dean Strang: Road to Justice, an eight-part docuseries that will have the lawyer look at “landmark legal cases that demonstrate major flaws in the criminal justice system.”
Netflix are the favourites to buy the rights to the show that is being made by independent production company Covert Media. We’ll certainly be tuning in to get our Strang fix.
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