The Staircase : 123Movies

The Staircase

Academy Award-winning documentary filmmaker, Jean-Xavier de Lestrade, presents a gripping courtroom thriller, offering a rare and revealing inside look at a high-profile murder trial. In 2001, author Michael Peterson was arraigned for the murder of his wife Kathleen, whose body was discovered lying in a pool of blood on the stairway of their home. Granted unusual access to Peterson's lawyers, home and immediate family, de Lestrade's cameras capture the defense team as it considers its strategic options. The series is an engrossing look at contemporary American justice that features more twists than a legal bestseller.

Genre: Crime, Documentary

Actor: Michael Peterson, David Rudolf, Ron Guerette, Tom Maher, Bill Peterson

Creator: N/A

Country: France

Type: tv

Season: 1

Episode: 1

Duration: 0h 49m

Release: 2004

Rating: 7.5

1 "Crime or Accident?"

N/A

"N\/A"

2 "Secrets and Lies"

N/A

"N\/A"

3 "A Striking Coincidence"

N/A

"N\/A"

4 "A Prosecution Trickery"

N/A

"N\/A"

5 "A Weak Case"

N/A

"N\/A"

6 "The Prosecution's Revenge"

N/A

"N\/A"

7 "The Blowpoke Returns"

28 Oct 2004

"In another shocking twist to this murder trial, a new discovery comes to the attention of the defense. Has the murder weapon finally been found?"

8 "The Verdict"

28 Oct 2004

"Michael Peterson's fate hangs in the balance as the jury delivers the final verdict. Will justice be served?"

9 "Reopen the Case"

21 Nov 2013

"Flashforward to 2011. It has been eight years since Peterson was incarcerated in prison. His family and his lawyers have never given up hope for an appeal, but the North Carolina Court of Appeal and Supreme Court have denied him the right to a new trial. As this chapter recalls the details of the case, a dramatic twist throws doubt on his conviction, and we visit a tired and emaciated Peterson in..."

10 "The Last Chance"

21 Nov 2013

"The testimony of one of the key witnesses in Peterson's trial, forensic investigator Duane Deaver, has come into question. And as a result, in December of 2011, Peterson is released on parole. But he is by no means a free man. There are very important choices to make-and more twists in the Peterson saga to come."

11 "In Search of a Resolution"

08 Jun 2018

"Should Peterson undergo a second trial (and risk another conviction) or plead guilty? He says he totally rejects the word \"guilty,\" but saying it in a courtroom could be the only way to close the case and ensure his freedom. Peterson's family discusses their relief at his parole, but also their fears at what lies ahead."

12 "Between Despair and Anger"

08 Jun 2018

"The judge in Peterson's original trial rules that, notwithstanding Deaver's misconduct, there will be no dismissal of his conviction. David Rudolf, Peterson's friend and lawyer has declined to represent him at a new trial, but explains that a second jury might be no more equitable than the first. Proposals are advanced for Peterson to plead guilty, but he still refuses to pronounce the word."

13 "Imperfect Justice"

08 Jun 2018

"After much fraught deliberations, a deal has been negotiated for an \"Alford plea,\" wherein Peterson will plead guilty while still asserting his innocence. He attends the hearing, facing his late wife's sisters, who still believe that he murdered her."