'Making a Murderer' is among ABA Silver Gavel nominees
The Making a Murderer Netflix series is among 16 finalists for the ABA’s Silver Gavel Awards for Media and the Arts.
Making a Murderer tells the story of Wisconsin man Steven Avery, who was convicted of rape and exonerated after 18 years in prison. After his release, while his wrongful conviction case was pending, he was charged and then convicted of murder. The documentary raises questions about the new conviction, gained with some investigative help from the sheriff’s department that was being sued by Avery.
Making a Murderer is competing in the documentary category with The Hunting Ground, the film about campus rape featuring “Till It Happens to You,” the song performed at the Oscars by Lady Gaga.
Other finalists include the St. Louis Post-Dispatch, for stories on municipal court abuses in St. Louis County, which includes Ferguson, Missouri. Its investigation found that municipal courts “are streamlined to direct business to lawyers” and they are “part of an automated, money-hungry system” that depends on fines from defendants.
Also nominated is a Law and Order: Special Victims Unit for its “Transgender Bridge” episode.
The full list of nominees is available here. The Silver Gavel awards recognize outstanding work that fosters the American public’s understanding of law and the legal system. The winners will be announced May 11.
