TBA Law Blog


Posted by: Stacey Shrader Joslin on Oct 7, 2020

A documentary that chronicles the legal case against death row inmate Abu-Ali Abdur’Rahman was featured during the Nashville Film Festival last week, Nashville Public Radio reports. The film, "You Don’t Know Me,” sheds light on the mistakes made at Abdur’Rahman's trial, including an acknowledgement from the defense attorney that he did not provide adequate representation. The jury was never told that Abdur’Rahman suffered from mental illness after enduring severe abuse as a child, or that no blood was found on his coat after the alleged stabbing. Multiple jurors have since testified that they regret their decision to impose the death penalty and if given the chance to do it over would vote differently. Nashville’s district attorney overturned Abdur’Rahman’s death sentence last summer, citing misconduct and racial bias during the trial. The state has appealed that decision.