I had no idea (and I'll bet there are a lot of folks who shared my ignorance, hence the need for this movie to be made) that there is a federal law of mandatory minimum sentencing with regard to drug association. In this tv drama Guilt by Association, Mercedes Ruehl discovers how dangerous being innocent it can be. Her boyfriend, Alex Carter, smokes marijuana with his friends and sometimes sells a little supply so he can get his own for free. Mercedes hates his recreational activity, and she actually breaks up with him since he doesn't want to stop. Then, one day, the police barge into her house and arrest her in front of her children. Her house and other possessions are seized by the government, and she's charged with four counts of conspiracy to sell and assisting in drug dealing. Alex's friends all turn on her to reduce their sentences, and in court, innocent actions are twisted around: She took a few phone messages when Alex was busy, and once she returned his gym bag he'd left at her house, not knowing it was filled with drugs instead of workout attire.
Because of the mandatory minimum law, she's given an outrageous sentence, far longer than those who actually did the drug dealing. It's shocking and horrifying, and she has to say goodbye to her young children. By the time her sentence (which is not eligible for parole) is up, her kids will be adults. While in prison, she finds out that many, many other women have been imprisoned for the same crime: taking a few phone calls for their boyfriends, or knowing what they were up to and choosing not to blow the whistle.
This is tough to watch, since anyone who has seen Caged knows women's prisons are rough. Threats, violence, solitary confinement, and without even a semi-private cell while she sleeps, Mercedes lives through Hell and gives an excellent performance. This is one of those movies that makes you inspired to write your congressman, and it's a subject I'd never heard of before. I've seen countless prison movies, but never one where the victim has been sentenced to more years than the person who actually did the crime. In the film, the judge himself says he believes the sentence to be too harsh, but Congress has taken any power to change it out of his hands. If you only think of Mercedes Ruehl as being a flashy girl with long nails wearing animal print, this sobering drama will certainly change your mind about her.
