The impact of her arrest was hard and instant. In the brief time it takes to respond to a doorbell, she lost freedom, her family and any hope of a future. Reality became a small space in a women's detention center, every inch filled with the terrors of her mind and the heaviness of what would be. Over and over she would ask herself how she got to such a place. Was it all her fault? Was she guilty or decieved? Was her imprisonment just or unjust?
Justice For Her answers the questions and raises even deeper concerns about the ethics of our criminal justice system. Is guilt by association truth in America? Was Yonzetta's mistake the company she kept? Was her crime her longing for the wrong things from the wrong people? The film reveals how the choices she made and those that many other young women make bring consequences never imagined in their wildest dreams.
Justice For Her uncovers the fatal flaws of the criminal justice system which often times becomes criminal itself. It also highlights the unholy alliances that sometime exist between law enforcement and prosecutors that often lead to withholding evidence, fabricating facts as well as the actual manufacturing of evidence in the effort to convict at all cost. The rush to judgement by over zealous prosecutors is clearly illustrated in this documentary.
Lastly, Justice For Her is a love story about a mother's undying devotion to her daughter, a tale of a bond that couldn't be broken. This documentary shares the extraordinary efforts of Aginah Shabazz to free her daughter. Through testimonies from nearly every one involved in the case we hear the incredible story of a mother's courage, tenacity and faith in her child's innocence. As her son Sultan so poignantly says "My mother picked this family up and put us on her back and carried us through". The toll of this ordeal on Aginah's mind, body and spirit could never be measured, but one thing is for sure, her indomitable strength stands as a testimony and reminder of the unbelievable strength of the countless black women that endured tragedy and hardships-even the pain of slavery. The film reveals the depth of her wisdom in assembling a Dream team of lawyers, investigators, committee and ardent supporters to free Nas. It also shows her innate ability to negotiate and to raise funds to fight a capital punishment case. We also see and hear how this prominent entrepreneur sacrifices nearly all-material possessions to wage war against the powerful Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Yonzetta is certanly the soul of this incredible story, but her mother Aginah Carter-Shabazz is truly the Heart of "Justice For Her".
