Dummy (TV)

Someone killed a hooker, and the cops are sure they've got the perp: a ghetto kid named Donald Lang. But Donald cannot speak. Or hear. Or read or write or understand sign language. Not even Donald's deaf lawyer can communicate with him. Can the state try a man incapable of defending himself? Le Var Burton and Paul Sorvino play accused and attorney in this gripping true story of a case that challenged our legal system and challenges our concept of justice. Winner of a 1979 Peabody Award and nominated for an Emmy as 1979's Outstanding Drama or Comedy Special, Dummy speaks volumes about the value of a human life, whether it belongs to a prostitute or the man who may be unjustly accused of her murder.

• drama