...AND JUSTICE FOR ALL (1979 Theatrical Trailer)

This is the theatrical trailer for the 1979 legal drama feature "...And Justice for All".
Directed by Norman Jewison ("Moonstruck", "A Soldier's Story"), the movie was released through Columbia Pictures on October 19, 1979.
Arthur Kirkland (Al Pacino), a Baltimore defense attorney, is in jail on a contempt of court charge after punching Judge Henry T. Fleming (John Forsythe, "Charlie's Angels", "Dynasty") while arguing the case of Jeff McCullaugh (Thomas Waites, "The Warriors"). McCullaugh was stopped for a minor traffic offense, then mistaken for a killer of the same name, and has already spent a year and a half in jail without being guilty of a crime. Fleming has repeatedly stymied Kirkland's efforts to have the case reviewed. Although there is strong new evidence that McCullaugh is innocent, Fleming refuses to consider his appeal due to its late submission, so he remains in prison. Kirkland then starts a new case, defending Ralph Agee (Robert Christian), a young black cross-dresser arrested for a robbery, who is terrified of being sent to prison.
Kirkland pays regular visits to his grandfather Sam (Lee Strasberg, "The Godfather: Part II"), in a nursing home, who is progressively becoming senile. It is revealed that Kirkland was abandoned by his parents at a young age, and it was Sam who raised him and put him through law school. Kirkland also begins a romance with a legal ethics committee member, Gail Packer (Christine Lahti).
Kirkland has a friendly relationship with Judge Francis Rayford (Jack Warden), who takes him on a hair-raising ride in his personal helicopter. Rayford laughs in amusement as he tests how far he can fly before running out of fuel. Meanwhile, Kirkland is terrified and begs him to land; Rayford eventually crashes his helicopter in knee-deep water. Rayford, a Korean War veteran, is borderline suicidal and keeps a rifle in his chambers at the courthouse and an M1911 pistol in his shoulder holster at all times. He even eats his lunch on a ledge outside his office window, four stories up.
One day, unexpectedly, Kirkland is requested to defend Judge Fleming, who has been accused of brutally assaulting and raping a young woman. As the two loathe each other, Fleming feels that having the person who publicly hates him argue his innocence will be to his advantage. Fleming blackmails Kirkland with an old violation of lawyer-client confidentiality, for which Kirkland will likely be disbarred if it were to come to light.
Kirkland's friend and partner, Jay Porter (Jeffrey Tambor), is also unstable. He feels guilt for gaining acquittals for defendants who were truly guilty of violent crimes. Porter shows up drunk at Kirkland's apartment, after one of his (guilty) clients kills two kids following his acquittal. Porter soon shaves his head, claiming this will make his hair grow back thicker, but keeps shaving it. After a violent breakdown inside the courthouse - wherein he ends up throwing dinner plates at everybody in the hallway - Porter is taken to a hospital. Before leaving in the ambulance, Kirkland asks another partner, Warren Fresnell (Larry Bryggman, "As the World Turns"), to handle Agee's court hearing in his absence. Kirkland gives Fresnell a corrected version of Agee's probation report and stresses that it must be shown to the judge so that Agee will receive probation, rather than serve jail time. Fresnell shows up late and forgets to give the judge the corrected version, causing Agee to be sentenced to jail time. Kirkland is livid and attacks Fresnell's car, revealing that 30 minutes after he was sentenced, Agee committed suicide. Meanwhile, Jeff McCullaugh, who has been sexually and physically assaulted by other inmates, finally snaps and takes two hostages. Kirkland pleads with him to surrender, promising to get him out, but a police sniper shoots and kills McCullaugh when he moves in front of a window.
A clearly disturbed Kirkland takes on Judge Fleming's case. He tries to talk the prosecuting attorney, Frank Bowers (Craig T. Nelson), into throwing the case out but Bowers, who recognizes the prestige that convicting a judge would earn him, refuses to back down. Kirkland meets with another client, Carl Travers, who offers photographs proving that Fleming engaged in BDSM acts with a prostitute. Gail Packer warns Kirkland not to betray a client, revealing that the ethics committee has been keeping their eye on him ever since the contempt of court incident. Kirkland shows the pictures to Fleming, who freely admits he is guilty of the rape.
As the trial opens, Fleming, while looking at the victim, makes a casual remark to Kirkland that he "wouldn't mind seeing her again sometime." Kirkland's face indicates his disgust.