The Star Chamber
Encyclopedia
The Star Chamber is a 1983
American thriller film written by Roderick Taylor
and directed by Peter Hyams
. It stars Michael Douglas
and Hal Holbrook
. Its title is taken from the name of the notorious 17th century English court
.
) is an idealistic Los Angeles
jurist who gets frustrated when the technicalities of the law prevent the prosecution of two men who are accused of raping and killing a 10-year-old boy. They were driving slowly late at night and attracted the suspicion of two police officers, who wondered if the van's occupants might be burglars. After checking the license plate for violations, the policemen pulled them over for expired paperwork, claimed to have smelled marijuana, then saw a bloody shoe inside the van. However, the paperwork was actually submitted on time (it was merely processed late), meaning the police had no reason to pull over the van and Hardin has no choice but to throw out any subsequently discovered evidence, i.e. the bloody shoe. Hardin is even more distraught when the father of the boy attempts to shoot the criminals in court but misses and shoots a cop instead. Subsequently, the father commits suicide while in jail only after he informs Hardin that another boy has been discovered raped and murdered and tells him "This one is on you, your Honor. That boy would be alive if you hadn't let those men go." After hearing all this, Judge Hardin approaches his friend, Judge Caulfield (Hal Holbrook
), who tells him of a modern-day Star Chamber
: a group of judges who identify criminals who fell through the judicial system's cracks and then take actions against them outside the legal structure.
Judge Hardin participates in one of these proceedings in which he presents the case of the two criminals. The Star Chamber declares them "guilty" and dispatches a hired assassin. Soon afterward, however, a police detective (Yaphet Kotto
) comes to Judge Hardin with conclusive evidence that someone else raped and killed the boy. Realizing that he and the Star Chamber have just sentenced two men to die for a crime they didn't commit, Hardin implores the Star Chamber to recall the assassin, but is told by the other judges that the hit cannot be canceled. For the judges' own protection, their system includes a buffer between themselves and the assassin; they don't know who he is and he doesn't know who they are. They rationalize to Hardin that although an occasional mistake is inevitable and regrettable, what they are doing still serves society's greater good — especially, they argue, considering that the two targeted men are clearly criminals guilty of plenty of other crimes, even if not of the specific crime for which the group convicted them.
Hardin makes it clear that he does not accept their reasoning. Caulfield warns him to back down because the group will do whatever they have to in order to protect themselves. Hardin refuses to heed this warning and says he will do whatever he can to stop the men from being killed. He then tracks down the men in an attempt to warn them. However, when he arrives, they do not trust him, as he has stumbled across their illegal drug operation. After they attack him, Hardin is saved by the hitman, disguised as a police officer, who kills the two men before they can kill Hardin. The hitman points his gun at Hardin, but at the last moment, the detective arrives and kills the hitman.
The movie ends with the Star Chamber deciding another "case" without Hardin, who is outside in a car with the detective recording their conversation.
(1988) 486 U.S. 35, the United States Supreme Court ruled there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in a trash can placed outside of a residence. Although the movie accurately reflects the law at the time it was released in 1983, Greenwood later invalidated that particular legal underpinning.
The evidentiary ruling by Hardin concerning the police officers' reliance upon Department of Motor Vehicles records that were out-of-date has also been addressed by the United States Supreme Court. In United States v. Leon
(1984) 468 U.S. 897, the United States Supreme Court carved out an exception to the exclusionary rule where a police officer relies on invalid information, but does so in good faith. Again, although the movie accurately reflects the law at the time it was released in 1983, Leon later invalidated that legal underpinning.
1983 in film
-Events:*February 11 - The Rolling Stones concert film Let's Spend the Night Together opens in New York*May 25 - Star Wars Episode VI: Return of the Jedi, the final film in the original Star Wars trilogy, is released. Like the previous films, it goes on to become the top grossing picture of...
American thriller film written by Roderick Taylor
Roderick Taylor
Roderick Taylor, also known as Rod Taylor or Roderick Falconer, is an American poet, recording artist, screenwriter, television producer and television director. Taylor is the father of screenwriter and television/film producer Bruce A...
and directed by Peter Hyams
Peter Hyams
Peter Hyams is an American screenwriter, director and cinematographer, probably best known for directing the 1984 science fiction adventure 2010 , Capricorn One, the comic book adaptation Timecop and the Arnold Schwarzenegger horror/action film End of Days.-Family:Hyams was born in New York...
. It stars Michael Douglas
Michael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
and Hal Holbrook
Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an American actor. His television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for...
. Its title is taken from the name of the notorious 17th century English court
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
.
Plot
Judge Hardin (DouglasMichael Douglas
Michael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
) is an idealistic Los Angeles
Los Ángeles
Los Ángeles is the capital of the province of Biobío, in the commune of the same name, in Region VIII , in the center-south of Chile. It is located between the Laja and Biobío rivers. The population is 123,445 inhabitants...
jurist who gets frustrated when the technicalities of the law prevent the prosecution of two men who are accused of raping and killing a 10-year-old boy. They were driving slowly late at night and attracted the suspicion of two police officers, who wondered if the van's occupants might be burglars. After checking the license plate for violations, the policemen pulled them over for expired paperwork, claimed to have smelled marijuana, then saw a bloody shoe inside the van. However, the paperwork was actually submitted on time (it was merely processed late), meaning the police had no reason to pull over the van and Hardin has no choice but to throw out any subsequently discovered evidence, i.e. the bloody shoe. Hardin is even more distraught when the father of the boy attempts to shoot the criminals in court but misses and shoots a cop instead. Subsequently, the father commits suicide while in jail only after he informs Hardin that another boy has been discovered raped and murdered and tells him "This one is on you, your Honor. That boy would be alive if you hadn't let those men go." After hearing all this, Judge Hardin approaches his friend, Judge Caulfield (Hal Holbrook
Hal Holbrook
Harold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an American actor. His television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for...
), who tells him of a modern-day Star Chamber
Star Chamber
The Star Chamber was an English court of law that sat at the royal Palace of Westminster until 1641. It was made up of Privy Counsellors, as well as common-law judges and supplemented the activities of the common-law and equity courts in both civil and criminal matters...
: a group of judges who identify criminals who fell through the judicial system's cracks and then take actions against them outside the legal structure.
Judge Hardin participates in one of these proceedings in which he presents the case of the two criminals. The Star Chamber declares them "guilty" and dispatches a hired assassin. Soon afterward, however, a police detective (Yaphet Kotto
Yaphet Kotto
Yaphet Frederick Kotto is an African-American actor, known for numerous film roles , and his starring role in the NBC television series Homicide: Life on the Street .-Early life:Kotto was born in New York City, the son of Gladys Marie, a...
) comes to Judge Hardin with conclusive evidence that someone else raped and killed the boy. Realizing that he and the Star Chamber have just sentenced two men to die for a crime they didn't commit, Hardin implores the Star Chamber to recall the assassin, but is told by the other judges that the hit cannot be canceled. For the judges' own protection, their system includes a buffer between themselves and the assassin; they don't know who he is and he doesn't know who they are. They rationalize to Hardin that although an occasional mistake is inevitable and regrettable, what they are doing still serves society's greater good — especially, they argue, considering that the two targeted men are clearly criminals guilty of plenty of other crimes, even if not of the specific crime for which the group convicted them.
Hardin makes it clear that he does not accept their reasoning. Caulfield warns him to back down because the group will do whatever they have to in order to protect themselves. Hardin refuses to heed this warning and says he will do whatever he can to stop the men from being killed. He then tracks down the men in an attempt to warn them. However, when he arrives, they do not trust him, as he has stumbled across their illegal drug operation. After they attack him, Hardin is saved by the hitman, disguised as a police officer, who kills the two men before they can kill Hardin. The hitman points his gun at Hardin, but at the last moment, the detective arrives and kills the hitman.
The movie ends with the Star Chamber deciding another "case" without Hardin, who is outside in a car with the detective recording their conversation.
Cast
- Michael DouglasMichael DouglasMichael Kirk Douglas is an American actor and producer, primarily in movies and television. He has won three Golden Globes and two Academy Awards; first as producer of 1975's Best Picture, One Flew Over the Cuckoo's Nest, and as Best Actor in 1987 for his role in Wall Street. Douglas received the...
: Superior Court Judge Steven R. Hardin - Hal HolbrookHal HolbrookHarold Rowe "Hal" Holbrook, Jr. is an American actor. His television roles include Abraham Lincoln in the 1976 TV series Lincoln, Hays Stowe on The Bold Ones: The Senator and Capt. Lloyd Bucher on Pueblo. He is also known for his role in the 2007 film Into the Wild, for which he was nominated for...
: Judge Benjamin Caulfield - Yaphet KottoYaphet KottoYaphet Frederick Kotto is an African-American actor, known for numerous film roles , and his starring role in the NBC television series Homicide: Life on the Street .-Early life:Kotto was born in New York City, the son of Gladys Marie, a...
: Det. Harry Lowes - Sharon GlessSharon GlessSharon Marguerite Gless is an American character actress of stage, film and television, who is best known for her roles as Maggie Philbin on Switch , as Sgt. Christine Cagney in the police procedural drama series Cagney & Lacey and as Debbie Novotny in the Showtime cable television series Queer...
: Emily Hardin - James SikkingJames SikkingJames Barrie Sikking is an American actor known for his role as Lt. Howard Hunter on the 1980s NBC TV series Hill Street Blues. He also starred on the ABC TV series Doogie Howser, M.D. as Dr. David Howser and on the short-lived 1997 CBS drama series Brooklyn South as Captain Stan Jonas...
: Dr. Harold Lewin - Joe RegalbutoJoe RegalbutoJoe Regalbuto is an American actor and director known for his role as Frank Fontana on the CBS television comedy Murphy Brown. He also starred in the 1986 TV movie Fuzz Bucket and the short-lived series Street Hawk. He played a supporting role in the critically acclaimed film Missing in 1982...
: Arthur Cooms - Don Calfa: Lawrence Monk
- David FaustinoDavid FaustinoDavid Anthony Faustino is an American actor and rap artist primarily known for his role as Bud Bundy on the sitcom Married with Children.-Early life:...
: Tony Hardin
Legal accuracy
The evidentiary ruling by Hardin concerning the search of the trash can has since been addressed by the United States Supreme Court. In California v. GreenwoodCalifornia v. Greenwood
California v. Greenwood, 486 U.S. 35 , was a case in which the Supreme Court of the United States held that the Fourth Amendment does not prohibit the warrantless search and seizure of garbage left for collection outside the curtilage of a home....
(1988) 486 U.S. 35, the United States Supreme Court ruled there is no reasonable expectation of privacy in a trash can placed outside of a residence. Although the movie accurately reflects the law at the time it was released in 1983, Greenwood later invalidated that particular legal underpinning.
The evidentiary ruling by Hardin concerning the police officers' reliance upon Department of Motor Vehicles records that were out-of-date has also been addressed by the United States Supreme Court. In United States v. Leon
United States v. Leon
United States v. Leon, 468 U.S. 897 , was a search and seizure case in which the Supreme Court of the United States created the "good faith" exception to the exclusionary rule.-Background:...
(1984) 468 U.S. 897, the United States Supreme Court carved out an exception to the exclusionary rule where a police officer relies on invalid information, but does so in good faith. Again, although the movie accurately reflects the law at the time it was released in 1983, Leon later invalidated that legal underpinning.