Gavel is a retelling of american legal procedure from the defendent's perspective. It tackles verifiable and compelling stories where our legal system has failed real people.
gavel sprung from the request of a personal friend, to tell the story of a broken and inefficient legal system, which he had just been the victim of. many yeoman stories of tragedy, at the hands of our justice system, are waiting to be told. The worst of them are currently being compiled, to form several pilot episodes, with the intent to be shown on a streaming platform. benjamin is both directing and producing these.
Joseph reichert was one of the first stories to come from the production of gavel. Like many others, he's waited many years for his story to be told.
As with all cases of this nature, there is never only one victim. Joseph's friends and family have all been affected. Their sides of the story are often an integral piece of the puzzle.
In order to find these stories, a geotargeted facebook ad campaign was used.
developing a series like this, often takes you to some raw places. this razor wire sits outside a former juvenile detention center for boys in centralia, Wa.