The Star Chamber (1983) Synopsis

On a South Los Angeles, California, street, two plainclothes detectives chase Hector Andujar, a Latino man, who fits the description of the killer of several elderly women. During the pursuit, Andujar throws something in a garbage can and escapes but the detectives can't search the can without a warrant; the law only allows police to rummage through trash once it's been removed from a trash container and mixed in with the other trash in a sanitation truck. However, the police make the procedural error of searching Andujar's trash in the truck before it is combined with the rest of the truck's trash. Before leaving the scene, detective Kenneth Wiggan (Larry Hankin) finds a gun.Later, in the courtroom of Superior Judge Steven R. Hardin (Michael Douglas), Andujar's attorney asks that all evidence in the case be declared inadmissible because the detectives violated his client's right to privacy by not waiting until Andujar's garbage was mixed with the rest of the garbage in the truck to do a search. The trial ends with Andujar free because of a technicality despite overwhelming evidence against him.At a Chinese restaurant, Hardin complains to Benjamin Caulfield (Hal Holbrook), his former law professor and fellow judge, that the law has become too distorted for justice to prevail. Caulfield confesses that he's done something about it but refuses to explain.Sometime later, the police, along with Detective Harry Lowes (Yaphet Kotto), uncover the grisly murder of ten-year-old Daniel Lewin in the park. Nearby, Officer Pickett and Officer Nelson (David Proval) stop a van that has two outstanding warrants and notice that two thugs inside, Lawrence Monk (Don Calfa) and Arthur Cooms (Joe Regalbuto), are nervous. Pickett detects marijuana and instructs his partner, Nelson, to search the van. When Nelson sees a bloodied boy's sneaker in the rear of the vehicle, Monk and Cooms are arrested and later tried for the murder of Lewin.The boy's death is thought to be the work of a child pornography ring that kidnaps, drugs, films and then kills children. However, in Hardin's court, the case unravels because the city is behind on its record-keeping. The public defender argues that the police arrested Monk based on erroneous information and deems the search of their vehicle illegal and asks that the case be dismissed. As the court adjourns, Dr. Harold Lewin (James B. Sikking), Danny's father, reminds Hardin that his son has been gruesomely murdered by shoving his son's school photograph in the judge's coat pocket. The next day, the case is thrown out of court and when Lewin attempts to shoot the freed killers, he is arrested.Later, at a baseball game, Hardin asks Caulfield to explain what he meant about overcoming the problems of convicting felons. Caulfield says he will soon offer an explanation but he refuses to do so at the ballgame.Judge Hardin later visits Lewin in prison; the doctor is at peace because he tried to take the law into his own hands. When Hardin offers his help, Lewin reminds him that another boy has been found murdered in the same manner as his son and says that the Judge is at fault because the murderers are back on the street.In a fury, Hardin drives to Caulfield's house, where he learns about "the court of last resort," a secret group of nine judges that hand out "real" justice for the most perverted cases in the court system. According to Caulfield, Hardin has one of two choices; he can go back to his career on the bench or he can get his hands dirty by joining the secret court. Hardin and a panel of judges then listen to cases in the privacy of Caulfield's study and a hired killer is contracted to enforce the court's decisions.At home, Hardin gets a phone call saying that Dr. Lewin has committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping drugs while in prison. Furious, Hardin brings Danny Lewin's case to the secret court, and the judges arrange the summary execution of Monk and Cooms.Meanwhile, the police capture Stanley Flowers (DeWayne Jessie), a well-known car thief. During his interrogation, Flowers reveals that a van he stole for three black men was returned with a boy's bloody sneaker inside.Elsewhere, Hardin and his wife, Emily (Sharon Gless), attend a political function and learn from a friend that the news has reported the arrest of three black men believed to be the child pornographers. Fearing that Monk and Cooms are innocent and will be wrongly punished, Hardin finds Caulfield at the party and demands an emergency secret court session that evening. Although, Caulfield says it won't be easy to gather all the judges so quickly, the meeting convenes and Hardin is adamant that their decision to execute Monks and Cooms be reversed but he learns the execution cannot be stopped.In an effort to find Monk and Cooms before the hit man, Hardin follows Lowes' directions to an abandoned warehouse, and confronts the men. When Hardin warns them that their lives are threatened, they don't believe him and beat him up. As Hardin runs for his life, he grabs a chemical-filled glass bottle and uses it to defend himself as he inches out of the room. However, Monk and Cooms lunge at Hardin, causing him to throw the bottle into the middle of the room. An explosion rips through the side of the building and all three men run down the stairs as the fire alarm sounds. Meanwhile, a police car pulls up to the abandoned warehouse. The thugs shoot at Hardin, but before they can kill him, the hired killer, who is disguised as a police officer, shoots Monk and Cooms dead. The executioner looks Hardin in the eye and cocks his rifle, but before he can fire, Lowes appears and shoots the killer dead.Later, the secret court continues in Caulfield's study but Hardin's seat is empty. Instead, he and Lowes sit in a patrol car outside the house, tape recording the proceedings as future evidence for a criminal investigation.

On a South Los Angeles, California, street, two plainclothes detectives chase Hector Andujar, a Latino man, who fits the description of the killer of several elderly women. During the pursuit, Andujar throws something in a garbage can and escapes but the detectives can't search the can without a warrant; the law only allows police to rummage through trash once it's been removed from a trash container and mixed in with the other trash in a sanitation truck. However, the police make the procedural error of searching Andujar's trash in the truck before it is combined with the rest of the truck's trash. Before leaving the scene, detective Kenneth Wiggan (Larry Hankin) finds a gun.Later, in the courtroom of Superior Judge Steven R. Hardin (Michael Douglas), Andujar's attorney asks that all evidence in the case be declared inadmissible because the detectives violated his client's right to privacy by not waiting until Andujar's garbage was mixed with the rest of the garbage in the truck to do a search. The trial ends with Andujar free because of a technicality despite overwhelming evidence against him.At a Chinese restaurant, Hardin complains to Benjamin Caulfield (Hal Holbrook), his former law professor and fellow judge, that the law has become too distorted for justice to prevail. Caulfield confesses that he's done something about it but refuses to explain.Sometime later, the police, along with Detective Harry Lowes (Yaphet Kotto), uncover the grisly murder of ten-year-old Daniel Lewin in the park. Nearby, Officer Pickett and Officer Nelson (David Proval) stop a van that has two outstanding warrants and notice that two thugs inside, Lawrence Monk (Don Calfa) and Arthur Cooms (Joe Regalbuto), are nervous. Pickett detects marijuana and instructs his partner, Nelson, to search the van. When Nelson sees a bloodied boy's sneaker in the rear of the vehicle, Monk and Cooms are arrested and later tried for the murder of Lewin.The boy's death is thought to be the work of a child pornography ring that kidnaps, drugs, films and then kills children. However, in Hardin's court, the case unravels because the city is behind on its record-keeping. The public defender argues that the police arrested Monk based on erroneous information and deems the search of their vehicle illegal and asks that the case be dismissed. As the court adjourns, Dr. Harold Lewin (James B. Sikking), Danny's father, reminds Hardin that his son has been gruesomely murdered by shoving his son's school photograph in the judge's coat pocket. The next day, the case is thrown out of court and when Lewin attempts to shoot the freed killers, he is arrested.Later, at a baseball game, Hardin asks Caulfield to explain what he meant about overcoming the problems of convicting felons. Caulfield says he will soon offer an explanation but he refuses to do so at the ballgame.Judge Hardin later visits Lewin in prison; the doctor is at peace because he tried to take the law into his own hands. When Hardin offers his help, Lewin reminds him that another boy has been found murdered in the same manner as his son and says that the Judge is at fault because the murderers are back on the street.In a fury, Hardin drives to Caulfield's house, where he learns about "the court of last resort," a secret group of nine judges that hand out "real" justice for the most perverted cases in the court system. According to Caulfield, Hardin has one of two choices; he can go back to his career on the bench or he can get his hands dirty by joining the secret court. Hardin and a panel of judges then listen to cases in the privacy of Caulfield's study and a hired killer is contracted to enforce the court's decisions.At home, Hardin gets a phone call saying that Dr. Lewin has committed suicide by overdosing on sleeping drugs while in prison. Furious, Hardin brings Danny Lewin's case to the secret court, and the judges arrange the summary execution of Monk and Cooms.Meanwhile, the police capture Stanley Flowers (DeWayne Jessie), a well-known car thief. During his interrogation, Flowers reveals that a van he stole for three black men was returned with a boy's bloody sneaker inside.Elsewhere, Hardin and his wife, Emily (Sharon Gless), attend a political function and learn from a friend that the news has reported the arrest of three black men believed to be the child pornographers. Fearing that Monk and Cooms are innocent and will be wrongly punished, Hardin finds Caulfield at the party and demands an emergency secret court session that evening. Although, Caulfield says it won't be easy to gather all the judges so quickly, the meeting convenes and Hardin is adamant that their decision to execute Monks and Cooms be reversed but he learns the execution cannot be stopped.In an effort to find Monk and Cooms before the hit man, Hardin follows Lowes' directions to an abandoned warehouse, and confronts the men. When Hardin warns them that their lives are threatened, they don't believe him and beat him up. As Hardin runs for his life, he grabs a chemical-filled glass bottle and uses it to defend himself as he inches out of the room. However, Monk and Cooms lunge at Hardin, causing him to throw the bottle into the middle of the room. An explosion rips through the side of the building and all three men run down the stairs as the fire alarm sounds. Meanwhile, a police car pulls up to the abandoned warehouse. The thugs shoot at Hardin, but before they can kill him, the hired killer, who is disguised as a police officer, shoots Monk and Cooms dead. The executioner looks Hardin in the eye and cocks his rifle, but before he can fire, Lowes appears and shoots the killer dead.Later, the secret court continues in Caulfield's study but Hardin's seat is empty. Instead, he and Lowes sit in a patrol car outside the house, tape recording the proceedings as future evidence for a criminal investigation.

Published Time: 2021-02-24 03:54:37