Mexican Movie Goes To Court

Mexico's Court Case May Continue


A judge ruled Monday, March 14, 2011 that a hit documentary that shines an unflattering light on Mexico's secretive legal system can continue to be shown in theaters as long as the identity of a man who appears in the film is protected.

"Presumed Guilty" opened across Mexico on Feb. 18 to wide acclaim, but a judge ordered its suspension last week after a key figure in the movie filed a complaint saying the film violated his right to privacy. An appeals court stayed the judge's order two days later, allowing the film to return to cinemas at least temporarily.

The ruling denied a petition that the film be pulled entirely from Mexican screens.

Theater chain Cinepolis said in a statement that it will continue showing the film in more than 70 Mexican cities, but it did not say if it will alter the movie to conceal any identities or whether it intends to appeal the decision. A message requesting comment from Cinepolis was not immediately returned.

"Presumed Guilty" centers on the case of Antonio Zuniga, a street vendor who was sentenced to 20 years for murder in 2005 on the basis of scant evidence.

Zuniga's conviction was eventually overturned, a process documented by his lawyers, who filmed the hearings with the permission of the trail judge.

The man filing the petition is a cousin of the murder victim, and the case is largely based on his testimony.

Other relatives of the victim also filed a separate complaint, but the judge who handled that case did not order the movie's suspension and on Monday also ruled it could continue to be shown.

"Presumed Guilty" - "Presunto Culpable" in its original Spanish - won the audience award for best international feature at the 2010 Los Angeles Film Festival.

A central message of the film is that greater transparency and openness can improve a system in which most convictions are not based on physical evidence and defendants are vulnerable to unfounded claims.

A message in the credits advises viewers to demand their legal hearings be recorded.

It has been seen by more than 1.2 million people in Mexico, according to Cinepolis.